Katyani Puja of Magura

This year on November 03, 2011; I visited Katyani Puja in Magura. This is my great opportunity to join with the devotees and the enthusiastic spectators in the worship. The five-day long Katyani festivities ended on Novenber 5, 2011. Katyani Puja celebrated just after one month of Sarodiya Durga Puja or six days later to Deepabali (Shyama Puja). Generally Katyani puja celebrated in the Bengali month of Kartik. Devi Katyani is sixth form of Navo Durga (Devi Durga has nine forms).

The idol of Katyani Devi is very similar to Durga. There is only exceptional an image of Lord Sree Krishna is placed at the combined idols. According to Hindu scriptures, during the Dapor Era, Lord Sree Krishna, before appearing on earth, had sent his parents along with other family members to the mortal world. The inhabitants of Vraja worshipped Katyani Devi to obtain Sree Krishna along with his father Basudev and mother Devoki as the son, friend, husband and god.
The Gopbalas (milk maids) of the Dapor Era were said to be the first ones to observe the Katyani Puja at the banks of Jamuna.

In Magura, Katyani Puja is very popular religious festival. Hundreds of thousand devotees and enthusiastic people from various districts and also abroad attend during Puja. It has festival look also. A month long mela (fair) continue. People sell and buy the necessary products especially wooden furniture and handicrafts product in the mela.
During the Katyani Puja the mandops and gates decorated with colourful lights. At night every mandops arrange colourful & laser lightings with dancing mode music. At that time the mondops fulfill with devotees and enthusiastic spectators. I have a realization attending at the Katyani Puja in Magura: festival is for all; but Puja is only religious people. ~Dulal Kar, Dhaka.