Suratha was a Chitravanshi emperor of the ancient

Vanga Kingdom Vanga was an ancient kingdom and geopolitical division within the Ganges delta in the Indian subcontinent. The kingdom is one of the namesakes of the Bengal region. It was located in southern Bengal, with the core region including present-day ...

(Historical Bengal Region). He was also a proverbial person of Hindu lore. His capital was in Bolipura, now

Bolpur Bolpur is a city and a municipality in Birbhum district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Bolpur subdivision. Bolpur municipal area includes Santiniketan, Sriniketan and Prantik. The city is known as a Cultural a ...

city of West Bengal. He was a devotee of Devi Durga. According to the

Markandeya Purana The ''Markandeya Purana'' ( sa, मार्कण्डेय पुराण; IAST: ) is a Sanskrit text of Hinduism, and one of the eighteen major Puranas. The text's title Markandeya refers to a sage in Hindu History, who is the central char ...

he preached the

Devi Mahatmya The ''Devi Mahatmya'' or ''Devi Mahatmyam'' ( sa, देवीमाहात्म्यम्, devīmāhātmyam, Glory of the Goddess) is a Hindu philosophical text describing the Goddess as the supreme power and creator of the universe. It is ...

( Sri Sri Chandi) in Marthya (earth) among the dweller of Marthya and also he was the first organizer of

durga puja Durga Puja ( bn, দুর্গা পূজা), also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsava, is an annual Hindu festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which reveres and pays homage to the Hindu goddess Durga and is also celebrated ...

in Ganga and later this durga puja festival became popular in other parts of India.

Background

Source of information

Much of the available information about Surath comes from

. *Capital of Surath's kingdom: The 12th and 15th lines of the Devi Mahatmya calls "tat swapuramayato nijadeshadhipohbhabat" (তত: স্বপুরমায়াতো নিজেদেশাধিপোহভবৎ) The word "Swapura" probably refers to "Supur". Surath was a king of "Swapur"(স্বপুর) in present-day "Supur",

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...

.This place is mentioned in

History of first Durga Puja

King Surath is mentioned as Chitraguptvanshi King(Descendant of

Chitragupt Chitragupta (Sanskrit: चित्रगुप्त, 'rich in secrets' or 'hidden picture') is a Hindu deity assigned with the task of keeping complete records of the actions of human beings and punishing or rewarding them according to their ...

) in Durga Saptshati Devi Mahatamya and Markandey Puran. He lost his kingdom and all his property. Losing everything he left his capital Bolipur (currently

) to re-explore his fate. Later, he met with Vaishya Samadhi, who was a businessman. Coincidentally he also was bankrupt, as he was cheated with his family. Then, fortunately they met Sumedhas Muni. Sumedhas advised them to bring back their fate they must worship the Goddess Devi Durga. King Surath and Boishyo (Vaisya) Samadhi worshipped Devi Durga as

Durga Puja Durga Puja ( bn, দুর্গা পূজা), also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsava, is an annual Hindu festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which reveres and pays homage to the Hindu goddess Durga and is also celebrated ...

or Durgotsob ( bn, দুর্গোৎসব) at the ashram of Medhas Muni in the

Garh Jungle Garh Jungle is an important place in Hindu mythology, especially Shakta. It is located in the Kanksa CD block (near Durgapur) in the Durgapur subdivision of the Paschim Bardhaman district in West Bengal. Ashram of Medhas Muni was established h ...

. It was the first

durgapuja Durga Puja ( bn, দুর্গা পূজা), also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsava, is an annual Hindu festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which reveres and pays homage to the Hindu goddess Durga and is also celebrated ...

of world. In current days, the ghar jungle is in

Durgapur Durgapur () is a planned tier-II urban agglomeration and a major industrial city in Paschim Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the fourth largest urban agglomeration after Kolkata, Asansol and Siliguri in West Bengal ...

Purba Bardhaman Purba Bardhaman district is in West Bengal. Its headquarters is in Bardhaman. It was formed on 7 April 2017 after the division of the previous Bardhaman district. Great revolutionary Rash Behari Bose was born in village Subaldaha in the district ...

West bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...

. They worshipped Devi durga in spring time. So, this festival is called ''Basanti puja'' ( bn, বাসন্তী পূজা) or "Basanto kalin durgotsob" ( bn, বসন্তকালীন দুর্গোৎসব). According to Sri Sri Chandi, they made this durga image clay in the Garh jungle. After puja Surath returnback all his lost property and he came back to his capital Bolipur(now

). Surath enrooted durgapuja in his capital

in spring. During this puja, he sacrifice(sacrifice in Bengali is "boli") lakhs of animal. From this

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

term "boli"(animal sacrifice), this place called as "Bolipur"(currently

Surath in popular mass media

In the day of

Mahalaya Mahalaya is the last day of offering tribute to our departed forefathers, i. e pitripaksha and the beginning of the devipaksha. At the time of the cataclysm, when the earth became a great cause-sea, Lord Vishnu laid Anantanag on that sea and fell ...

, there is a cultural drama performance in

DD Bangla DD Bangla is an Indian Bengali-language free-to-air state-owned television channel owned by state-owned broadcaster Doordarshan Network. It was formerly known as DD-7 and DD National Kolkata. It broadcasts from Kolkata, Shantiniketan and Jalpai ...

(a Bengali entertainment television channel sponsored by India govt.) where king surath is regarded as the first worshiper of the Goddess (

Devi Devī (; Sanskrit: देवी) is the Sanskrit word for 'goddess'; the masculine form is ''deva''. ''Devi'' and ''deva'' mean 'heavenly, divine, anything of excellence', and are also gender-specific terms for a deity in Hinduism. The conce ...

)

Mahisasuramardini Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around comb ...

References

Durga Puja Emperors {{Asia-royal-stub