Celebrating the goddess of power during Diwali, important rituals take place in the Bengali communities of Mumbai.

Mumbai: Today is Kali Puja, an important day of the Diwali festival week. The day is of religious significance for all Hindus, but the Bengali speaking community and people of the eastern states consider it one of the most important dates in their religious calendar.

Among the ten forms of Goddess Durga, Kali is worshiped as the incarnation of Shakti, and her devotees believe that worshiping her removes fears and failures from their lives.

Kali puja is performed at night for spiritual reasons. Kali, the goddess of time and destruction, is often associated with the dark night, representing the cycle of life and death.

Tapan Banerjee, puja secretary of Thakur Village Bengali Association's Durgotsav, Kandivali (East), said the night was associated with the rituals of thugs or dacoits who used to worship Kali before setting out on their nightly expeditions to rob the rich. Banerjee said, “But in the present era, people worship at night to get the power of the mother.”

Thakur Gram Durgotsav pandal has been demolished after Durga Puja. However, Kali Puja takes place on the same grounds of the Evershine Club. The rituals will start at 11 pm on Thursday night and will continue till 12.30 pm on Friday. “Devotes participating in the ritual observe a 12-hour fast as a symbol of the purity of the ritual,” Banerjee said. During the puja, fruits and flowers are offered to the goddess.

The rituals will begin at 9.30 pm at the 102-year-old Bengal Club in Shivaji Park, said Joy Chakraborty of the Bengal Club. It is believed that Kali defeated the demon Mahishasura during Amavasya or Amavasya night, making the night a powerful time to worship the goddess. During Diwali celebrations, Goddess Kali is worshiped twice – once on Naraka Chaturdashi and second time on

Kartik Amavasya, which falls on the night of 31 October 2024. Kartik Amavasya starts at 3.52 PM on 31 October 2024, and ends at 6.18 PM on 1 November 2024. Kali Puja timings are between 11.39 pm to 12.31 am on October 31. I am on November 1st.

For this reason Kali Puja is also called Shyama Puja. Many temples of the city were decorated with lights on Wednesday for the festival of lights.