Tura, April 20: After two years of low-key celebrations owing to COVID-19, thousands thronged to Babedpara, the site of the three-day Charantala Mela, and offered prayers.
The Mela, which takes place generally during April, is a three-day religious event of Hindus, which is held annually and is marked by offerings, including bird and animal sacrifice to goddess Kali by devotees.
Babedpara, which falls under Selsella C&RD Block in West Garo Hills, attracts lakhs of devotees from across the country every year.
Devotees from as far as Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal and even neighbouring countries of Nepal and Bangladesh throng the Charantala Mela to give offerings and seek blessings.
Organisers of the Mela claim that the footfall of devotees at the festival rises 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 1965 that a smallpox epidemic hit the area, precipitating innumerable suffering among the inhabitants of the area with deaths of around 20 people.
It is believed that in the midst of the epidemic, the Goddess appeared in a dream of a local person named Yuvraj, and promised an end to all the sufferings. 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 then, 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 was the biggest day in the three-day Mela as it saw a huge throng of people who visited the place to catch a glimpse of the Goddess and seek her blessings.