This Diwali 2025, West Bengal came alive with grand Kali Puja celebrations, blending deep devotion with dazzling displays of light and festivity. From intricately crafted idols to vibrant pandals and fireworks, this year’s celebrations were truly unforgettable.

West Bengal: Massive Kali Puja Celebrations | Diwali 2025 in Bengal | WION

West Bengal came alive in a breathtaking celebration of Diwali and Kali Puja 2025, as temples, homes, and community pandals lit up across the state.
From the historic Kalighat Kali Temple in Kolkata to the dazzling streets of Barasat and Naihati, devotees gathered in large numbers to offer prayers and watch fireworks illuminate the night sky.

Bengal Glows With Kali Puja & Diwali Lights | Temples, Terraces, Streets Shine Bright 

<p>Rock legend Mick Jagger made the most of his recent trip to India. The Rolling Stones frontman recently visited Kolkata, celebrated Diwali and Kali Puja and even watched a cricket match at Eden Gardens stadium. Jagger documented his visit to Kolkata with a post on Instagram.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
"Happy Diwali and Kali Pujo," Mick Jagger wrote in English and Hindi on Instagram and shared a series of photographs clicked during his visit to the city where Goddess Kali is worshipped during the time of Diwali.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>The Rolling Stone fans from Kolkata were delighted to know of Mick Jagger's visit to the city, especially during Kali Puja -- one of its major festivals.<br />
<br />
"This is so crazy!! And also surreal for him to be here at this time, considering The Rolling Stones logo itself is a representation of Maa Kali," wrote a user. "Imagine being a Rolling Stones fan from Calcutta reading the caption," commented another.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) had curated a special Bengali meal for Mick Jagger during his appearance at the Eden Gardens.<br />
<br />
The rockstar also met with veteran singer Usha Uthup and together, they sang a line from The Rolling Stones' iconic hit "Satisfaction". The video of the quick jam was shared by TMC politician Derek O'Brien on Instagram.</p>

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<p>"Mick Jagger and my fave ‘Aunty’ Usha Uthup at the Eden Gardens today. Too cool!," he captioned the video.</p>


Rock legend Mick Jagger made the most of his recent trip to India. The Rolling Stones frontman recently visited Kolkata, celebrated Diwali and Kali Puja and even watched a cricket match at Eden Gardens stadium.

Rock legend Mick Jagger made the most of his recent trip to India. The Rolling Stones frontman recently visited Kolkata, celebrated Diwali and Kali Puja and even watched a cricket match at Eden Gardens stadium. Jagger documented his visit to Kolkata with a post on Instagram. "Happy Diwali and Kali Pujo," Mick Jagger wrote in English and Hindi on Instagram and shared a series of photographs clicked during his visit to the city where Goddess Kali is worshipped during the time of Diwali. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mick Jagger (@mickjagger) × The Rolling Stone fans from Kolkata were delighted to know of Mick Jagger's visit to the city, especially during Kali Puja -- one of its major festivals. "This is so crazy!! And also surreal for him to be here at this time, considering The Rolling Stones logo itself is a representation of Maa Kali," wrote a user. "Imagine being a Rolling Stones fan from Calcutta reading the caption," commented another. Meanwhile, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) had curated a special Bengali meal for Mick Jagger during his appearance at the Eden Gardens. The rockstar also met with veteran singer Usha Uthup and together, they sang a line from The Rolling Stones' iconic hit "Satisfaction". The video of the quick jam was shared by TMC politician Derek O'Brien on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Derek O'Brien (@derekobrienmp) × "Mick Jagger and my fave ‘Aunty’ Usha Uthup at the Eden Gardens today. Too cool!," he captioned the video.

