Kartik Pujo

Today is Kartik Pujo. Who is Kartik? Well he is the lesser known son of Goddess Durga, and is often overlooked by many as a God that must be paid homage to. Most, but not bongs. Nossir. Bongs do Pujo even for Lord Kartik. The circumstances in which the same is adhered to however, are fascinating.

All families are not required to worship Lord Kartik. Kartik Pujo happens only in the more traditionally bengali middle class areas of Calcutta. The Pujo is initiated by people of the locality - generally young and unemployed men - who drop an idol of the aforesaid Lord at the doorstep of any house in that locality wherein a new couple has moved in that year. The drop is celebrated and announced by the loud burst of crackers and cheers and is accompanied by a list of names of those involved in the drop. This in turn impugns the responsibility on the household thus attacked to take the idol into their home and conduct a Puja on the given day by feeding all those whose names appear on the attached list, every year for three years since the drop. On the fourth year their is a ceremony and again lots of feeding, this time on a slightly grander scale, and the idol is immersed thereby relieving the household from any further feeding duties.

This was explained to me today by a fellow lawyer who was looking for a half day due to such celebrations to be conducted at his parental home. His brother's marriage two years back brought with it Lord Kartik in their home in the aforementioned fashion.

You learn something new everyday.