Chaitra Navratri at Kalighat: Holika Dahan and Ashtami Puja

During Chaitra Navratri, there is a tradition of special worship for nine days in Shaktipeeths of Maa Durga present across the country, whereas the Kalighat temple of Kolkata is a little different in this matter. Here, there is no special worship of Maa Kali during Navratri. The regular worship is done, but Ashtami is celebrated with great pomp and in a very different way.

According to Indrajit Haldar, a member of the temple’s executive committee Council of Sevayat, Ashtami is special for us in these Navratris. On this day, Radha-Krishna are worshipped in the temple premises itself. After the worship, Holika is burnt in the evening, then everyone plays Holi with gulaal and Radha-Krishna are made to sit in a palanquin and taken around a fixed route of 2 m outside the temple.

Maa Kali’s Rasgulla Prasad is being sold from the same shop since last 160 years.

The offering of rasgullas to Maa Kali of Kalighat temple at night is also centuries old. This offering comes from the sweet shop of Haradhan Manjhi located at a short distance from the temple. This family has been doing this for four generations. It is making bhog from clay. People come from the temple at 4:30 in the evening and take 10 rasgullas in a clay pot for Maa Kali. In 160 years, it has never happened that bhog was not sent to Maa.

There is a ritual of worship. Devotees from all over the country and abroad have already started arriving at the temple to see this unique tradition. According to Indrajit, the temple doors open every day after the Mangala Aarti in the early morning. A goat is sacrificed for the Mahabhog in the afternoon. Its meat is offered as well as fish with scales. In the evening, a cool bhog is offered, which includes puri and potato bhaja. At night, before sleeping, rasgullas are offered.

Indra Banerjee, a member of the temple committee, says that in this temple, Maa Kali is worshipped in different forms at different times. In Durga Puja, Maa Durga is worshipped, in Kali Puja, Maa Kali is worshipped along with Lakshmi and Mansa. Apart from this, worship is also done in the form of Sheetala.

In the morning itself Radha Rani and Lord Krishna are made to sit in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. This is the only Shakti Peeth in the country where this special ritual is performed during Navratri. Maa Biraja Temple: A Sacred Shakti Peeth in Jajpur, Odisha