Mick Jagger celebrates Diwali and Kali Puja in Kolkata, visits the Eden Gardens

<p>The first time, I encountered the image of Kali, the dark goddess ferociously displayed as an old hag with her tongue sticking out staring wildly with intoxicated eyes, wearing a garland of human heads and a skirt of human arms. When I first visited the Kali temple in Kolkata (then Calcutta) as just a teenager, I wondered to myself what the attraction was. As I entered her famous temple at Kali Ghat, the stench of blood and guts on that hot, sultry day was enough to make even a slaughterhouse seem pleasant.</p>

<p>Yet hundreds of people came and went in a constant stream to offer obeisance to her. What on earth was going on? I later encountered her again much later in a Spielberg movie in which she was sensationally portrayed as a bloodthirsty goddess requiring human sacrifice. The filmmaker&rsquo;s imaginary version of the goddess no doubt came from William Henry Sleeman&rsquo;s 19th-century accounts of the Thugees he helped suppress while working as a British soldier.</p>

<p>Although there is certainly some truth to the relationship between dacoits and Kali worship during the colonial period, it wouldn&rsquo;t be the first time that such &ldquo;heathenry&rdquo; would be hyperbolically exaggerated to justify oppressive British military action. In any case, it is this image of roguish thugs (our English word derived from &ldquo;thugee&rdquo;) worshipping a demonic female that perversely fascinated people in the west who thought of India in both exotic and barbaric terms for much of the land&rsquo;s history, something we used to call orientalism.</p>

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<h5>Devi Mahatmya is the first text to elevate the great goddess to a level on par with the deities Shiva and Vishnu, her male counterparts.</h5>
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<p>Given the biased western history of this celebrated Hindu goddess, who is she, really? She was rather obscure until the Devi Mahatmya (The Goddess Panegyric), a 700-verse long song which was most likely composed roughly 1500 years ago but crystallises as a section of the later Sanskrit text known as the Markandeya Purana, the first text to elevate the great goddess to a level on par with the deities Shiva and Vishnu, her male counterparts.</p>

<p>Kept short and in verse form for easy memorisation and recitation, the &ldquo;glory of the goddess&rdquo; text refers to the Devi by a number of names, but focuses on a cycle of three stories, the most important of which in Kali&rsquo;s case is the one that describes the asura named Raktabija (blood drop), who had a boon that allowed each drop of his blood to generate into a new and fully formed demon upon hitting the ground, making him virtually impossible to defeat in battle.</p>

<p>It is precisely in this story that the Devi, created from all of the power of the male deities, appears as Kali, with a dreadful face, looking &ldquo;utterly gruesome&rdquo; with emaciated skin and carrying a sword and noose appears (7.5-7.7). With reddened eyes, a lolling tongue, and a massive roar that fills the universe, she attacks the asura army, lapping up each drop of Raktbija&rsquo;s blood with her tongue before the drops can hit the ground. In this manner, she defeats the evil one.</p>

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<h5>The Devi, in her form as Kali, the black goddess, is scary exactly because she needs to be so in order to defeat those negative forces that challenge the world order to create chaos.</h5>
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<p>Now, shouldn&rsquo;t we fear such an apparently dreadful slayer of demons? If so, then why did the mystic Ramakrishna repeatedly fall into trance calling out &ldquo;ma, ma,&rdquo; mother, mother, to her? The Devi Mahatmya ends with her being worshipped with offerings coming from the blood of her worshippers&rsquo; own limbs as a form of sacrifice because she is the support of the universe, greater than all of the masculine deities combined. From verse 13.1 of the text onward to its sudden conclusion the reader (or listener) is reassured that the great goddess grants release to all who worship her.</p>

<p>The Devi, in her form as Kali, the black goddess, is scary exactly because she needs to be so in order to defeat those negative forces that challenge the world order to create chaos. Some western feminists focus on her liberating power as a form of female emancipation from the shackles of patriarchal society, but deeper down, she is the one who, from the Hindu perspective, liberates human beings from the endless cycle of birth and death to achieve moksha, ultimate liberation. That is what draws Hindus to her, despite her fearful external appearance. Victory to the Mother!</p>


Maa Kali, the dreadful slayer of demons, defeats the negative forces and also liberates human beings from the endless cycle of birth and death

