The Daily Worship of Kali at Dakshineswar

 The daily worship of Kali at Dakshineswar begins early in the morning. At around 6:30, Ma Kali is ready to receive the devotees who have been waiting at the main entrance. Those who pass through the front arches and enter the covered veranda can watch the dhup-arati. For several minutes the priest waves incense before Kali, until the inner shrine becomes filled with fragrant smoke. 

A little later, preparations begin for the morning worship. Around 8 o’clock, the man who makes Kali's garland arrives at the temple. Although the Mother receives many flower garlands during the day, she normally wears one very large garland around her neck. The garland maker sits on the marble floor near the rear entrance, carefully arranging the flowers before completing the thick garland. 

Around 9:30 in the morning, the daily worship of Kali begins with an offering of seasonal fruits, sweets and raw rice. The food is prepared in the Kali kitchen, located in the long row of buildings behind the temple. The servants begin early, washing and cutting the fruit. One of the sevaks then carries the fruit, rice and sweets on a large silver tray into the temple through the rear entrance. 

Before the actual puja begins, the place is cleaned and the vessels are arranged. Water, sandalwood paste, flowers and the other objects required for worship are placed nearby. The worshipper sits facing east or north. The first ritual is achamana, the purification of the mouth, which must be performed before the sacred mantras can be spoken. This is followed by the sankalpa, the statement of the intention of the worship. 

The priest then arranges the offerings and the vessels used during the worship. The food offering is divided into five small portions. Harding describes the movements of the pujari in detail as the ritual proceeds, with each object placed and used according to the requirements of the worship. 

The morning worship continues for some time. Near its end, the pujari continues singing before Ma Kali while waving the panisankha, followed by a red cloth and a flower. Finally, he blows the conch shell. At that moment the worship officially comes to an end. The sounds of the temple cease, and the pilgrims, priests and servants bow down before the Divine Mother. They remain with their heads lowered until the priest stops blowing the conch. It is then about 11:30 in the morning. 

The worship continues with an offering of cooked food. Ma Kali receives this offering sometime between noon and 1:30, depending on when the cook finishes preparing the meal. Harding notes that there are standard rules governing the rituals at Dakshineswar, while some details and the length of individual ceremonies are left to the priest performing them. 

When the cooked food is ready, the people in the temple hear a call announcing its arrival. A servant first sprinkles Ganges water along the path from the kitchen to the temple. The cook then approaches carrying a large tray, followed by an assistant with another tray. Both call out “Jai Ma” as they enter, while the Kali musician begins to beat the large drum for the bhog-arati. 

The daily worship at Dakshineswar therefore fills much of the morning with a succession of preparations, offerings, prayers, music, incense and ritual actions. Harding's description follows these activities as they take place around the image of Ma Kali, from the first worship of the morning to the offering of cooked food at midday.

Source & Note

This article is based on Elizabeth U. Harding’s Kali: The Black Goddess of Dakshineswar (Nicolas-Hays, 1993). The material has been edited and adapted for this publication.