Malda: Idol of Goddess Kali immersed in Kalindri River

Malda: Amid the presence of countless devotees from at least 10 adjacent villages and from other states of Bihar and Jharkhand, the idol of Goddess Kali of Gobarjana Kali Temple in Ratua II under the Pukhuria Police Station was immersed in Kalindri River on Monday around 11:30 pm.

This heritage Puja has a history spanning over 350 years and Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay’s classic novel “Devi Choudhurani” is also associated with this Puja. The police and district administration have taken all the steps from miking to drone surveillance for the peaceful immersion.

Gobarjana village belonging to Aaidanga Gram Panchayat is about 35 km from English Bazar district headquarters. Once the whole area was covered with thick forest. Legend has it that Bhavani Pathak and Devi, the characters in Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay’s novel ‘Devi Chaudhurani’, spent the night at Gobarjana on the banks of the Kalindri River on their way to North Bengal. In the morning, their barge got stuck on the river bank. Later, Bhabani Pathak made an idol of Goddess Kali after receiving instructions in a dream and worshiped her post which the barge started moving.

However, many people do not believe in this myth. They claim that the Puja has been taking place long before Bhavani Pathak came.

The Puja of Gobarjana Kali temple is the initiation of the Rajputs. Three and a half hundred years ago, Rajputs lived in villages surrounded by jungles, including Gobarjana. They started the Kali Puja by setting up a temple in the dense forest. Now the Puja is managed by Sudhanshu Chowdhury and his family.

Soumen Chowdhury, a family member, said: “We have been worshipping the Goddess for a long time. People from other communities also visit the temple and the fair.”

Abdur Rahim Boxi, MLA from Malatipur, said: “A huge number of devotees flock here every year. The administration makes flawless arrangements and the Puja and immersion process is held very peacefully.”