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Kali Puja is a festival celebrated in the Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Assam and Maharashtra. It is also celebrated in Chittagong, Rangpur and Sylhet division of Bangladesh. Celebrated on the new moon day in the Hindu month of Kartik, Kali Puja venerates Goddess Kali. The festival also coincides with the Lakshmi Puja on the day of Diwali.
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Kali Puja is a significant Hindu festival celebrated in the Hindu calendar month of Kartik which coincides with the months of October-November. The festival is also called by other names – Shyama Puja or Mahanisha Puja. On the day Goddess Kali is venerated by the devotees. The festival is celebrated on the day of Diwali and coincides with Lakshmi Puja.
The festival is grandly celebrated in West Bengal. Devotees venerate clay idols of Goddess Kali and keep them in large pandals along with the idols of other deities like Shiva. Offerings are made to the Goddess in form of sweets, fruits and other eatables. Mostly the offerings to the Goddess contain fruits, rice, lentils etc, but at some places the custom of offering animal sacrifice is also followed.
Temples dedicated to Goddess Kali are visited by thousands of devotees on the day of Kali Puja. Goddess is dressed in her ritualistic attire, wearing a garland of skulls. Devotees also meditate the whole night until the arrival of dawn.
Kali Puja is a very significant religious commemoration, which celebrates one of the most ferocious forms of Goddess Durga, which is Maa Kali. She is considered as the epitome of power and the destroyer of evil.
Introduction
Kali Puja is a festival that venerates Goddess Kali, who is the Adi Shakti or the supreme power as per Hindu mythology. The festival of Kali Puja coincides with the festival of Lakshmi Puja done on the day of Diwali. Kali Puja is observed in some parts of Bengal, Odisha and Bihar on the same day when most of the India worships Goddess Lakshmi.
How is Kali Puja Celebrated?
Kali Puja is celebrated with extreme devotion and reverence to Goddess Kali in the states of West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Bihar in India. It is also observed in some of the divisions of Bangladesh.
Large pandals are erected in which clay idol of Goddess Kali is kept. The idols are painted in black to depict Kali. She is also shown wearing a necklace of skulls and her tongue is shown red. The eyes of Goddess Kali, even that in and idol, reflects anger and rage.
Some of the devotees even mediate for the whole night until dawn. Offerings like sweets, rice, lentils are made to the Goddess to take her blessings. Red Hibiscus flower is also the prescribed offering to the Goddess Kali. She is worshipped using Tantric mantras and rites. In the tantric form of worship of Goddess Kali, animal sacrifice is made.
The non tantric or Brahmanical form of worship is also performed. This type of worship is done as per Hindu style of worship in which no animal sacrifice is made.
Conclusion
Kali Puja is a significant Hindu festival which reflects the deep rooted faith of devotees in the Goddess and their belief that Goddess will take the most ferocious form in order to save her disciples and the world from evil. While most of the country observes Lakshmi Puja on Diwali, there are some parts that celebrate Kali Puja with equivalent reverence.
Introduction
Kali Puja also known as Mahanisha Puja or Shyama Puja is celebrated on the day of Diwali, though, only in some parts of the country as in West Bengal, Odisha, and Maharashtra and also in some Divisions of neighboring Bangladesh. It is observed on the new moon day in the Hindu month of Kartik.
Celebrations of Kali Puja
Kali Puja is celebrated either following the Tantric rituals or traditional Hindu Brahmanical method of worship. The rituals followed in the worships are different; though, the purpose in both is to get the blessings of Goddess as the protector of life and destroyer of evil.
Large pandals housing the clay idol of Goddess are erected at different locations. Goddess is dressed wearing a skull garland and a half worn sari, wearing a crown. Devotees in large numbers visit these pandals to seek the blessings of Goddess and also to make offerings.
The Tantric style of worship calls for animal sacrifices and chanting of Tantric Mantras to please the Goddess. The Tantric form of worship is performed mostly by the devotees with some initial knowledge of Tantric rituals and customs.
Brahmanical form of worship is more simple and reflects the traditional Hindu worship methods. Offerings of sweets, lentils, flowers are made to the Goddess and some devotees even meditate for the complete night till dawn arrives.
Famous Kali temples in India are visited by thousands of devotees on Kali Puja. Some of the most famous Kali temples are – Kalighat Temple and Dakshineswar Kali Temple in Kolkata, Kalikhetra Temple in Bhubaneswar and Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati.
Kali Puja History
The Kali festival is not a very ancient festival and its origin dates back to the 18th century. Before that the festival was practically unknown; however, references to an annual festival venerating Kali was made in a late 17th century text named Kalika Mangalkavya by Balram.
Sometimes, in 18th century, during the rule of King Krishnachandra, Kali Puja was started in the West Bengal. In the coming centuries the festival became more popular and was celebrated by wealthy landlords in a grand and opulent way.
Since then, the festival is celebrated grandly in Bengal and is a most significant festival after Durga Puja, celebrated during Diwali.
Conclusion
Though not an ancient festival, Kali Puja is a very significant festival of Hindus, especially in the state of West Bengal. The festival only reaffirms the devotion of Hindus in one of the forms of Goddess Durga. It also shows the respect women enjoy in Hindu culture and society.
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