India has been rightfully boasting the title ‘Land of Festivals’ for a long time. The numerous diverse festivals are the crux of the country’s rich heritage – and one such festival is Kali Puja. The puja is performed on the night of Kartik Amavasya, where goddess Kali is worshiped for spiritual progress and material prosperity. Kali Puja falls in October/November and is an invocation of the fiery goddess. With Kali Puja 2022 around the corner, let’s take a look at its significance, history, and more!
Significance Of Kali Puja
This year, Kali Puja will be celebrated on 24 October. The puja is performed to erase all negative energies and to welcome spiritual progress and material prosperity. The major significance of the puja is to call the goddess Kali to destroy the evil that resides in us as well as the outside world. Kali, also known as Shyama Kali, is the first of the ten incarnations of Goddess Durga. Therefore, Kali Puja is also known as Shyama Puja or Mahanisha Puja.
The festival originated from the Indian subcontinent and is celebrated on the new moon day (Dipannita Amavasya) of the Hindu month Kartik. This is mostly seen in the regions of West Bengal, Mithila region of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam, Tripura, Bangladesh, and Titwala in Maharashtra
The puja coincides with the Lakshmi Puja day of Diwali. In India, you will see the Bengalis, Odias, Assamese, and Maithilis worship goddess Kali on this day, and the rest of India and Nepal worship goddess Lakshmi.
History
Kali Puja is celebrated to seek the blessings of the Goddess for general happiness, health, wealth, and peace. The rituals mostly take place at night when devotees perform their puja with red hibiscus flower offerings, goddess Kali’s favourite flower. Some of the most important items that are offered to her are fish, rice, lentils, and sweets. This festival grew in popularity in the 18th century and was popularised in Bengal by King Krishnachandra of Navadvipa.
Also read: The Importance Of Anant Chaturdashi And Why It’s Celebrated!
Legend Has It
There are numerous legends behind the celebration of Kali Puja but there is one that is considered the most authentic. According to it Kali is an incarnation of Durga herself. Once Ma Kali was so infuriated with the corrupt human society that she intended to annihilate anyone and everyone who stood in her path. And this started the killings, slashing, and burnings.
The other deities begged her husband, Lord Shiva, to end the destruction. And all it took for Shiva to stop her was to lie down in the path of the goddess. As soon as an oblivious and mad with rage Kali stepped on him, she was mortified by the act. That’s when she bites her tongue as a mark of embarrassment, and that is how sculptors have been carving her over the ages. According to this legend, all her anger vanished the moment she stepped on her husband as her entire rage was absorbed by Shiva himself, who thus saved the world.
Well, Kali Puja is always something to look forward to. How are you planning to celebrate it this year? Do tell us in the comment section below!
Feature image courtesy: Unsplash