Simla Byayam Samity – Calcutta’s first ‘Sarbojonin’ Puja

Simla Byayam Samity — Birthplace of the "Sarbojanin" Puja

Simla Byayam Samity holds a unique place in Bengal's cultural history: in 1926 it introduced the first truly "Sarbojanin" (for-everyone) Durga Puja in Calcutta. Founded on 2 April 1926 by freedom fighter Atindra Nath Bosu as a gymkhana to build the physique and nationalist spirit of local youth, the samity at Simla (near Vivekananda Road, Machuabazar) turned the festival into a public, inclusive celebration open to all castes and creeds.

The first puja used a single-canvas idol and a bulrush-leaf pavilion; in 1939, with Mahendra Nath Dutta (Swami Vivekananda's brother) guiding the idol's form, the multi-canvas structure was adopted. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and other leaders joined its Annakaut. The British banned the samity in 1932; it was revived in 1935.

In 2025 the samity marked its centenary (100th year) with the theme "Revolutionary Shrine of Swadeshiyana," honouring Bengal's freedom struggle and unsung revolutionaries. Blending body-building heritage, nationalist history and community puja, Simla Byayam Samity remains the pioneer of Calcutta's sarbojanin tradition.