Kali Pujo 2021 – In this blog you will get a small glimpse of how we celebrate the Kali puja in Kolkata and about the festival of forgiving and forgetting and coming together to unite. Kolkata | Barir pujo | Bengali Culture | Kali Pujo 2021 | Happy Kali Pujo
Bengal is a land of festivals. It is the land where you find joy, happiness, and cheerfulness in everything – from food to clothes to even daily chores. One such festival that epitomizes this fact is Kali Pujo 2021, the years past by, and the upcoming years.
Kali puja in 2021 and is a day-long festival that is celebrated to get the victory of good over evil. Kali Puja or Shyama Puja is conducted in temples as well as at homes, with people worshipping the Goddess Kali on the new moon day (Amavasya) of Krishna Paksha in the Kartik month of the Hindu calendar.
This time also it was celebrated in our home with lots of pomp and show. The womenfolk of Bengal wear red-colored attire and apply a paste of turmeric and vermilion on their forehead. They also adorn themselves with jewelry made from silver or gold to commemorate this occasion. Though only a day is involved the arrangements are huge.
Now let me elaborate to explain more about Kali pujo :
To celebrate the victory of good over evil, people eat vegetarian food as well as roosters and goats as an offering to goddess Kali during this Puja. In our house bhog consist of –
- rice/pulao
- five types of fried vegetable
- mixed vegetable
- puri with Rava kheer
- chatni (sweet sauce made with tomato, dates, and raisin)
- payasam (kheer)
- sweets.
We also serve puffed rice (Khoi) with jaggery (gur) along with fruits.
Preparation:
The elderly of the house prepare, chop vegetables and cook while the youngster with the guidance of elders prepares and arranges items required during the puja. In our house rather than in many houses, everyone prefers the main bhog to be prepared by the person who has undergone ordination. Similarly, in our house also the custom is same.
We also keep a few pieces of jewelry for our Kali maa which we make her wear followed by giving alpona or colorful motifs all around. As the evening sets in local women come to worship and give puja for their wellbeing.
Around 9 pm or later the purohit comes and starts the puja which goes on till 2 am or later with occasionally playing of dhak (huge membranophone instrument) and conch shell. Once the puja is overall the women after distributing the prasad sit together and eat the bhog which was offered to the Goddess.
On this auspicious day, we have to devote our prays by giving hundred and one clay diyas. The women who fast will lighten up the diyas followed by giving pushpanjali (offering of flowers).
Flower for Anjoli
Brass Pradip Stand 101 Diyas
As a whole, it is always and will be an amazing day where all the cousins and distant relationships come together unite by giving hands to work as a team to make the puja successful.
This is the day everyone forgets and forgives the issues or glitches which happen when we stay together. The day starts with families getting together for breakfast, lunch, dinner, evening snacks.
Although the biggest event of the day is the puja which starts in the late evening where kali devotee light lamps while praying to goddess kali for happiness, prosperity, peace, good health, and longevity of family members.
I feel this is the best festival of love, bond, and unity where we all cherish the memory created by us. The happiness which we get at some point in life brings a smile not only to me but to the entire family. Have a happy Kali Pujo 2021 | Happy Kali Pujo to you.
You can check some Pujo videos here.
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One of the best festival …..
Free from darkness and abundant with light. Very nicely put into words
Very good article. I certainly appreciate this website. Keep writing!
Glad that you liked it.
Thank you 🙂