Sadhguru says Chamunda’s festival is not just worship; it’s a journey into the primal power of devotion and reverence. With every Ashtami in Vaishakha, Monteswar comes alive, honouring a goddess whose fierce love knows no bounds.
Article | Burdwan | December06, 2011
Sadhguru: The Chamunda Temple in Monteswar, West Bengal, stands as a rare beacon of Goddess Chamunda’s fierce, enigmatic energy. Celebrated as an incarnation of both Kali and Durga, Chamunda embodies the raw power of the divine feminine, a presence that’s both feared and revered. In Monteswar, her worship unfolds through centuries-old traditions, marked by an extraordinary annual festival on Ashtami in Vaishakha, where rituals, processions, and age-old ceremonies breathe life into her mythology. From symbolic water immersions to ritual sacrifices and jubilant processions, the village of Monteswar transforms into a spiritual epicentre, drawing thousands in devotion. Rooted in ancient legends and community devotion, Chamunda’s worship at Monteswar reveals a unique tapestry of spirituality, tradition, and the enduring allure of the goddess’s divine wrath and protection.
Chamunda worship is rarely observed, and temples dedicated to Goddess Chamunda are even more uncommon. Chamunda, revered as a fierce form of the Goddess Kali, is sometimes also seen as a manifestation of Bhagavati Durga. One such rare temple stands in the village of Monteswar in Purba Bardhaman, West Bengal. Here, the deity of Chamunda is both striking and awe-inspiring: a bare-bodied, dark-hued, three-eyed goddess who embodies the power and mystery of the divine feminine.
To worship Chamunda is to dance on the edge of the divine and the feared, a celebration of life and death.
The idol of Chamunda in Monteswar is depicted with an array of symbolic weaponry—her right-hand holds a damaru (small drum), a spear, a sword, and a drinking vessel, while her left-hand grips a trident with which she slays the demon duo, Chanda and Munda. Around her neck hangs a garland of severed heads, symbolizing her triumph over malevolent forces. Every year, on the auspicious day of Ashtami during the Shukla Paksha of the month of Vaishakha, a special festival celebrates Chamunda in this village. On this occasion, the entire community comes alive in fervent devotion, observing what is essentially an off-season celebration of Durga Puja. For four days, Monteswar reverberates with rituals and festivities dedicated to Chamunda.
The main Chamunda temple, located in Monteswar's Maichpara, is open year-round, with two auxiliary shrines nearby—the Boromandir (Large Temple) and the Bhogmandir (Temple of Offerings). The yearly celebration of Chamunda Puja begins with the ceremonial "Adhibas," marking the deity’s symbolic invitation to the festivities. The rituals begin in the ancestral Hazra household, where the marriage of the goddess is symbolically performed. The idol of Chamunda is taken from the main temple and immersed in the local Kha Pond under the moonlit sky. She remains in the water overnight, guarded vigilantly by the local Bagdi community. In the morning, the idol is ceremonially retrieved from the pond, and devotees scramble for the honour of lifting her from the water—a moment charged with raw devotion and energy. The goddess is then paraded through the village in a grand procession before being enshrined back in the temple. This marks the beginning of the most anticipated celebration for the residents of Monteswar.
Chamunda’s temple stands as a timeless testament to the resilience of faith and the might of feminine power.
As the five-day festival unfolds, the village transforms into a vibrant fairground. On Ashtami, the goddess is anointed with turmeric in a unique ritual at the Kha Pond, where devotees enter the water to retrieve her. The honor of lifting the goddess from the pond sparks a frenzy, as each devotee wishes for a personal blessing. Following her retrieval, the goddess is carried in a richly decorated palanquin, with devotees performing spirited dances along the way. Upon reaching the Boromandir, a traditional buffalo and goat sacrifice is conducted as an offering to Chamunda.
On Navami, the goddess embarks on another procession, this time carried by devotees to various altars set up across the village, each dedicated to different aspects of her energy and blessing. By Dashami, the temple grounds are filled with thousands of devotees, all gathering for a grand culmination of the puja. This ancient temple, as local folklore tells, was established by Maharaja Kirti Chandra Mahatab of Bardhaman, who not only provided funding but also donated land to support the temple’s activities. The idol of Chamunda believed to be over 900 years old, is sculpted from black stone and adorned with distinctive features: a garland of heads, a drinking vessel, and the figures of Dakinis and Yoginis at her feet. Legend has it that a Brahmin discovered this idol in the nearby Khari River after receiving a divine vision. Guided by local fishermen, he retrieved the idol and enshrined it, thus establishing the practice of Chamunda Puja.
While the formal Chamunda Puja takes place on Ashtami, the true preparations begin on Akshaya Tritiya with a traditional peacock dance and the observance of various ceremonial practices. Among these is a unique custom of yoking oxen to a plough, an event that symbolizes the fertility and bounty the goddess is believed to bestow upon her devotees. The chosen oxen are then symbolically wed to Chamunda as part of the rituals. At midnight, the goddess is once again immersed in the waters of Kha Pond, where she remains guarded until the morning when the Bagdi community retrieves her once again, reenacting the sacred search and retrieval ceremony.
In the silence of night, immersed in water, Chamunda waits—reborn each year through her devotees' devotion
During these festive days, each household in Monteswar observes “pradhan” (fasting without cooking) as a mark of reverence. Once the goddess is retrieved from the water, a grand village procession begins, celebrating her return to the temple where the primary puja is performed. Monteswar’s Chamunda, revered as the village deity, draws family and friends from far and wide. People from neighbouring regions also flock to join in the celebrations, filling the streets and markets with joyous crowds, a lively fair, and cultural events.
The Chowdhuri family of Monteswar also celebrates Durga Puja with a significant link to Chamunda. In their ancestral home, Durga Puja is celebrated traditionally without a clay idol, as Chamunda is considered a form of Durga. Instead, a sacred pot representing the goddess is brought in, accompanied by the rituals of Nabapatrika on Sasthi morning and evening. Ashtami brings the traditional Sandhi Puja, while on Navami evening, offerings are made in the Chamunda temple, followed by a unique Kumari Puja. On Dashami, a young girl, representing the goddess, is worshipped in the family’s ceremonial pandal. Observing an ancient ritual, the family releases a Shankhchil (brahminy kite) into the sky to mark the beginning of the immersion preparations, signalling the goddess’s farewell until the next season.
In the month of Poush, another unique celebration occurs at the Chamunda Temple. On the day of Poush Sankranti, the residents of Monteswar come together to celebrate the Ugolu Festival. The idol of Chamunda is carried from the main temple to the Bhogmandir in a grand procession, accompanied by the beat of traditional drums and celebratory dancing. The procession culminates in a recitation of the Chandipath and offerings to the goddess, followed by a vibrant fair and cultural performance. Known as Ugolu Puja, this festival is observed in hopes of abundant harvests and prosperity, as Poush is considered the month of Lakshmi. Devotees firmly believe that Chamunda blesses all who pray to her with the fulfilment of their desires and well-being.
