Four-Armed Maa Balai Chandi: When Durga Puja ends in most parts of West Bengal, people in Khadimpur village are just getting ready to celebrate. Located in the Raiganj block of North Dinajpur, the village starts worshipping Maa Balai Chandi on the night of Vijaya Dashami. The sound of dhaak drums fills the area as villagers begin their special celebration. The puja continues for a full week with fairs and cultural events.
A Different Form of Goddess Durga
The biggest difference is the way Goddess Durga is shown here. Instead of the usual ten arms, Maa Balai Chandi has only four arms. She doesn’t carry any weapons and the demon Mahishasura and his buffalo aren’t seen with her either.
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The goddess is shown with her children, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh. During the puja, devotees decorate her with gold and silver jewellery. This special form of the goddess has made the village puja different from the celebrations seen in most other places in Bengal.
A Small Temple With a Long History
The puja takes place in a small temple made with brick walls and a tin roof. It’s located under an old tree on around four bighas of land in Khadimpur. The village comes under the Kamalabari panchayat in Raiganj block and is near Kamalabari Hat in Hemtabad.
The people of Khadimpur have followed this tradition for centuries. Anil Barman, a member of the puja committee, explained that the goddess is worshipped here as Maa Chandi. According to local resident Madhab Barman, people from different areas visit the village every year to take part in the celebration.
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A Week of Puja, Fairs and Cultural Events
The main worship begins on Dashami night, but the celebrations don’t stop after one day. The village stays busy with religious activities, fairs and cultural programmes for the next week.
People from North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur visit Khadimpur. Many also travel from parts of Malda and neighbouring Bihar to see the goddess. While other places have already finished their Durga Puja celebrations, Khadimpur continues to enjoy the festive season through its old tradition of Maa Balai Chandi Puja.