The first time, I encountered the image of Kali, the dark goddess ferociously displayed as an old hag with her tongue sticking out staring wildly with intoxicated eyes, wearing a garland of human heads and a skirt of human arms. When I first visited the Kali temple in Kolkata (then Calcutta) as just a teenager, I wondered to myself what the attraction was. As I entered her famous temple at Kali Ghat, the stench of blood and guts on that hot, sultry day was enough to make even a slaughterhouse seem pleasant. Yet hundreds of people came and went in a constant stream to offer obeisance to her. What on earth was going on? I later encountered her again much later in a Spielberg movie in which she was sensationally portrayed as a bloodthirsty goddess requiring human sacrifice. The filmmaker’s imaginary version of the goddess no doubt came from William Henry Sleeman’s 19th-century accounts of the Thugees he helped suppress while working as a British soldier. Although there is certainly some truth to the relationship between dacoits and Kali worship during the colonial period, it wouldn’t be the first time that such “heathenry” would be hyperbolically exaggerated to justify oppressive British military action. In any case, it is this image of roguish thugs (our English word derived from “thugee”) worshipping a demonic female that perversely fascinated people in the west who thought of India in both exotic and barbaric terms for much of the land’s history, something we used to call orientalism. Devi Mahatmya is the first text to elevate the great goddess to a level on par with the deities Shiva and Vishnu, her male counterparts. × Given the biased western history of this celebrated Hindu goddess, who is she, really? She was rather obscure until the Devi Mahatmya (The Goddess Panegyric), a 700-verse long song which was most likely composed roughly 1500 years ago but crystallises as a section of the later Sanskrit text known as the Markandeya Purana, the first text to elevate the great goddess to a level on par with the deities Shiva and Vishnu, her male counterparts. Kept short and in verse form for easy memorisation and recitation, the “glory of the goddess” text refers to the Devi by a number of names, but focuses on a cycle of three stories, the most important of which in Kali’s case is the one that describes the asura named Raktabija (blood drop), who had a boon that allowed each drop of his blood to generate into a new and fully formed demon upon hitting the ground, making him virtually impossible to defeat in battle. It is precisely in this story that the Devi, created from all of the power of the male deities, appears as Kali, with a dreadful face, looking “utterly gruesome” with emaciated skin and carrying a sword and noose appears (7.5-7.7). With reddened eyes, a lolling tongue, and a massive roar that fills the universe, she attacks the asura army, lapping up each drop of Raktbija’s blood with her tongue before the drops can hit the ground. In this manner, she defeats the evil one. The Devi, in her form as Kali, the black goddess, is scary exactly because she needs to be so in order to defeat those negative forces that challenge the world order to create chaos. × Now, shouldn’t we fear such an apparently dreadful slayer of demons? If so, then why did the mystic Ramakrishna repeatedly fall into trance calling out “ma, ma,” mother, mother, to her? The Devi Mahatmya ends with her being worshipped with offerings coming from the blood of her worshippers’ own limbs as a form of sacrifice because she is the support of the universe, greater than all of the masculine deities combined. From verse 13.1 of the text onward to its sudden conclusion the reader (or listener) is reassured that the great goddess grants release to all who worship her. The Devi, in her form as Kali, the black goddess, is scary exactly because she needs to be so in order to defeat those negative forces that challenge the world order to create chaos. Some western feminists focus on her liberating power as a form of female emancipation from the shackles of patriarchal society, but deeper down, she is the one who, from the Hindu perspective, liberates human beings from the endless cycle of birth and death to achieve moksha, ultimate liberation. That is what draws Hindus to her, despite her fearful external appearance. Victory to the Mother!

The allure of a blood-drooling goddess clothed in human limbs

<p>Diwali and Kali Puja are celebrated with equal enthusiasm in virtually every part of India. The deity invoked may be different, but the occasion is almost always accompanied by revelry, feasting and sound, generally in the form of crackers. Music really has little place in these celebrations, quite unlike the occasion of Navratri when in many states, there is a public and private display of music and dance.</p>

<p>In Southern India, we even have the instance of specific Navratri compositions sung in the name of the goddess in all her myriad facets, the Navaratri songs of the composer Swathi Thirunal being an instance in point. In fact, music on display was part of the courtly investment in public celebrations of Navratri whether it was eighteenth-century Travancore or nineteenth century Mysore.</p>

