Traditional Kali Puja of Sanatan Dharma Khoksa

 The Kali temple is located on the banks of the Garai River, one kilometer from the market of Khoksa Thana, Kushtia District, Khulna Division, Bangladesh.

Kalibari the witness of time:

A medieval temple surrounded by a Jora Bot Pakur tree. This is the daily worship temple. A black stone block obtained from Garai river by King Indu Bhushan Deva Roy of Naldanga is kept here. It is a sign of the Buddhist period. The structure of this stone block is like a four-legged post. The black stone block is worshiped throughout the year. Noteworthy is the Shiv Tagore Puja Pata Asana made of brass sheet 27 inches long and 4 feet wide. The Puja Temple was moved to its present location in 1341 Bengal after the earlier Puja Temple was washed away by the Pramatta Garai River. Annual Puja In the temple every year on the day of Maghi Amavasya a seven and a half cubits long Kali idol along with a twelve and a half cubits long Kali idol made of clay and straw is dedicated in the annual pujanta. This puja is being performed on the same date every year. Kadam Kath Kathmo is made one month before Maghi Ambashya. It is in this structure that idols made of straw and clay are worshiped annually. During the zamindar period, fairs were held here for more than a month, now the fairs are crowded for less than one week to two weeks.

Introduction of Buffalo and Patha Sacrifice:

The tradition of buffalo and patha sacrifice starts at the Mahendra moment of Khoksa's Kali Puja. Earlier the number of sacrifices was unspecified. On the day of the annual puja, a patha sacrifice was performed at Chandi Pathan in the first hour. At the last hour of the day, after enshrining the goddess, Narail's zamindar Ratan Babu offered five pathas for the five partners, and then a buffalo sent by the king of Naldanga was sacrificed. Then Jora Patha was sacrificed in honor of the zamindari state of Shilaidah. Anna Patha was called for the prayers of the devotees until the Maghi Saptami puja and fair. This custom of buffalo and Patha sacrifice, the path of anger, is practiced in the style of the Raja Zamindari period. NEW AGE PLAN The prevalence of Khoksa Kali Puja and fairs has largely declined after the overthrow of the king and zamindar system. The Kali Mandir was built anew by the efforts of the local Hindu community in 1341 Bengal, the next year after the temple, established during the Nawabi period, was submerged under the river in 1340 Bengal due to continuous erosion of Pramatta Garai river.

Beginning of Kali Puja:

There is no exact history of when the practice of Khoksa Kali Puja started. All that is there is speculation. However, it is said that Ramadev Tarkalankara, the seventeenth elder son of Pujari Sri Kala Krishna Bhatracharya, was the first Pujari of this Puja. And from this it is estimated that the age of Khoksa's Kali Puja is more than five and a half hundred years. According to legend and popular belief, Khoksar Kali was founded by a Tantric saint. Self-promotional tantric saint started this Kali Puja in a deserted forest place surrounded by a national tree called Khoksa on the banks of Garai river. When a zamindar's son was bitten by a snake, the unconscious zamindar Juba was taken to this saint for treatment. By laying the patient on Kali's feet, the saint healed Zamindar Juba through Sadhana. On hearing the news, the zamindar started the first Kali Puja here on Maghi Amavasya Tithi by building a seven and a half cubits long Kali idol on the instructions of Tantric Sadhu. Annual Puja In the temple every year on the Amavasya tithi of the month of Magha a seven and a half cubits long ink idol is made and a twelve and a half cubits long clay idol is made of clay and straw.

And from that the beginning of Khoksa Kali Puja. At the end of the buffalo sacrifice, Joro Patha was sacrificed in honor of Bhaivanath, the zamindar of Pansha and Tagore, the zamindar of Shilaidah. In that stream, after the sacrifice of sheep, patha and then buffalo, the devotees from the country and abroad perform the sacrifice of Mansar Patha.

Increase in prosperity of Kali Puja and fairs:

At present, when a famous pandit was attacked by a buffalo in the Vishana form, the pandit killed the buffalo with a Chandigrastha knife in his hand. After this incident came to the attention of the king of Naldanga, 1400 bighas for the four members of this Brahmin family with supernatural powers and 12 bighas for the construction of structures related to Kali Puja as servants for the masons, washermen, barbers, malakars, floor painters, roofers and cleaners with the opportunity to enjoy the land annually. Dapambita donated 16 bighas of land for seven days of worship. Vast reform program was undertaken by shifting the Kali Puja fair. Meaning all plans have turned into dreams.