At South Dianjpur's 400-yr-old Kali Puja, idol is of black stone

balurghat: Balurghat's Kuthi Kachari Road Buri Kali Puja, which started more than 400 years ago, is perhaps the oldest Kali Puja of South Dinajpur. It is popular for its antiquity, rituals and sanctity.

While mega-budget and theme-based Pujas seem to be the norm of the district but this Kali Puja is an exception as it maintains the traditional aspect.

There is no grand pandal or eye-catching modern illumination but the Puja draws lakhs of devotees. The black-stone idol of Goddess Kali is decorated with gold and silver ornaments during two days of Kali Puja.

Ratan Bhattacharjee, the main priest of the temple, said that Atreyee once flew by Kuthikachari area several hundred years ago and the total area was covered with dense forest.

"The idol of Goddess Kali emerged from underground and the local devotees set up a temporary temple at the site to worship the goddess.

Later, Harinath Bhattacharjee and Gopal Chandra Chakraborty had set up a permanent temple with the help of local people," he said.

According to him, Rani Rashmoni used to come with her 'Bojra' (decorated large boat) travelling through Atreyee every year during the Kali Puja festival in the Bengali month of Kartik.Today neither the dense forest nor the old temple exists but all the rituals of the puja are strictly followed.

The Buri Kalibari Debattor Estate and the trustee board along with Balurghat Municipality ensure that the puja is carried out properly. The entire cost of the Puja is borne by the estate.