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<h5>Blaring of songs through loudspeakers is common, with organisers having easy access to the repertoire of what is commonly known as shyama sangeet.</h5>
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<p>Diwali, on the other hand, is not conventionally associated with singing or a genre, even in Bengal with its rich traditions of shyama sangeet initiated by the eighteenth-century poet Ramprasad Sen, the celebration of Kali pujo has little to do with music as a feature in ritualistic terms. Admittedly in the public worship of Kali (as the sarbojanik utsav or community festival), the blaring of songs through loudspeakers is common, with organisers having easy access to the repertoire of what is commonly known as shyama sangeet.</p>

<p>The core of the repertoire is the mystical poetry of Ramprasad Sen and Kamalakanta Bhattacharya who lived in the Nadia and Burdwan zamindaris respectively in the late eighteenth century. They produced numerous Sakta songs that became part of a living tradition. However, we do not know how they were sung or when they were standardised.</p>

<p>What we do know is that these songs were published in anthologies and circulated in the world of print from the later decades of the nineteenth century. How they were sung or set to tune is not something that we can easily recover. The style that we now associate with shyama sangeet was in all probability put together by early twentieth century artists such as twentieth-century artists such as Pannalal Bhattacharya and his brother Dhananjay Bhattacharya both of whom were ardent devotees themselves.</p>

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<h5>Radio and subsequently cassette recordings played a key role in popularising the corpus of songs that made up shyama sangeet as a genre and in defining a prominent skein in the music-cultural identity of Bengal.</h5>
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<p>Radio and subsequently cassette recordings played a key role in popularising the corpus of songs that made up shyama sangeet as a genre and in defining a prominent skein in the music-cultural identity of Bengal.</p>

<p>The musical features of this genre are at once simple and straightforward, eminently reproducible and capable of making a quick and enduring impression acoustically. With simple lyrics that address the benign maternal force of the goddess, the tunes are sharp and clear and resonate with theatre music. The melodies are simple, lilting and make a quick impact and thanks to particular modes of accessorisation adopted by later day comperes and radio presenters (Jagnannath Bose of Kali katha fane on FM being an excellent case in point).</p>

<p>The way these songs are sung and presented helps produce a particular register of effect which is extended by mass consumption during festive occasions such as Kali pujo and then becomes an audible marker of identity. The role of FM in this in contemporary times is especially marked, some early morning channels have devotional programmes such as Kali katha with its staple of shyama sangeet rendered by old and new artists, while others combine a judicious mix of Vaishnab keertan, sakta sangeet and adhunik thus making up a distinct Bengali musical profile which is easy to access by listeners.</p>

<p>It is interesting to reflect on the accessibility and comparability of Sakti imagery and tunes especially in relation to Nazrul Geeti or Atulprasadi in Bengal. That the poet Nazrul was deeply moved by the figure of the benign mother and set his own songs to tunes that were informed by raga music is well known and requires no elaboration.</p>

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<h5>The regional register in the reception and adaptation of classical music idioms and style and its deployment in the rendering of more local songs and musical expression to carve a distinct musical identity.</h5>
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<p>What is striking is the regional register in the reception and adaptation of classical music idioms and style and its deployment in the rendering of more local songs and musical expression to carve a distinct musical identity. One can find this especially in the case of Tamil compositions that were popularised in the twentieth century when the political urgency of Tamil nationalism made it imperative to carve a tradition and practice that set it apart from the mainstream Carnatic repertoire.</p>

<p>In the case of Bengal, the articulation of genres and styles such as atulprasadi or nazrulgeeti or indeed shyama sangeet was not as explicitly identified with either language nationalism or caste politics. But in any case, the intervention of mass media consumption and the use of cultural practices such as music during public ritual occasions - secular and otherwise - gave all these genres and forms a new currency that has helped in the consolidation of an aural public that Ramprasad Sen may never have envisaged or foreseen.</p>


Cultural practices and celebration during festivals, give a boost to regional and ancient music

