NATORE, Oct 22, 2025 (BSS) - The traditional and one of the largest Kali Puja and fairs in the country has begun on Monday in Lalpur, Natore. 

Shortly after midnight on Monday, the 536th Kali Puja commenced at the Budhpara Sri Sri Kalimata Temple amid deep religious fervor and enthusiasm. 

Thousands of devotees, followers, and visitors from home and abroad thronged the temple premises and surrounding areas. Traders have set up stalls along a one-kilometer stretch of the fairground.

From early morning, devotees engaged in worship, goat sacrifices, offerings, prayers, and various religious rituals. The traditional seven-day fair marking the Kali Puja has also begun, featuring over a thousand temporary shops. A variety of traditional food items, sweets, toys, cosmetics, furniture, and household products are being sold at the fair.

Sukumar Chandra Halder, an idol craftsman from Jotdoiboki village in Lalpur, said he built a 23-foot-tall idol this year, one of the largest Kali idols in northern Bangladesh. He has been making this idol regularly since 1998.

Temple committee president Shatadal Kumar Pal said, “The worship is being performed in a joyful atmosphere. A festive mood has spread across the nearby villages. This puja is held every year in the month of Kartik. More than a hundred goats are sacrificed daily. We seek everyone’s cooperation to ensure the puja continues smoothly until the immersion of the idol.”
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Mehedi Hasan said, “On the occasion of the puja, the upazila administration has donated two tons of rice to the temple. Adequate security and all necessary support measures have been ensured by the administration.”

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Lalpur Police Station Md. Rafiqul Islam added, “We have implemented maximum security measures to ensure the festival takes place in a safe and joyful environment.”

The weeklong religious festival, attended by devotees and visitors from home and abroad, will conclude next Sunday (October 26) with the immersion of the idol.

According to temple sources, during the Nawabi era, about 60 brass artisans (Kansashilpi) from the Khagra area of Berhampore in Murshidabad, India, migrated to Budhpara in Lalpur to escape persecution of Bargis. 

These Hindu artisans established the Sri Sri Kalimata Temple in a thatched house on land donated by Shishchandra Chakraborty in 897 Bengali Year (1490 AD).

Later, in 1332 Bengali Year, a permanent temple was built with financial assistance from Janaki Bai, wife of one Lal Kennedia. Zamindar Punyachandra Das donated around 150 bighas of land to the temple. At present, except for eight bighas of land belonging to the Kali and Govinda temples, the rest remains illegally occupied.

Temple committee treasurer Ashish Kumar Sweet said, “We are discussing with the administration to take necessary steps for the recovery of the temple’s donated property.”

With its 536-year-old heritage, a 23-foot idol, and thousands of devotees, the Budhpara Kali Puja continues to stand as a remarkable symbol of religious tradition.