Usually a single idol of Goddess Kali is worshipped during Kali Puja; however, Janbazar Sammilita Kali Puja Samity stands out. This puja committee hosts “Dasha Maha Shakti Aradhana” every year, where ten forms of goddess Kali are worshipped together under the same roof. Started in 1969 by the current MLA Swarna Kamal Saha of Entally constituency, this puja aimed to unify all the small puja committees into a single grand celebration.

“Previously, many forms of goddess Kali were worshipped on a very small scale in this neighborhood. From that, our MLA and my father, Swarna Kamal Saha, got the idea. He spoke to all the small puja committees, unified them, and started this puja in a grand way. It is for this reason that the name of our committee is Janbazar Sammilita (combined) Kali Puja Samity,” says Sandipan Saha, Mayor-in-Council (MMIC), Kolkata, and the president of the Janbazar Sammilita Kali Puja Samity.

Every year, the fixed ten idols that are worshipped along with the main idol of Goddess Kali are Devi Hinglaj, Devi Kamala, Bagala Devi, Matangi Devi, Devi Tara, Devi Shoroshi, Devi Bhubaneswari, Bhairabi Devi, Devi Chinnamasta, and Devi Dhumabati. “Each of the forms is worshipped with their own unique rituals,” claims Saha. This year’s pandal takes inspiration from the historic Tangail Rajbari in Bangladesh. The puja committee also organises various cultural events, adding to the community bonding. Bhoga (Prasad) is distributed among the devotees.

The president of the committee also reflected on the challenges faced by the puja committee. “The main challenge lies in transporting the ten idols to the puja pandal. Another major challenge is traffic jams, as this puja happens on the main road. For that reason, our pandal is very big lengthwise, but the width of the pandal is less. We try to create the pandal within the periphery of the footpath only,” explains Saha. “We work in coordination with the Kolkata Police to avoid traffic jams or any type of potential problems. Usually Durga Puja happens on such a large scale, but I think this is the blessing of goddess Kali that we were able to start the puja, continue it, and with time it became so popular,” he adds.

While the city is ready to celebrate Kali Puja and Diwali, Janbazar Sammilita Kali Puja Samity stands out as a pillar of Kolkata’s rich culture and heritage.