Diwali and Kali Puja are celebrated with equal enthusiasm in virtually every part of India. The deity invoked may be different, but the occasion is almost always accompanied by revelry, feasting and sound, generally in the form of crackers. Music really has little place in these celebrations, quite unlike the occasion of Navratri when in many states, there is a public and private display of music and dance. In Southern India, we even have the instance of specific Navratri compositions sung in the name of the goddess in all her myriad facets, the Navaratri songs of the composer Swathi Thirunal being an instance in point. In fact, music on display was part of the courtly investment in public celebrations of Navratri whether it was eighteenth-century Travancore or nineteenth century Mysore. Blaring of songs through loudspeakers is common, with organisers having easy access to the repertoire of what is commonly known as shyama sangeet. × Diwali, on the other hand, is not conventionally associated with singing or a genre, even in Bengal with its rich traditions of shyama sangeet initiated by the eighteenth-century poet Ramprasad Sen, the celebration of Kali pujo has little to do with music as a feature in ritualistic terms. Admittedly in the public worship of Kali (as the sarbojanik utsav or community festival), the blaring of songs through loudspeakers is common, with organisers having easy access to the repertoire of what is commonly known as shyama sangeet. The core of the repertoire is the mystical poetry of Ramprasad Sen and Kamalakanta Bhattacharya who lived in the Nadia and Burdwan zamindaris respectively in the late eighteenth century. They produced numerous Sakta songs that became part of a living tradition. However, we do not know how they were sung or when they were standardised. What we do know is that these songs were published in anthologies and circulated in the world of print from the later decades of the nineteenth century. How they were sung or set to tune is not something that we can easily recover. The style that we now associate with shyama sangeet was in all probability put together by early twentieth century artists such as twentieth-century artists such as Pannalal Bhattacharya and his brother Dhananjay Bhattacharya both of whom were ardent devotees themselves. Radio and subsequently cassette recordings played a key role in popularising the corpus of songs that made up shyama sangeet as a genre and in defining a prominent skein in the music-cultural identity of Bengal. × Radio and subsequently cassette recordings played a key role in popularising the corpus of songs that made up shyama sangeet as a genre and in defining a prominent skein in the music-cultural identity of Bengal. The musical features of this genre are at once simple and straightforward, eminently reproducible and capable of making a quick and enduring impression acoustically. With simple lyrics that address the benign maternal force of the goddess, the tunes are sharp and clear and resonate with theatre music. The melodies are simple, lilting and make a quick impact and thanks to particular modes of accessorisation adopted by later day comperes and radio presenters (Jagnannath Bose of Kali katha fane on FM being an excellent case in point). The way these songs are sung and presented helps produce a particular register of effect which is extended by mass consumption during festive occasions such as Kali pujo and then becomes an audible marker of identity. The role of FM in this in contemporary times is especially marked, some early morning channels have devotional programmes such as Kali katha with its staple of shyama sangeet rendered by old and new artists, while others combine a judicious mix of Vaishnab keertan, sakta sangeet and adhunik thus making up a distinct Bengali musical profile which is easy to access by listeners. It is interesting to reflect on the accessibility and comparability of Sakti imagery and tunes especially in relation to Nazrul Geeti or Atulprasadi in Bengal. That the poet Nazrul was deeply moved by the figure of the benign mother and set his own songs to tunes that were informed by raga music is well known and requires no elaboration. The regional register in the reception and adaptation of classical music idioms and style and its deployment in the rendering of more local songs and musical expression to carve a distinct musical identity. × What is striking is the regional register in the reception and adaptation of classical music idioms and style and its deployment in the rendering of more local songs and musical expression to carve a distinct musical identity. One can find this especially in the case of Tamil compositions that were popularised in the twentieth century when the political urgency of Tamil nationalism made it imperative to carve a tradition and practice that set it apart from the mainstream Carnatic repertoire. In the case of Bengal, the articulation of genres and styles such as atulprasadi or nazrulgeeti or indeed shyama sangeet was not as explicitly identified with either language nationalism or caste politics. But in any case, the intervention of mass media consumption and the use of cultural practices such as music during public ritual occasions - secular and otherwise - gave all these genres and forms a new currency that has helped in the consolidation of an aural public that Ramprasad Sen may never have envisaged or foreseen.

In the name of the goddess: Music and crackers

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The allure of a blood-drooling goddess clothed in human limbs

In the name of the goddess: Music and crackers