Step into a Durga Puja pandal in Bengal on Saptami morning, and you may notice something unusual. Beside Ganesha, there stands a bride — draped in a red-bordered white Bengali saree, her forehead adorned with sindoor. But here’s the twist: she isn’t Ganesha’s wife. In fact, she isn’t even human. She is Kola Bou, a banana plant dressed like a newly-wed woman, representing Nabapatrika — the sacred bundle of nine plants.
What is Kola Bou?
In Bengali tradition, Kola Bou is a symbolic form of the goddess. She is created by tying together nine different plants — banana, turmeric, pomegranate, ashoka, rice paddy, colocasia, bel, arum, and jayanti — with branches of the aparajita creeper. Collectively, this is called the Nabapatrika, meaning “nine leaves.” Each plant represents one of Maa Durga’s nine forms, merging nature’s abundance with divine energy.
The banana plant (kola) takes the central role, hence the name Kola Bou. Dressed in a saree, smeared with sindoor, and placed beside Ganesha, she appears as a bride, often leading to the common misconception that she is Ganesha’s wife. In reality, she symbolizes Mother Nature herself, embodying fertility, prosperity, and the life force of the earth.
The Ritual of Bathing the Nabapatrika
The Kola Bou ritual marks the beginning of Saptami, the seventh day of Durga Puja, and is the first major act of worship after Mahalaya. Early in the morning, priests and devotees carry the Nabapatrika to the banks of the Ganga or a nearby pond. There, the plants are bathed — a ritual bath that sanctifies them before they are placed beside Maa Durga.
In ancient times, this bathing was a grand affair. The Nabapatrika was bathed in waters collected from eight different sources — the Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, ocean, pond, well, dew, and a lotus leaf. With each bath, musicians would play a different raga, creating an atmosphere of devotion and celebration. Today, due to practicality, the ritual is often performed at the pandal itself, with a symbolic dip in water.
Why is Kola Bou Worshipped?
The worship of Kola Bou reflects Bengal’s deep connection to nature and agriculture. Each of the nine plants in the Nabapatrika has medicinal, spiritual, or agricultural significance. Together, they represent the fertility of the soil, the abundance of crops, and the sustaining power of nature.
Placing Kola Bou beside Ganesha also has symbolic meaning. In Bengal’s cultural imagination, Durga is not just a goddess — she is a daughter visiting her maternal home with her children. Kola Bou, as the embodiment of prosperity and fertility, joins this divine family during the Puja.
Nature Joins the Goddess
The sight of a banana plant dressed as a bride may puzzle outsiders, but for Bengalis, Kola Bou Nabapatrika is one of the most cherished rituals of Durga Puja. It bridges the divine with the earthly, linking the goddess to the soil, water, and crops that sustain human life.
As you watch the Nabapatrika being bathed at dawn or notice her standing shyly beside Ganesha in the pandal, remember this: she is not just a plant in a saree. She is the living presence of nature, prosperity, and the timeless bond between the goddess and the world she protects.
