West Bengal celebrates Kali Puja with Religious Fervour and Gaiety

Kolkata, October 29, 2016: Fireworks lit up the night sky and lakhs of people visited the marquees and famous temples, as West Bengal celebrated Kali Puja on Saturday with religious fervour and gaiety.

The famous Kali temples at Kalighat and Dakhineswar drew sea of devotees since Saturday morning for offering prayers to the goddess on the auspicious day.

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A countless number of devotees stood in long queues at the Tarapith temple near Birbhum district's Rampurhat to seek blessings of the goddess, considered a form of goddess Durga.

The puja rituals would continue well past midnight, according to the almanac.

As per tradition, people of all ages celebrated Kali puja with fireworks, a day ahead of Diwali.

Crackers of all kinds, sizes and hues — torches, sparklers, flowerpots, rockets — spread cheer among revellers triggering colourful sparks against the night sky.

People decked up in their best thronged hundreds of community marquees in the city and the districts where the goddess was worshipped.

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Apart from community pandals, Kali Puja is also performed in residences.

As in earlier years, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is also performing Kali puja with due solemnity at her residence in south Kolkata's Kalighat.

According to old texts, Kali Puja was introduced in Bengal during the 18th century by King Krishnachandra of Navadvip in Nadia district.

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The puja is also held in various Hindu crematoria.

Security has been beefed up in and around the city to avoid any untoward incident. (IANS)