While Kalighat and Chetla are well-known for being the cradle of some of the oldest Kali pujas of Kolkata, such as the Dakat Kali (Kali as the dacoit queen) or the Hajar Haath Kali (Kali with a thousand arms), a hidden gem resides in Alipore where Aradhana Samiti’s Chamunda Kali Pua turns 76 this year. Started by the club’s enthusiastic trio of Punya Das, Mohit Das and Shripad Dey in 1948, the puja celebrates the majesty of Chamunda, one of the most frequently worshipped avatars of Kali.
“I still remember gazing at the massive idol of Maa Chamunda back in our childhood days. She never fails to evoke awe and astonishment in the eyes of the onlookers,” remarks Kalpita Das. Her father, Krishna Kali Pakhira, who is the president of the club, believes that the massive height of the idol has become an inseparable part of the puja’s legacy: “Nowhere else [in Kolkata] will you find such a gigantic and stellar depiction of Kali in her most wrathful yet graceful avatar.”
Krishna Kali Pakhira, the current president of Aradhana Samiti
An intense charcoal black skin combined with huge tresses flowing everywhere distinguish the goddess at Aradhana Samiti, where the first Kali idol was created by Haradhan Dutta, carved out of wood. Over the past two decades, the puja committee has switched to idols made out of iron, with the likes of Dhruba Das and Sunil Halder playing pivotal roles in the committee. “For the past 50 years, the height of the idol has remained fixed at 16 feet,” mentions Halder.
Walking inside a forest at an eerie twilight hour
The Kali idol at Aradhana Samiti gets ready for this year’s puja
Goddess Chamunda is mythically believed to have emerged from the eyebrows of Parvati in order to slay the demons Chanda and Munda (which lends the goddess her name), generals of demon kings Shumbha and Nishumbha. Regarded as a warrior goddess, Chamunda is a recurrent figure in various folios of Devi Mahatmya, where she, along with other warriors or avatars of Adishakti, is seen to be slaying sinister demons like Raktabija.
On stepping inside Aradhana Samiti’s pandal, you feel as if you are walking inside a forest at an eerie twilight hour, before the whole setting becomes submerged in darkness. The interplay of light and darkness is brought to life through a dense foliage of trees, which reaffirms the idea that within the heart of darkness lies the source of all light. The idol of the four-handed goddess is surrounded by skeletons hanging from the trees. The goddess is seen to be wearing a skirt of severed hands and as well as a garland of severed heads. She can be seen slaying one of the demons with her left hand while the corpse of the other demon lies at her feet, signifying how justice always reigns supreme even if it comes at the cost of momentary destruction.
An overarching touch of terror underlines all the decorations inside Aradhana Samiti’s puja. The fierce counterparts of Chamunda, namely Dakini and Yogini, are presented as flaunting their fangs beside a shrieking jackal. All of them seem to be together, supporting the goddess in her mission to destroy the demons. Meanwhile, Chamunda's consort, Shiva, can be seen offering a reverential bow in front of her with folded hands, almost as if to calm down her fury. The massive eyes of Chamunda are shown to oscillate with the aid of special visual effects, beautifully capturing her omniscience. Hidden in the midst of trees behind Chamunda lies a tiny idol of Durga, since both goddesses are manifestations of the same feminine primordial energy.
On immersion day, the entire vicinity from Chetla to Alipore comes alive
A separate puja takes place at the club on every Amavasya and Purnima
Every year, devotees light a plethora of candles at Aradhana Samiti’s puja to honour the goddess. Among them is Debalina Biswas, councillor of ward number 74 and chairperson of borough IX, who attends the puja every year. In 2022, which marked the 75th year of the puja, Firhad Hakim, the mayor of Kolkata, was present for the inauguration. “We distribute the bhog offered to the goddess along with blankets for the needy every year, especially among the children of the nearby slums,” said Pakhira.
Apart from Kali Puja, a separate puja also takes place on every Amavasya and Purnima, honouring the goddess by means of a symbolic structure. The idol is built on mobile trucks and, on immersion day, the entire vicinity from Chetla to Alipore comes alive. The striking portrayal of Kali at Aradhana Samiti brings to mind the words of a Kali kirtan: “Tora dekhte jabi dekhte jabi…rup dekhile abak hobi.” It is a reminder that the beauty of Kali is like a labyrinth, for it is limitless and boundless.