Kali Puja or Shyama Puja, the second largest festival after Durga Puja of the Bengali Hindu community, will be celebrated across Bangladesh tonight. Marking the festival, members of the Hindu community will light earthen lamps at their houses, temples and crematoriums in memory of their departed elderly persons.
Kali Puja is also called Deepabali or Diwali, the festival of lights.
Usually, Kali Puja, worshiping the Goddess of strength, wisdom and enlightenment, is celebrated at the night of Amavasya of the Bangla month of Kartik.
In Dhaka, the Shyama Puja will be celebrated at Dhakeshwari National Temple, Siddheshwari Kali Temple, Ramna Kali Mandir, and other temples amid due religious fervor and enthusiasm.
Monindra Kumar Nath, president of Mahanagar Sarbojanin Puja Committee, said Kali Puja celebration at the national temple will begin with Deepavali when 1,000 earthen lamps will be lit up on the temple premises.
Later, devotional songs will be performed on the temple premises by noted singers.
Offering of puja to Goddess Kali will begin at 10 pm and rituals will continue till midnight to be followed by offering of Anjali by a large number of devotees and distribution of prashad.
At some temples, animals will be sacrificed as one of the customs of the festival.
Navalsang Parmar (Dhaka)
