All power and fury

Kalibari Mandir in Khadki is the only temple that worships Kali in the city and Bengalis flock to it to seek Her blessings during Puja

The Kalibari Mandir, Khadki, is the only Kali temple in the city. Built in the early 1980's, it was initially a temple inside a hut. Later it was transformed intou00a0 a temple of white marble ufffd a replica of Kali Bari in Kolkata.

The complex consists of three temples. At the centre is the Kali temple, the one on the right is for Ganesh and on the left, for Shiva.

Durga Puja, which started in 1940, is a major attraction for Bengalis living in the city.

"We initially had the puja pandal at Shivaji Nagar and Khirkee every alternative year. In 1966, we shifted to Khadki and after almost two decades, the temple was built," said Subir Sengupta, general secretary of the temple organisation.

Preparations for the festival start a month before the puja. Of the 1,300 members, about 20 core members look after the daily administration work. But during Durja Puja it attracts more than 5,000 devotees who come to offer their prayers.

It's not just Durga but Kali, Basanti, Lakshmi, Saraswati and Poornima Puja which is celebrated throughout the year.

He said: "We distribute the work among the members during the meeting. It makes our work easy."

He further said that another highlight of the puja was the 'bhog' for which they did not charge any money.
"During Sabtami, Ashtami and Nabami we distribute khichdi bhog in the afternoon and on an average 2,500 people come for it."

Cultural events
In the evening, various cultural events are organised by the members. This year there would be dance and ballet presentation, orchestra, and a play titled Devi during the
four days.

"The cultural events are entirely taken care of by the members. We try to present something new every year," said Sengupta.

He also said that youngsters participated in great numbers during the festivals. "We have lots of young members who are active in the committee," he said.

The committee takes great pride over the fact that members of other mandals in the city are also members of Kalibari. Apart from the puja, the daily evening aarti draws a huge crowd as the temple is a landmark in the city.u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0