Worship of Kartik

Yesterday was the last day of the Bengali month of Kartik. That was also the day for Kartik Puja.

This is incidentally a puja which is not very common in Bengal.

Kartik Puja is, if I am not mistaken, done in Bengal by women who do not have children.

I have heard of stories of quarrels between women, and to show spite, one will leave an idol of Kartik on the porch of the other person. When this is done, the other person has to do the worship.

I have not seen any pandals etc for the worship. The only worship that I have heard of, is of the women in the West Bengal Red Light areas - where the women who do not have any children, pray to Kartik.

Durga Puja in Bengal

This is a bit cloudy to me. There is always a reason why a celebration happens. Tilak, for example , is supposed to have started Ganesha Festival in Maharashtra.
Thus, what was the catalyst to start the Autumn Durga Festival in Bengal?

If I believe what I had read long back, this dates back to the battle of Plassey or Palashi.

Clive had won a war. He wanted to pray to God. Alas, the church was destroyed in the war.

When Raja Nabakrishna Deb came to know of Clive’s desire, he invited the latter to his house at Durga Puja and offer his thanks at the feet of Goddess Durga. Initially Clive had some hesitations to attend the puja as in those days Christians were not allowed by the Hindus to take part in Hindu festivities. However, the mighty Nabakrishna Deb managed it all and Robert Clive paid a visit to the Shobhabazar Rajbari to offer his thanks to Goddess Durga. Thereafter, the Shobhabazar Durgotsab(Durga Puja ceremony) came to be known as the "Company Puja".

But was this the first Puja? Probably no.
Was this puja done for Clive? No idea.

Still searching for the answer.