DHAKA, Nov 12, 2023 (BSS) - Kali Puja or Shyama Puja, the second largest festival after Durga Puja of Bangalee Hindu community, is being celebrated countrywide tonight with worshiping goddess Kali, lighting earthen lamps, candles at temples and residences amid due religious fervor and enthusiasm.

Kali Puja is also called Deepabali or Diwali, the festival of lights.
 
Kali Puja, worshipping the Goddess of strength, wisdom and enlightenment, is celebrated at the night of Amavasya of the Bangla month of Kartik (October or November).

Amavasya Tithi started at 02:45 pm today and it will end at 02:57 am on Monday, so puja will be offered within the period.
 
Marking the festival, members of the Hindu community lit up earthen lamps (Pradeep) at their houses, temples and crematoriums in memory of their departed elderly persons.
 
In the capital city, the Shyama Puja are being celebrated at Dhakeshwari National Temple, Siddheshwari Kali Temple, Ramna Kali Mandir, Sri Sri Baradeshwari Kalimata Temple under Sabujbagh police station, Radha Gobinda Jeo's Thakur Temple at Banagram, Postogola crematorium, Ramkrishna Mission, Biharilal Jeo's Temple at Sutrapur, Gautam Mandir, Ramseeta Mandir, Shibmandir at Shankharibazar, Tanti Bazar and Bangla Bazar.

Monindra Kumar Nath, president of Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee, said Kali Puja celebration at the national temple began limiting up 1,000 earthen lamps on the temple premises as Principal and Secretary of Ramkrishna Math and Ramkrishna Mission, Dhaka Smt. Swami Purnatmanandaji Maharaj inaugurated it this evening.
 
Later, devotional songs were performed on the temple premises by noted singers.

Offering of puja to Goddess Kali began at 10pm and rituals will continue till midnight to be followed by offering of Anjali by a large number of devotees and distribution of prashad.
 
Talking to BSS, Ramna Kali Mandir managing committee president Utpal Saha said Kali puja celebration began with lighting up earthen lamps and candles on the temple premises this evening.

Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad general secretary Advocate Rana Dasgupta inaugurated it while Awami League organizing secretary Sujit Roy Nandi was also present in presence of hundreds of devotees.

Worshiping of the goddess Kali will begin at midnight tonight and later Anjali will be offered and prashad will be distributed among devotees.

Bali, sacrificing of animals, a significant ritual of the puja will be held at 3 am on Monday.
 
State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid inaugurated the Kali puja celebration at Siddheshwari Kali Mata temple with lighting up lamps on the temple premises.
 
Since evening, Dhakeshwari National Temple, Ramna Kali temple, Siddheshwari Kali Mata Temple and Jagannath Hall Upasanaloy are witnessing massive crowds as devotees were seen lighting up candles and earthen lamps.

Youths and children are bursting firecrackers like tarabaji and kali potka making the festival more vibrant while fire-works are also taking place in some temples.
 
One day before Kali Puja falls the night of the deads, Bhoot Chaturdashi.
People believe that on this day, scary ghosts and spirits wander around the earth. The Bengalis celebrate their version of Halloween by lighting 14 earthen lamps and eating choddo shak (14 greens).

These candles are lit to show lights to 14 forefathers and wander off the evil spirit. The popular belief is that on this day, our ancestors remain nearby and give blessings. Many also believe that the number of lamps represents 14 forefathers.

 Another popular belief is that if fourteen earthen-lamps are lit at different entrances and dark corners of the rooms, then Chamunda (a fearsome aspect of Kali) along with fourteen other ghostly forms ward off the dark spirits from the house.

On Bhoot Chaturdashi, Bengalis consume a dish of Choddo Shaak means 14 types of greens, so that evil spirits cannot possess the body.

In old texts, it is written that Kartik month (the Bengali pre-winter month) is the time when Yamraj (the god of death) becomes powerful, and all the eight gates to his kingdom remain open.

Bhoot Chaturdashi occurs on the 14th day of Krishna paksha (lunar phase) on the Hindu calendar month Karthik(October-November).

Probably that is why number fourteen is given importance in the rituals. This time frame of 15 days from Kojagori Laxmi Puja to Kali Puja is considered inauspicious, as it is the waning phase of the moon.

On the eve of Kali Puja, Bengali families lit up fourteen earthen oil lamps (Diya) in the darkest corner around their houses. It is believed that fourteen of our ancestors come back to the household on this night to visit their dear ones, and these lamps help them find their loving homes and chase away the dark spirits.
 
According to puja schedule, Ramkrishna Mission and Ramkrishna Math, Dhaka, the worship of goddess Kali will begin in the night tomorrow at the mission, which will be followed by offering of anjali and 'hom-joggo' and distribution of mahaprashad.

 
Marking the festival, idols of the Goddess Kali have been installed at different temples and mandaps and some idols will be installed tonight as well.

At some temples, animals will be sacrificed as one of the customs of the festival.
 
According to myths, goddess Kali was born out of the brow of Goddess Durga during one of her battles with demons.

During the battle, Kali was so much in a killing spree that she began destroying everything that came in her sight. To stop her, Lord Shiva threw himself under her feet. Shocked by this, Kali stuck out her tongue in astonishment and put an end to her rampage.

The main purpose of the puja is to seek the help of the goddess in destroying evil-both in the outside world and within human being.

Likewise previous years, largest Kali Puja celebration is taking place in Shakhari Bazar, Tanti Bazar in the old part of the city and Mymensingh where pandals are kept for four to six days.

Makeshift temples and mandaps in Shakhari Bazar and Tanti Bazar were decorated and illuminated gorgeously.