Kali Puja or Shyama Puja, the second largest festival of Bangalee Hindu community, will be celebrated across the country today amid festivity and religious fervor.
It is also called Deepabali or Diwali, the festival of lights. Usually, Kali Puja, worshipping the Goddess of strength, wisdom and enlightenment, is celebrated in the night of Amavasya of the Bangla month of Kartik (October/November).
At the night of the festival, members of the Hindu community light earthen lamps (Pradeep) at their houses and crematoriums in memory of their departed elderly persons.
In the capital city, the Shyama Puja will be celebrated at Dhakeshwari
National Temple, Siddheshwari Kali Temple, Sri Sri Baradeshwari Kalimata
Temple under Sabujbagh police station, Ramna Kali Mandir, Radha Gobinda Jeo’s Thakur Temple at Banagram, Postogola crematorium, Ramakrishna Mission, Biharilal Jeo’s Temple at Sutrapur, Gautam Mandir, Ramseeta Mandir,
Shibmandir at Shankharibazar, Tanti Bazar and Bangla Bazar. Marking the festival, idols of the Goddess Kali have already been installed at different temples and pandals across the city.
At some temples, animals will be sacrificed as one of the customs of the festival.
According to myths, goddess Kali was born out of the brow of Goddess Durga during one of her battles with the evil forces.
During the battle, Kali was so much in a killing spree that she began destroying everything that came in her sight. To stop her, Lord Shiva threw himself under her feet. Shocked by this, Kali stuck out her tongue in astonishment and put an end to her rampage.
The main purpose of the puja is to seek the help of the goddess in destroying evil-both in the outside world and within human being.
