PARV 18 OF 30 · ASHWIN
दुर्गा पूजा · काली बाड़ी
Ashwin Shukla Pratipada to Dashami, nine nights (September–October)
"जय माता दी, काली बाड़ी के मेला"
Katha · The story
Mahishasur the buffalo demon won from Brahma the boon that no man or god could kill him, and drove the gods out of heaven. From their combined fury a light rose and took the form of a woman with ten arms; each god gave her his weapon. On a lion she fought Mahishasur for nine nights and on the tenth day cut off his head. That is the Durga of the pandal, with the lion, the trident and the demon at her feet, and the nine nights are the Navratra.
In Mithila the Devi is also the daughter coming home: the four days of Saptami to Dashami are her visit to her naihar with her children Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesh and Kartik, before she returns to Shiva in the mountains. The visarjan is the daughter being seen off, which is why the women weep at the river.
Mahatva · Significance
The greatest public festival of the village after Chhath. Kali Badi's pandal, the dhaak, the mela stalls along the road and the bhasan to the Budhi Gandak bring every tola together. For the Devi-worshipping Maithils it is the heart of the year.
"अइली माता दुर्गा, काली बाड़ी के मंडप"
A line everyone at the festival knows
Vidhi · How it is done in Malinagar
Khichdi bhog on Ashtami, the mela's chaat, jalebi and ghughni, and the sweets exchanged on Vijaya Dashami.
Kali Badi is where the first Diwali diya after Sokha Baba is lit, so the Devi's house is never dark between Dashami and Diwali.