Kali Puja celebrated
Kali Puja or Shyama Puja, the next greatest festival of Bengali Hindu community, was celebrated across the country yesterday evening amid religious fervor.
In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the festival was celebrated following health guidelines.
Kali Puja is also called Deepabali or Diwali, the festival of lights.
Usually, Kali Puja, worshipping the Goddess of strength, wisdom and enlightenment, is celebrated at the night time of Amavasya of the Bangla month of Kartik (October or November).
Marking the festival, members of the Hindu community lit earthen lamps (Pradeep) at their houses and crematoriums in memory of their departed elderly persons.
In the administrative centre city, the Shyama Puja was 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, Ramkrishna Mission, Biharilal Jeo's Temple at Sutrapur, Gautam Mandir, Ramseeta Mandir, Shibmandir at Shankharibazar, Tanti Bazar and Bangla Bazar.
Ramkrishna Math vice-principal and mission's assistant secretary Hari Premananda Maharaj said the worship of goddess Kali started at 9:30 pm on Saturday at the mission.
Offering of anjali will be held at 3am (night) and ‘hom-joggo’ will be held at 4am. Offering of anjali will be held maintaining social distancing.
Marking the festival, idols of the Goddess Kali were installed at different temples and pandals across the city.
At some temples, animals will be sacrificed among the customs of the festival.
According to myths, goddess Kali was created out of your brow of Goddess Durga during one of her battles with the evil forces.
Through the battle, Kali was so much in a killing spree that she commenced destroying everything that came in her sight. To avoid her, Lord Shiva threw himself under her feet. Shocked by this, Kali stuck out her tongue in astonishment and end her rampage.
The main reason for the puja is to get the assistance of the goddess in destroying evil-both in the exterior world and within human beings.
