“ई ना हटत हौ!” (It won’t budge!) These words were uttered in exhaustion by 15 sturdy Yadav cowherds from the Madanpura area of Varanasi on Vijayadashami in 1767. That day, as every year, the Mukhopadhyay (now Mukherjee) family of Bengali Tola tried to move the Durga idol installed in their home for immersion, but the idol, made of clay, straw, bamboo, and jute, refused to budge.

Despite numerous attempts, the idol remained unmoved. It is said that Goddess Durga appeared in the dream of the family head, Kali Prasanna Mukhopadhyay, that night, and said, “I wish to remain in Kashi, the city of Shiva. Do not immerse me.” This dream was not just a dream; the command of the Goddess was obeyed. Since then, for nearly 260 years, the same idol has been worshipped every year during Durga Puja, but

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