Bhadra Kali of Bamanhat: A Living Legacy of Devotion and Power.
Author: Biswarup Chatterjee
In the village of Patharshon (~26.12 to 26.14 °N ~89.45 to 89.48 °E), located in the Bamanhat region of Dinhata subdivision, lies a significant idol of goddess Kali of the district, popularly known as the “Mādhāikhāler Kālīṭhākurāni” (Goddess Kali of Madhai Khal, Figure - 00),” The deity is worshipped by the people of all communities. Every year, the worship begins on the Saturday or Tuesday following the Aṣṭamī Tithi (অষ্টমী তিথি) refers to the eighth lunar day in the Hindu lunar calendar. Each lunar month is divided into two halves — the waxing phase (Śukla Pakṣa) and the waning phase (Kṛiṣňa Pakṣa). Aṣṭamī occurs twice in every lunar month: ) of the month of Chaitra (twelfth month in the Bengali calendar and the first month in the Hindu lunar calendar. It usually falls between mid-March and mid-April in the Gregorian calendar.) and concludes on the subsequent Saturday or Tuesday with the ritual of buffalo sacrifice. This deity is, in fact, one of the prominent migrated or relocated forms of Kālīṭhākurāni of the district. Kharganath Barman, a priest from the village of Madhai Khal in the present-day Kurigram subdivision of Rangpur district (now in Bangladesh), established this deity in Patharshon. The annual worship starts on a Saturday or Tuesday following the Basanti Puja (A springtime worship of Goddess Durga or Kali, especially observed in Bengal, Figure-00) of Chaitra and continues for twelve days. This tradition of worship began in the Bengali year 1359 (1952 CE).
A distinctive feature of this worship is the ritual sacrifice on the eighth day of the puja (worship), which includes goats, pigeons, and buffaloes, along with taro (man kochu) and ash gourd (chalkumro). The blood emerges after the sacrifices are offered to the goddess Kali in earthen bowls. The deity, known as BhadraKali , resides in a south-facing temple made of tin and brick. Standing 12 cubits tall, the idol of this Kali is the center of a grand fair, organised over 200 acres of land during the time of worship. This is one of the largest fair in the district. A large gathering of people converges around this fair, as countless enthusiastic visitors from various parts of the district arrive to witness the event. The occasion of this worship serves as the principal attraction that breathes life into the entire celebration.
According to local belief, people make vows to the goddess out of fear of diseases. It is firmly believed by the local people that consuming the basil leaves and earth from the altar of this Kali cures even the most incurable ailments. The Bhadra Kali of Patharshon village, in the Bamanhat region of Dinhata subdivision, is considered by the local communities of Cooch Behar as one of the manifestations of ‘Satboini’ (a collective form of seven goddesses).
The present priests are Adyanath Bhagavati, Bhongria Debendranath Barman, and the person responsible for sacrificial rites is Bhadranath Barman. A popular legend is associated with this Bhadra Kali of Bamanhat. Honoring this age-old belief, even today thousands of married women offer their salutations to Bhadra Kali and wear traditional conch bangles (shankha) during the fair."
Bhadra Kali is a fierce and auspicious form of the Hindu goddess Kali, primarily worshipped in parts of eastern and southern India, including Bengal, Assam, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. The name “Bhadra Kali” combines two Sanskrit words: Bhadra (भद्र) meaning auspicious, gentle, benevolent, and Kali (काली) meaning the dark one or time—a fierce aspect of Goddess Parvati, representing destruction of evil and ego.
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