While for the rest of India and the world, Diwali is an occasion to light lamps, burst crackers, and worship Goddess Lakshmi, for the Bengali community, it is something more than that.
By Shubham Ghosh
“Don’t go near the cremation ground today after sunset,” Tinu’s grandmother warned him on the eve of Kali Pujo, the day when Goddess Kali is worshipped in Bengali society. “Why amma (grandmother)?” he asked. “Do what I say. Tenara aj beroben (the evil spirits will wander out today),” the octogenarian woman responded sternly, silencing her otherwise beloved grandson. “The crematory ground is not the right place to visit on such days.”
The above incident is not a one-off one and is witnessed in most Bengali households around Kali Pujo and Bhoot Chaturdashi, the day before. Many call it the Indian version of the West’ Halloween when the barrier between the world of the living and that of the dead is considered breached and hosts of 14 generations of one’s ancestors are believed to be descending upon earth. It is for this reason that Bengalis light 14 ‘pradeep’ (earthen lamps) across their houses to ward off evil spirits from causing any harm.
There are 14 of them since they are dedicated to ‘choddopurush’ (14 generations of ancestors). Another lore says Devi Chamunda, closely associated with Kali, the dark-complexioned goddess who is a demon slayer, protects people from evil spirits with 14 ghostly acolytes. People also consume 14 types of ‘shaak’ (herbs), signifying a way to ward off the evils of illness and bad health. It is scientific in a way that with winter not too far from Kali Pujo, the eating of healthy herbs is a good way to keep allergies away.
The Bhoot Chaturdashi is followed by Kali Pujo, the day when the goddess is worshipped, generally late in a new moon night. The appearance of the goddess is frightening with dark skin, posing partially or completely naked with a long sticking-out tongue (it is interpreted that she is embarrassed after stepping on the chest of her husband Lord Shiva who tries to appease an enraged goddess) and wearing a necklace of decapitated human heads and holding one in one of her four hands.
While for the rest of India and the world, Diwali is an occasion to light lamps, burst crackers, and worship Goddess Lakshmi, for the Bengali community, it is something more than that.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee performing Kali Pujo at her home. (Photo courtesy: X@AITCofficial)
Kali Pujo and Bengali ethos
Kali Pujo is very closely connected to Bengali culture and ethos. It is not just about worshipping the goddess, also called Shyama because of her skin color. Given the fact that Bengalis are devotees of Shakti (divine power) and the ritual is more centered around Kali, the goddess has always been part of the community’s history, society, culture, and literature. Nineteenth-century Bengali novelist Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay mentioned the worship of Kali in his immortal creations.
Similarly, Bengal’s courageous freedom fighters used to take oaths in front of the ‘goddess of wrath and destruction’ to defeat the mighty British colonizers. Even dacoits used to offer prayers, even in the form of human sacrifice, to the goddess before setting out for their hunt. Raghu Dakat is still an unforgettable character of the Bengali history related to Goddess Kali and her notable devotees. There is also a softer side of Kali’s worship and we can see it in the form of prayers that were offered by Ramkrishna Paramhansa and philanthropist Rani Rashmani who lived in the 19th century and made the Dakshineshwar Temple by the River Hooghly in present-day Kolkata famous.
The crackers & vegetarian non-veg
Bengal’s Kali Pujo is also unique in terms of crackers bursting on the day and the food offered in many places on the day of the worship. It is a treat to watch the variety of crackers that people burn on the night of the puja, apparently to scare away evil forces. From the ground-based ‘charki’ and ‘tubri’ to the air-borne ‘hauwi’ to the hand-held ‘rang mashal’, the crackers are enjoyed by people in all age groups. There is a variety called ‘burimar chocolate bomb’ which was patronized by ‘burima’ (the elderly mother), a woman who had migrated from present-day Bangladesh to West Bengal in India after the Partition of 1947 and had become a brand name in the cracker industry.
Another unique aspect of Bengal’s Kali Pujo is its ‘niramish mangsho’ bhog (vegetarian mutton blessed by the divine) which is quite an oxymoron since puja ceremonies are generally associated with vegetarian food. Fish and alcohol are also associated with the worship of Goddess Kali. Worshipping the goddess is also a serious affair for many. People tend to be cautious when it comes to the no-nonsense goddess because they feel a little slip-up during the worship ceremony could earn them Kali’s wrath which could be devastating.
The saying goes that if you decide to worship Goddess Kali, it should be held at least thrice in succession and not less than that. The significance of Kali Pujo in Bengali society, as mentioned earlier, is immense. It not only speaks about the community’s devotion to the divine Shakti – the woman power – since time immemorial and the influence it has had on its social, cultural, and political life, but also how it has boosted the festival industry in current times, in terms of the sale of diyas (earthen lamps), candles, crackers and sweets – all to mark a celebration of positivity and promotion of harmony and the defeat of negative forces.
While Kali Pujo follows Bengal’s biggest festival Durga Puja and gives the people of the state yet another major occasion to celebrate the festive season as it approaches the end, it is followed by Bhai Phonta, another auspicious occasion. On this day, the sisters in all households give their brothers a tilak on their foreheads and pray for their long life and prosperity, marking a special sibling bond like Rakshabandhan. It is also an opportunity for families to reunite, something which is otherwise rare in today’s busy times.
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(The writer is a senior journalist and political analyst based in Bengaluru, India)
