Celebration of A Different Kind

Diwali is a unique celebration in Odisha. Here, the 'Festival of Lights' is not just limited to customary bursting of crackers and exchange of lip-smacking sweets, but also accompanied by Kali Puja and the ritualistic ceremony of 'Badabadua Daka'. The celebrations are special in the Millennium City of Cuttack, Coastal town of Bhadrak and the very-popular Pilgrim Town of Puri.

At Cuttack, festivity is a never-ending affair during this part of the year. Just a fortnight after Durga Puja, the city braces up for Kali Puja that coincides with Diwali, a celebration of victory of good over evil. Keeping up with the saying 'Baara Mase Tera Parba' (13 Festivals in 12 Months of A Year), people of Cuttack celebrate Kali Puja and Diwali with much fervour and gaiety. Although the celebrations are not as grand as Durga Puja, the revelers are no less enthusiastic.
The Kali Puja here is over 500-years-old and it is believed that Bengalis brought this tradition to Cuttack during the 16th century. This year, around 70-odd puja committees are worshipping Kali, another form of Goddess Durga.

A majority of the temporary pandals house a particular iconography of Goddess Kali, who steps on Lord Shiva wearing a garland of human skulls and her tongue piercing out. This form is called 'Tara'; her colour is blue and she is shown naked to the waist, wearing a garland of human heads and then clad in tiger skin. The only puja committee that worships the 'Chhinamasta' form of the deity is the Bakhrabad Kali Puja Committee. Here, the deity holds her own severed head in one hand and a scimitar in another.
Three jets of blood spurt out of her bleeding neck and are drunk by her severed head and two other attendants. Instead of standing on Lord Shiva, the Goddess steps over an embracing man and woman on a lotus.

Like Durga Puja, the idol of Goddess Kali at several pandals is accompanied by a silver backdrop (Chandi Medha). Bhikari Das, general secretary of Cuttack Mahanagar Peace Committee said this year, at least 23 idols of Goddess Kali are being set up with Chandi Medhas. While the same backdrop is used for both Durga Puja and Kali Puja in other pandals, only Bakhrabad has a different tableau for the Tantric Goddess. Designed with traditional silver filigree work, the tableau depicts the scene of a cremation ground with two skeletons standing beneath a large banyan tree besides, jackals, owls, and swans being the dominating motifs. Two years back, the Bakhrabad puja committee prepared a beautiful golden crown to the deity. Some of the other Kali Puja pandals worth seeing are the ones at Ranihaat, College Square, Bajrakabati, Khan Nagar, Tulasipur, Bangali Sahi, Choudhury Bazaar and Sutahaat. Kali Puja begins on November 10 and culminates with Diwali. All the idols will be immersed on November 14.

In Bhadrak, Kali Puja is celebrated in a grand way owing to the presence of Bhadrakali temple. Like Durga Puja in Cuttack, Kali Puja in this coastal town is a week-long affair that is witnessed by lakhs of people. While a large number of devotees throng the Bhadrakali village, on the outskirts of Bhadrak town, several glittering pandals are erected in Charampa area to house the deity.

Likewise, Puri witnesses a grand gathering on the day of Diwali as people observe 'Badabadua Daka' to pay obeisance to their ancestors. In the unique ritual, people gather outside the 12th century Jagannath temple and burn jute sticks (known as Kaunriya Kathi in local parlance) inviting their ancestors to descend from heaven on Diwali and bless them. The burning of jute sticks is accompanied by a prayer 'Badabadua Ho Andhaare Aasa, Aalua Re Jao (Ancestors, come in darkness and go back along the lighted path). With thousands of bundles of jute sticks being lighted on the day, the Grand Road in front of the Jagannath temple offers a beautiful spectacle.

 Trips To Roads Less Travelled Wishes All Its Readers A Very Happy, Safe and Eco-friendly Diwali. Eat. Pray. Enjoy.

Cuttack's Golden Durga Puja

The First Golden Durga Puja Idol in Cuttack

In the Silver City of Cuttack, Durga Puja is unique in more ways than one. While the neighbouring State of West Bengal hosts the autumn festival with theme-based pandals and idols, Odisha’s Millennium City of Cuttack decorates the Mother Goddess with gold and silver. The extravagance is reflected in 150-odd Puja Pandals across the city; while the elite puja committees go for gold jewellery and silver backdrops spending several crores of rupees, their smaller cousins opt for just silver.

The Durga idols are usually 20-ft-high and they are accompanied by even taller backdrops (Silver tableaux). The price rise of gold has never been a deterrent for the Durga Puja Committees in Cuttack who make it a point to decorate the majestic tableaux elaborately with silver filigree work, known as Chandi Medha in local parlance, and idols of Goddess Durga, Lord Ganesh, Kartik, Goddess Lakshmi and Saraswati with gold jewellery and crowns every year. Cuttack is known worldwide for its silver filigree craft and filigree artisans who have created several masterpieces with impeccable artistry in the past. Durga Puja is also an occasion for these artisans to showcase their craftsmanship.

While initially, puja committees used to decorate the Goddess and the tableau with silver filigree work and jewellery to create that dazzle, the trend of adding gold to the deity’s idol was started by the Choudhury Bazaar Puja Committee in 2002, which coincided with its golden jubilee celebration. Durga Puja in Choudhury Bazaar began way back in 1956. The organisers made a golden crown of 7.6 kg for Goddess Durga and since then, they have added golden crowns and other jewellery items to the accompanying deities. Of late, the silver tableau is also being converted into a gold one. While the total cost of the Chandi Medha and idols exceeds Rs 15 crore, the puja committee keeps adding some more gold to the entire structure every year.

Subsequently, a group of other puja committees gave a golden touch to their pandals. The Sheikh Bazaar Puja Committee made a 3.5 kg gold crown in 2008 for the deity’s idol that is set against the backdrop of a beautifully carved silver tableau. Over the years, it added gold crowns and necklaces to idols of other deities and even the demon Mahisasura.

At Mangalabag Puja Pandal, not just the Durga idol, the other deities too sport golden crowns weighing at least 2 kg and at Chauliagang Puja Pandal, the Goddess is adorned with a 3 kg majestic golden crown fashioned in the shape of a peacock that is decorated with precious stones. In 2004, the Ranihat Puja Committee prepared a 4 kg gold crown for the Goddess at the cost of Rs 1 crore. While the puja at Ranihat was started a century ago, the committee set up a silver backdrop in 2004.

According to the Cuttack Mahanagar Puja Committee, the apex body of community puja organisers in Cuttack, there are at least 21 puja committees in the city who have silver backdrops and six puja pandals where the deities are adorned with gold crowns and jewellery.

Chandi Medha at Chandni Chowk

The Durga Puja history of Cuttack dates back to several centuries. It is believed that it was Saint Chaitanya Dev who started worshipping the deity during his visit between 1512 and 1517 AD. During his stay at Gadagadia Ghat in Cuttack, he started Durga Puja at Balu Bazaar. Even at Balu Bazaar, a 30-ft-high silver tableau adorns the pandal and the idol here is painted with only organic colours.

The Durga Medha at Chauliagang in Cuttack

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The First Durga Medha in Cuttack at Balu Bazaar