Kali Puja

[Guest guest]

The Puja is held on the night of the New Moon

in the Bengali month of Kartik, this occasion

brings in a tidal wave of festive zeal amongst

the various cross sections of society.

 

It is said that Maharaja Krishnan Chandra of

Nawadweep gave an order that everyone, in

his domain should worship Kali.

 

Before the present Kali Puja, Ratanti Kali Puja

was celebrated in ancient times. It is believed

that the present form of the image of Kali, is

due to a dream seen by Lord Chaitanya's

contemporary Krishnananda Agambagish

(a distinguished scholar of Indian Tantra),

the author of Tantric Saar, that he

should make her image after the figure, he saw

first in the morning.

 

The image should then be worshipped. At dawn

Krishnanand saw a dark complexioned housing maid

with left hand protruding and making cow dung

cakes with her right hand. Her body was shining

with white dots.

 

While wiping off the sweat from her forehead with

left hand, the vermilion had been spread in her

parted hair. The hair was disarranged.

 

Her unprecedented coming face-to-face with Krishnananda,

an elderly, made her bit her tongue with shame.

 

This posture of the housemaid gave vent to his

imagination which he later utilized to envisage the

idol of Goddess Kali. Thus was formed the image of

Kali.

 

Another story spoke of a beautiful young lady

that was bathing in the early morning. Upon the

appearace of the Krishanananda, she responded

with the common gesture of shame for women of

of her village, which is to stick out her

tongue in shame.

 

There is yet another story that illustrates the

more commonly used images of Kali, which is from

south India. Possibly one of our temple friends

would share this with our temple.

 

 

 

extracted from the web