Tura, April 20: After two years of low key celebrations owing to COVID, thousands thronged to Babedpara, the site of the annual 3-day Charantala Mela.
The Mela which takes place generally during April is a three-day Hindu religious event marked by offerings, including bird and animal sacrifice, to goddess Kali by devotees seeking her blessings. The area falls under Selsella C&RD Block in WGH and attracts lakhs of devotees from across the country.
Devotees from as far as Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal and even neighbouring Nepal and Bangladesh annually throng the Charantala Mela to give offerings seeking blessings as well as thanksgiving to the goddess.
Organizers of the Mela claim the footfall of devotees at the festival rise to several lakhs every year.
The history behind the establishment of the Charantala Kali temple dates back to over six decades.
According to devotees and members of the temple trust, it was in the year 1965 that a small pox epidemic hit the area causing innumerable suffering among the inhabitants of the area and death to around 20 people.
It is believed that in the midst of the suffering the Goddess appeared in a dream to a local person by the name of Yuvraj, promising an end to all the suffering. She is said to have asked for a temple to be devoted to her name.
Locals from the area soon after came up with a makeshift temple at the chosen place to offer prayers and ever since the annual event has been transformed into a fair where thousands congregate during the three-day festival held on auspicious dates that fall sometime between April and May.
The annual congregation of lakhs of people in the Mela has become a site of religious tourism with the event being encouraged by the state government. A lot of the infrastructure, including the many rest houses has been set up through funds from the state, including BRGF.
“We came from Tura for darshan of Maa Kali and like us people have come from everywhere to be part of the Mela,” said a devotee during the event.
Many from the local areas, including the town of Tura have been known to walk the entire journey as part of a ritual.
“We start early in the morning from Tura (about 55 kms away) and reach here by the evening. There is no tiredness we feel as we feel the Goddess’ blessing within us. We have been coming here since I can hardly even recall,” said a resident of Tura, S Biswas.
Devotees arrived through the day and spent the night at the Mela before making their way back home early morning the next day. Tuesday, Apr 19, was the biggest day in the 3 day mela and saw huge crowds throng to catch a glimpse of the Goddess and seek her blessings.