Kali Puja and Diwali
The autumn festival, or Sharodotsab, ends with Kali Puja and Diwali centring around worship of Mother Goddess Kali and Lakshmi. Durga is the goddess of protection and progression; Kali is the goddess of destruction, the other side of the cycle of creation concerning cosmic law of constant transformation. Kali is the first of 10 incarnations of Durga. Depicted with a fierce face, Kali is regarded as a more aggressive form of Durga. Kali is believed to destroy evil and egoism and fights for justice. Kali was born from Durga’s forehead to save heaven and earth from cruel demons. Being the cosmic energy and element behind creation, Kali took no colour and remained black. She remained naked but on finding cosmic consciousness, existence and bliss embodied and lying behind creation in the form of Shiva, she stuck out her tongue, remembering that even omnipotence is just an essential property of the ultimate Absolute. Kali Puja is celebrated on amavasya, no moon night, coinciding with Diwali, the festival of light. Diwali signifies inner and outer illumination. In north India, it marks the day of the return of Rama after defeating Ravana, a symbol of evil. It is also associated with Goddess Lakshmi as she emerged from the sea — according to the mythical tale of the ‘samudra manthan’, meaning ‘churning of the ocean’. The celebration commemorates Rama’s final return home from exile and welcome with a glittering row of lights radiating from every household. It also coincides with the Pandavas’ return from the forest.
Source: Economic Times, 6/11/2018
The autumn festival, or Sharodotsab, ends with Kali Puja and Diwali centring around worship of Mother Goddess Kali and Lakshmi. Durga is the goddess of protection and progression; Kali is the goddess of destruction, the other side of the cycle of creation concerning cosmic law of constant transformation. Kali is the first of 10 incarnations of Durga. Depicted with a fierce face, Kali is regarded as a more aggressive form of Durga. Kali is believed to destroy evil and egoism and fights for justice. Kali was born from Durga’s forehead to save heaven and earth from cruel demons. Being the cosmic energy and element behind creation, Kali took no colour and remained black. She remained naked but on finding cosmic consciousness, existence and bliss embodied and lying behind creation in the form of Shiva, she stuck out her tongue, remembering that even omnipotence is just an essential property of the ultimate Absolute. Kali Puja is celebrated on amavasya, no moon night, coinciding with Diwali, the festival of light. Diwali signifies inner and outer illumination. In north India, it marks the day of the return of Rama after defeating Ravana, a symbol of evil. It is also associated with Goddess Lakshmi as she emerged from the sea — according to the mythical tale of the ‘samudra manthan’, meaning ‘churning of the ocean’. The celebration commemorates Rama’s final return home from exile and welcome with a glittering row of lights radiating from every household. It also coincides with the Pandavas’ return from the forest.
Source: Economic Times, 6/11/2018
