GHATAK BAGAN KALI MANDIR, KRISHNAPATTY, BHADRESWAR: Kali Puja in Ghatak Bagan

WELCOME

Kali Puja (Bengali: কালীপূজা), also known as Shyama Puja (Bengali: শ্যামাপূজা) or Mahanisha Puja is a festival dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali, celebrated on the new moon day of the Hindu month Kartik especially in Bengal and Assam. It coincides with the pan-Indian Lakshmi Puja day of Diwali. While the Bengalis, Oriyas andAssamese adore goddess Kali on this day the rest of India worships goddess Lakshmi on Diwali. Mahanisha puja is performed by the Maithili people of Mithila region in India and Nepal.The festival of Kali Puja is not an ancient one. Kali Puja was practically unknown before the 18th century, however a late 17th century devotional text Kalika mangalkavya –by Balram mentions an annual festival dedicated to Kali. It was introduced in Bengal during the 18th century, by King (Raja) Krishnachandra of Navadvipa. Kali Puja gained popularity in the 19th century, with Krishanachandra’s grandson Ishvarchandra and the Bengali elite; wealthy landowners began patronizing the festival on a grand scale. Along with Durga Puja, now - Kali Puja is the biggest goddess festival in Bengal. Kali puja (like Durga Puja) worshipers honor goddess Kali in their homes in the form of clay sculptures and in pandals (temporary shrines or open pavilions). She is worshipped at night with Tantric rites and mantras. She is prescribed offerings of red hibiscus flowers, animal blood in a skull, sweets, rice and lentils, fish and meat. It is prescribed that a worshiper should meditate throughout the night until dawn. Homes may also practice rites in the Brahmanical (mainstream Hindu-style, non-Tantric) tradition with ritual dressing of Kali in her form as Adya Shakti Kali. Animals are ritually sacrificed on Kali Puja day and offered to the goddess. A celebration of Kali Puja in Kolkata and in Guwahati is also held in a large cremation ground where she is believed to dwell in both places. The pandals also house images of god Shiva - the consort of Kali, Ramakrishna and Bamakhepa- two famous Bengali Kali devotees along with scenes from mythology of Kali and her various forms along with Mahavidyas, sometimes considered as the "ten Kalis". The Mahavidyas is a group of ten Tantric goddesses headed by Kali. People visit these pandals throughout the night. Kali Puja is also the time for magic shows and theatre, fireworks. Recent custom involves drinking wine. In the Kalighat Temple in Kolkata and in Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, Kali is worshipped as Lakshmi on this day so as to reflect an essence of Vaishnava Haldars on Kali worship. The temple is visited by thousands of devotees who offer animal sacrifices to the goddess. Another famous temple dedicated to Kali in Kolkata is Dakshineswar Kali Temple. The famous Kali devotee Ramakrishna was a priest at this temple. The celebrations have changed little from his time. Although the widely popular annual Kali Puja celebration, also known as the Dipanwita Kali Puja, is celebrated on the new moon day of the month of Kartika, Kali is also worshipped in other new moon days too. Two other major Kali Puja observations are Ratanti Kali Puja and Phalaharini Kali Puja, respectively celebrated on the new moon days of the Hindu months of Margashirsha and Jyeshta. The Phalaharini Kali Puja is specially important in the life Sri Ramakrishna and Sri Sarada Devi, since on this day in 1872 Sri Ramakrishna worshipped Sri Sarada Devi as Shodashi. In many Bengali households, Kali is worshipped daily.

Friday, 16 August 2013

Kali Puja in Ghatak Bagan

2013 Kali Puja, Shyama Puja

Kali Puja is a Hindu festival dedicated to the Goddess Kali. Kali Puja is celebrated on new moon day during Diwali festivity. While most people in India Worship Goddess Lakshmi on Amavasya Tithi during Diwali, folks in West Bengal, Orissa and Assam worship Goddess Kali on new moon day, the most important day of Diwali.

In most of the years, Diwali Puja and Kali Puja falls on the same day but in some years Kali Puja might fall one day before Diwali Puja. For Kali Puja, the day when Amavasya prevails during midnight is considered while for Lakshmi Puja the day when Amavasya prevails during Pradosh is considered.

In West Bengal, Orissa and Assam, the most important day to worship Goddess Lakshmi falls on the full moon day in lunar month Ashwin. Lakshmi Puja on Purnima Tithi in month of Ashwin is known as Kojagara Puja and more commonly known as Bengal Lakshi Puja.