Kolkata :

Bhawanipore, a conservative, middle-class neighbourhood in south Kolkata, had broken away from tradition and started worshipping an aggressive image of Goddess Kali as Chamunda way back in 1941.

While the rest of the city worshipped the divine Shyama, Harish Park has stood out with its 20-feet-tall idol of Chamunda

Nothing much about this Puja seems to have changed in the last 75 years. The height of the idol has increase, but the rituals remain same.

Legend has it that the Puja, which started off with a regular Shyama idol, took its present form when the priest had a dream in which the Godess advised him to worship Chamunda instead of Kali at the venue. After the dream, the priest himself made the idol of Chamunda.

Debashish Mukherjee, member of the Puja committee, said, “Ever since, we have worshipped Chamunda. There has been minor alterations in the image, but it remains essentially the same.”

It was the late artist Prahlad Pal, who made the Chamunda image popular. Every year, thousands from across the city and beyond visit the Puja. During the festive days, a fair is held at the adjoining ground.

In keeping with the tradition, more than 50 members of the organizing committee fast for 24 hours. “Wherever they are, they don’t touch food or water till the puja is over. It usually gets over after midnight. But none breaks their fast till the the bhog has been offered to the Goddess,” said Mukherjee.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kolkata / TNN / November 12th, 2015