Madan Gopal Dey was the person who started this puja back in the year 1884. This puja is presently held in his ancestral storehouse on Madan Gopal Lane in College Street, Kolkata. According to Sri Biswanath Dey, a member of the family, their ancestors originally came from Chandannagar outside of Mumbai India some five generations ago, when they settled in West Bengal and set up their shop Lala Sadhab Das Confectionery Store #91 Hooghly Bazar on College Street. This is where it all began – the first ever Aantol (also called Adol or Bhog) that he made only sold three boxes when it was first displayed but has now evolved into an elaborate nine day ceremony with at least 50,000 guests visiting every year! The Aantol which Madan Gopal Dey invented differs from that which we eat nowadays. The one that we eat nowadays has sugar inside it and is also white whereas the original recipe doesn’t have sugar and was brown in colour.
