How long do the Kali Puja rituals typically take for a trained priest?

The Kali Puja rituals can take 4-5 hours for a trained priest to complete, while for a less experienced priest, the rituals can last 6-7 hours.

What are the key elements of the Kali Puja ritual?

The key elements include the recitation of Kali mantras to invoke the goddess's divine energy, the offering of red hibiscus flowers, and a symbolic sacrifice.

Home / Lifestyle / Kolkata Priests Undergo Intensive Training for Kali Puja Rituals

Kolkata Priests Undergo Intensive Training for Kali Puja Rituals

Q: What is the focus of the Kali Puja priest training in Kolkata?

The training focuses on the proper conduct of the puja, including the ability to understand and correctly pronounce the chants, maintain an amicable demeanor, change clothes before the puja, and remain attentive throughout the rituals.

11 Oct

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Summary

40 priests undergo 3-day training camp for Kali Puja
Focus on proper conduct, chanting, and adherence to tantric traditions
Kali Puja rituals take 4-5 hours for trained priests, longer for novices

Kolkata Priests Undergo Intensive Training for Kali Puja Rituals

As of October 12th, 2025, a training camp for Kali Puja priests is underway in the courtyard of the Shib Krishna Daw family house in Kolkata's Jorasanko neighborhood. The three-day camp aims to prepare around 40 priests in the intricate tantric traditions that govern the Kali Puja rituals, unlike the Vedic and Puranic practices followed during Durga Puja.

Jayanta Kushari, the principal of the Sarbabharatiya Prachyavidya Academy, has been conducting these training sessions for Durga Puja for 39 years and Kali Puja for a decade. He emphasizes the importance of the priests' proper conduct, including their ability to understand and correctly pronounce the chants, maintain an amicable demeanor, change their clothes before the puja, and remain attentive throughout the rituals. Kushari stresses that practices like using cellphones or taking tea or smoke breaks are strictly prohibited for the priests during the puja.

While Durga Puja rituals can span 5 to 15 days, Kali Puja is a more challenging affair, as it is concluded in a single night. The puja typically begins at either Nisha (9 PM) or Maha Nisha (around midnight) and can last 4-5 hours for a trained priest or 6-7 hours for a less experienced one. The key elements of the Kali Puja include the recitation of Kali mantras to invoke the goddess's divine energy and the offering of red hibiscus flowers, as well as a symbolic sacrifice.

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