Sabarimala-like ritual prevails in Kolkata Kali temple

Kolkata's own version of the Sabarimala temple has been in existence for the last 34 years. During the puja of Goddess Kali organised by Chetla Pradeep Sangha in south Kolkata, no women are allowed inside the pandal and all the preparations are done by men of the locality.

Members of the puja organising committee said that it had been the tradition and that they intended to stick to it. "This is the 35th year of our puja. It had been initiated 34 years ago by priests of Tarapith, and we intend on maintaining the rules. They had said that if any woman entered the structure during the puja, there will be a misfortune coming down on the locality," said Saibal Guha, joint secretary of the committee.

He said that four priests are brought in from Tarapith every year and puja is done there according to the 'tantras' or the way 'tantrik' priests do it. It begins by ringing a huge brass bell and all the ancient rules are followed including sacrificing a goat. Guha also said that the mantras which were chanted during the puja were slightly different. "It is the question of religion and faith. There is no legality involved here. People intend to abide by the rules because they have faith in the Almighty," Guha said.

"Right from cutting fruits and preparing bhog, everything is done by male members of the committee. Even if we have female members they don't partake in it. They know that women are prohibited to enter the place when puja is on and they have accepted it as the will of God," said Saheb Das, another joint secretary of the committee.

Executive member of the puja committee Gangaram Shaw said that about 10,000 people are given bhog everyday during the four days of puja. "It is the only place in West Bengal where women are not allowed to partake in the puja process. No one here is ready to take the risk of bringing down any ill luck, so no woman has ever questioned why she couldn't enter the pandal," Shaw said.

Poornima Das, who lives next to the Kali Temple, said there was no point in questioning what has been decided by the gods. "If the Almighty has ordered something our duty is to obey it and follow it to the hilt with no questions asked," Das said.

The puja takes place at a pandal within a market place and vendors at the place curtail business to facilitate movement of visitors to and from the pandal during the puja days.