Indian football veteran Mehtab Hossain's home echoes with namaz, Puja

Story by ATV | Posted by Aasha Khosa | Date 30-10-2025

Mehtab Hossain and his wife Maumita Purkayastha

Shantipriya Roy Choudhury / Kolkata

Indian football veteran Mehtab Hossain is a personification of the fact that sports can unite anyone and everyone regardless of caste, religion or race. He stands a symbol of communal harmony not only in Kolkata, but also across the sporting circles of India.

If you go to Mehtab Hossain's Dhakuria apartment, you will see a woman offering puja in front of Goddess Lakshmi with a pot of flowers. Yes, she is Maumita Purkayastha, wife of Mehtab Hussain.

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This Hindu woman is also known as Maumita Hossain. Walls of Hossain's house are adorned with pictures of Hindu goddess Lakshmi alongside those of Mecca and Madinah.

Sacred chants of Goddess Lakshmi’s worship intertwine harmoniously with the recitation of the five daily namaz, creating a unified symphony within the household.

A few years ago, Mehtab used to take train rides from Durgapur to play football on the Kolkata turf, and Maumita used to train at a Kolkata coaching centre. They first met on the train, fell in love and tied the knot. Earlier, the couple used to live in the Baruipur locality and now live in the Dhakuria area.

Mehtab Hossain and his wife Maumita Purkayastha during Durga Puja at their home

"Our marriage has changed me a lot. Although we are believers of different faiths, we respect each other and no one has ever hurt each other’s religious beliefs. I don't eat beef at home because it may hurt Maumita's feelings. We celebrate both Eid and Durga Puja in our household,” the former East Bengal star and Blue Tigers midfielder said.

They also celebrate Durga Puja at their home. In a state like West Bengal, where religious polarisation has been creeping in to determine political direction, Mehtab Hossain’s family stands as a staunch example of religious harmony. Durga Puja being performed at their household has always been a talk of the town.

“We have been maintaining our individual religious beliefs, and we have been practising them. But we both love each other and respect each other’s personal beliefs," Mehtab said. Maumita wears the vermilion on her forehead, which Mehtab has never objected to.

Mehtab Hossain during a match

Born on September 5, 1985, Mehtab Hossain played for Mohun Bagan and East Bengal in his illustrious career. He played for East Bengal for 10 seasons and won the prestigious Federation Cup thrice. He made 31 appearances for the Indian national football team, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Sunil Chhetri, Jeje Lalpekhlua, Sandesh Jhingan, Lenny Rodrigues, Gouramangi Singh, Subrata Paul and others between 2005 and 2014 and scored twice for the nation.

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In 2019, Mehtab started his coaching career as a manager in the 2019-20 Kolkata Premier Division. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on July 21, 2020, after receiving the party flag from West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh. But within 24 hours, he changed his mind and quit the party.