Khuti Puja - Laying the Foundation

The tradition of Khuti Puja and it’s origin

Laying the foundation

In Bengalis the tradition of Khuti Puja is ages old and marks the beginning of pandal making for Durga Puja festivities. As the hefty affair of pandal making starts months before the actual puja. It is Bengal’s biggest festival’s first ritual. To begin the months-long process with all auspiciousness, the Khuti Puja has become a contemporary ritual. Typically, the Khuti puja gathers the puja organisers, members of committees and family members, etc for the installation of a delicately decorated bamboo stem is lodged into the earth, where the pandal is to be made. The bamboo looks nothing short of amazing with the marigold. Confetti and designed pictures adorning it.

Khuti puja tradition comes from the tradition of centuries-old 'Kathamo puja' or the wooden frame on which the clay idol is built at 'bonedi barir pujo' (household pujas).

Kathamo or the primary bamboo structure, which is used for making the idols (pratima) of the deities worshipped during the festival, is laid as the base of the sculpture’s creation. Every year, on the auspicious occasion of Rathayatra or Ulta Rathayatra, this ritual marks the beginning of the Durga Puja in many Pujo Baadis.

Similar to Kathamo puja, khuti puja marks the beginning of Durga puja preparations. Every year, on the auspicious occasion of Rathayatra, potters fashion the kathamo (frame). A lump of black clay is smeared on straw to mark the beginning of the work on the structure of the idols of the deities. The primary bamboo structure becomes the base of the idols. The story behind the significance of this puja is that the permanent wooden base (bel tree) that supports the structure of the pratimas is worshipped as Kathamo and is considered as part of Maa Durga herself, to whom a rich homage is paid on this day in the presence of the family members and friends.

Though khuti puja is not specified in the Vedas, it is performed to ensure an auspicious beginning for the forthcoming Durga Puja preparations. It is an invocation to the goddess. Earlier, the puja was not performed in such a ceremonious manner. The pandal decorators would themselves deck a pole with garlands and plant it at a spot around which the main pandal would be built. But for the past few years, many puja committees are celebrating it in a big way, so is our own APS, the most happening durga puja organiser in PCMC Pune celebrates it in a magnificent way. This year it was also followed by a traditional sumptuous meal of Pulao, cholar dal, Phool kopir torkari, papaod, bhaja accompanied with chatni and payesh. Every recipe is a perfect blend of sweet and spicy flavours which makes the simplest of meals gain an exquisite identity through special Bengali spices. Due to all of these elements, we all Bengalis eagerly look forward with anticipation for this upcoming extravaganza to commence every year.