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In India, people celebrate the festival called Kali Puja, which is also called Shyama Puja or Mahanisha Puja. It is a celebration of the Hindu goddess Kali. It is held on the day of the new moon in the Hindu month of Ashwayuja or Kartika. There are a lot of people who love this holiday in West Bengal, Mithila, Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam, Tripura, the town of Titwala in Maharashtra, and other nearby countries like Bangladesh.
Kali Puja 2024 timing
Every year, on the day of Amavasya Tithi in the month of Kartik, the holiday of Kali Puja is held. In Nishita Kaal, this puja is done. The Amavasya Tithi of the Kartik month will begin on- so the Kali Puja 2024 timing will be between October 31 at 3:52 pm and November 1 at 12:28 am this year. Kali Puja and Diwali often happen on the same day, or one day before or after Diwali. Most Indians worship Lord Ganesha and Mata Lakshmi during Diwali, but people in the eastern states like Kolkata, Assam, and Tripura worship Kali Mata more. For people who follow Shakta and Tantric rituals, the Kali Puja holiday is very important.
About Kali Puja- History of celebration
The Kali Puja event has been around for a while. Before the 16th century, not many people knew about Kali Puja. The great teacher Krishnananda Agamavagisha was the first person to start doing it. In Bengal in the 1700s, King (Raja) Krishnachandra of Nabadwip also made this puja very popular. In the 1800s, Kali Puja became more famous at the same time that Sri Ramakrishna, a follower of Kali, became more well-known among Bengalis. This was a big change because wealthy landlords started to support the event in a big way, which made the celebrations bigger and fancier. In Tamluk, Barasat, Barrackpore, Naihati, Dhupguri, Dinhata, and Tapshitala, Kali Puja is the second most important event after Durga Puja.
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Significance of Kali Puja
Mata Kali is the most adored and is known for being fierce and having a dark-skinned form that holds skulls. Mythology says that Goddess Kali got very angry when people broke moral rules and made society bad. Anyone who got in her way, she planned to kill. When she started killing and cutting in anger, this caused a lot of damage. After telling Lord Shiva everything, the Devtaganas had to lie down in Mata Kali's way to stop her. This made Mata Kali calm down. When angry Kali stepped on him, it changed her. She stuck out her tongue, realised she was wrong, and walked away after saying she was sorry.
How do people celebrate Kali Puja?
Kali Puja can be celebrated either at temples, with elaborate kali puja pandals, or at homely pujas. People do this in their homes with clay statues and pandals, which are temporary homes or open shelters. At night, tantra rituals and chants are used to honour her. She is offered red hibiscus flowers, sweets, rice, and beans as gifts. According to the rules, a worshipper should think all night long until dawn. Rituals in the standard Hindu style can also be done in homes and pandals. In this style, Kali is dressed up as Adya Shakti Kali for the ritual, and no animals are killed. As part of some customs, people give gifts. These can be sweets, coconut, batasha (sugar plum), fruits, and other foods, or they can be symbolic animal sacrifices like pumpkins or sugarcane. Mata's gifts are sought by some by sacrificing animals out of faith or wish. Priests and worshippers repeat Kali mantras and songs during the puja to call on her heavenly power.