Patiala: Satnam, a resident of Punjab’s Sangrur district, is happy that his son has got Canadian permanent residency (PR). With a liquor carton in hand, he bows before the Hindu deity Kali and thanks her for his son getting the PR.“I had pledged that I would offer liquor to the goddess if my wish is fulfilled. My divine mother has listened to me and hence I am here today,” he said.Offering liquor is a daily ritual at Patiala’s famous Kali temple on the city’s lower mall road. This temple was built by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, the grandfather of former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, in 1936.Mahua Moitra’s remarks and the row over KaliA controversy has erupted over what can and cannot be offered to Kali because of comments made by Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra. Speaking at a recent event, the MP that she had every right as “an individual to imagine Goddess Kali as a meat-eating and alcohol-accepting goddess” as every person has the right to worship a god or goddess in his or her own way. An FIR has also been registered against the politician.Also read: TMC’s Condemnation Of Mahua Moitra’s Comments On Kali Has Party Supporters PerplexedHer remarks came in response to a question regarding the controversy surrounding the poster for Leena Manimekalai’s documentary film Kaali, which depicts the Hindu deity smoking a cigarette with the rainbow flag of the LGBTQ+ community behind her.While the TMC has distanced itself from Moitra’s comments, fellow parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor extended support to her, saying Moitra is being attacked for saying what every Hindu knows. Supporters of TMC also came to the MP’s support.Devotees carrying a carton of liquor to offer to goddess Kali. Photo: Vivek Gupta.History of Patiala Kali templeAs per the Patiala Kali temple’s website, the Maharaja was inspired to build the temple and bring the six-foot-tall statues of Kali and Paawan Jyot (holy flame) after he saw the famous Kali temple of Kolkata in West Bengal.The centre of the temple complex also houses a much older temple devoted to Raj Rajeshwariji, which has six other small temples of other gods and goddesses as well.Temple priests told The Wire that Raj Rajeswari is the Kul Devi (clan deity) of the Patiala royal family. They consider it auspicious to worship at the temple before undertaking any important activity.Navneet Tandon, the temple’s administrative officer, told The Wire that Maharaja Narender Singh established the Raj Rajeshwari temple in 1845 by bringing holy flame from the famous Jawalaji temple in Himachal Pradesh.Later, the Kali temple came up, which soon became the centre of aastha (faith) for millions of devotees, not only from Punjab but other parts of Northern India as well, Tandon added.Liquor is disposed of, other offerings sold Liquor is not the only thing offered to Kali at the temple. The website says that devotees offer goats, hens, mustard oil, daal (lentils), sweets, coconuts, bangles and even chunnis (scarfs).Temple priests told The Wire that they ask devotees not to leave liquor behind after worshipping at the temple. However, when liquor is left behind, it is immediately disposed of at the ‘Hawan Kund’ at the start of the temple precinct.Liquor being disposed of at Hawan Kundh at temple precinct. Photo: Vivek Gupta.Countless bottles of liquor are offered at the Kali temple, with the number supposedly reaching into the thousands, especially on Saturdays, which are regarded as Kali’s auspicious day. Almost two lakh devotees visit the temple every week and nearly half of them on Saturday alone.The crowds run into multiple lakhs during Navratri, the nine-night long Hindu festival observed in honour of Goddess Durga and her different avatars. Kali is one of those avatars.While the liquor is disposed of, several offerings are sold as well. According to Tandon, the temple earned Rs 72 lakh last year simply from selling hens and goats offered by devotees.Only this year did the temple management – chaired by the Patiala deputy commissioner – award an annual contract for the sale of empty liquor bottles, for the amount of Rs 2.7 lakh.The temple authorities have strict rules for liquor offerings. Devotees can only take liquor inside the temples of Kali and Bhairon. There are posters pasted outside the remaining six temples in the complex – Raj Rajeshwari, Radha-Krishna, Surya Dev, Hanuman, Shiva and Ganesha – prohibiting liquor from being carried inside these temples.A poster outside the Raj Rajeshwari temple prohibiting liquor. Photo: Vivek Gupta.Why liquor, goats are offered at the templeThe Wire spoke to temple priest Kalikant Jha to understand why liquor and goats/hens are offered at the temple.“Kali Mata’s Vidhi-Vidhan of Pooja is complexly different,” he explained, “Maas (meat), machli (fish), madira (liquor) and madhur (sweet) are part of the practices used for Mata’s worship.”“Earlier, the bali (sacrifice) of goats also took place here but this practice was stopped. Still, non-vegetarian prasad is offered daily to Mata by devotees and priests too,” Jha added.He said that the deity is revered as asmashan Kali, a Goddess of death, for a reason.Also read: When Kaali Descends: A Poster, a Cigarette, a FilmJha explained that according to Hindu mythology, there was a demon by the name of Raktabija. He was blessed so that every time a drop of his blood fell on the ground, his strength would increase many times over. His blood would create thousands more like himself.“Raktabija was causing a great deal of trouble with people and gods alike, so the gods decided to work together and combined all of their divine energy and channelled it into Goddess Parvati, who then took on the ‘avatar’ of Kali to destroy Raktabija,” Jha added.“Kali, in her fierce form, eliminated Raktabija’s huge army. She then struck Raktabija but before his blood spilt on the ground, she stretched out her huge tongue and devoured all the blood, ensuring that not even a single drop fell on the ground. This way, Raktabija was destroyed,” Jha said.Since then Kali is worshipped in this form, Jha said.Jha said that liquor and non-veg offerings are associated with the Kali temple for a reason. “Goddess Parvati could never eliminate demons in her ‘Vaishno’ (pure/holy) form,” he said. “She had to take on the Kali ‘avatar’, otherwise how was it possible for her to devour the blood of the demon, eliminate him and swallow all his army?”“She had to take Rudra form in order to eliminate an evil force, which is what should matter more than anything else,” added Jha.He said many people are vegetarians and teetotallers, but even they drink small droplets of the liquor they offer at the temple as ‘bhog’. Jha ends by saying that a section of devotees worships Kali in Vaishno form, which is also a reflection of their faith.
