Deepavali and KAALI pooja

November 2, 2002

Everyone has heard of the Durga Pooja in West Bengal. But less known

but equally important for Bhakthas of MAA KAALI is the KAALI pooja on

Deepavali day. All Amavasya (day of new moon) nights are considered

to be auspicious for undertaking KAALI pooja. The night of the

Deepavali is considered to be the most auspicious night for

worshipping MAA KAALI as it falls on an Amavasya night.

In Calcutta people put up elaborate mandaps similar to Durga pooja on

Deepavali day. But this pooja is only for one day and ends after

midnight of Deepavali. The images in the Mandap are mostly of MAA

KAALI of Kalighat or MAA BHAVATHARINI of Dakshineswar. This pooja is

more sombre because it is mainly a pooja at midnight.

Of special mention is the Smasana KAALI put up at Kalighat smasan

(burning ghat). The image of Smasana KAALI is installed right in the

burning ground. As this smasan is being used daily you will see

funeral pyres along with the Image of MAA. The prasad in most of

these Poojas include sacrificial meat.

For a detailed description of KAALI POOJA at MAA BHAVATHARINI's

temple at Dhokkineswar you can see the the great book KALI by

Elizabeth Usha Harding. I have not been fortunate to witness this

Pooja. This book and the book KALI POOJA by Swami Sathyananda

Saraswathi are a must for all KAALI Bhakthas.

It is said that the great poet Ramprasad Sen used to conduct MAA

KAALI pooja on all Deepavali days. He attained MahaSamadhi when he

was immersing the Kalash kept in the pooja in GANGAJI (This is how

the river Ganga is called in Bihar). We are all worshippers of MAA

GANGA.

My Russian Saktha friend enquires about how we intend celebrating

MAHA KALARATHRI. (I do not know whether he is right in calling

Deepavali by that name).

In this regard there is a pooja on every Amavasya night at the temple

of MAA KAALI at Kalighat in Calcutta.. The pooja ends after midnight

and Bhog (prasad) is distributed. All KAALI Bhakthas should see this.

In Madras Ramakrishna Math has a KAALI pooja on Deepavali night,

which we look forward to. The pooja is for the installed image of

Bavatharini MAA. It starts around 9.00 P.M and goes on during the

entire night. The pooja concludes at 5.00 A.M in the morning.

Many Bengali associations conduct KAALI Pooja on Deepavali night. As

Deepavali is also considered by many Hindus to be the beginning of

the New Year the devotees seek MAA's blessings for a Happy and

prosperous year. I had attended a KAALI Pooja in Surat some years

back. Enquire around. Your local Bengali Association may have one.

For MAA KAALI Bhakthas the pooja is worth attending. I am sure this

pooja is being conducted in private houses also. But this being a

very private affair I have not been fortunate enough to witness a

private pooja.

Jai MAA KAALI !!!

Sankar

November 2, 2002

Dewali has never been celebrated in Kerala, popularly called " Gods own country " ,

unlike other parts of India.

Malayalis have Onam which is more appealing than Deeepavali.

Also there aren't many Lakshmi temples in Kerala and I am yet to find much

popularity for Lakshmi pooja system in Kerala. But Maa Kali is everywhere and

some of the most powerful and worshipped Kali temples like Kodungalloor temple,

Chettikulangara temple, Attukal temple, Chottanikara temple, Thondukulanga

temple, Vellayani temple are exmples

Can anyone elaborate, why is it so.

Regards

Ravindra kumar

-

Sankar Viswanathan

Saturday, November 02, 2002 9:10 AM