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Bengalis revere goddesses like Maa Durga and Maa Kali: This basic fact is pretty well known to most people. The most important festivals of the Bengali year centre around Durga Puja, Lakshmi Puja, Kali Puja and finally Saraswati Puja, affirming the fact that as a people Bengalis, no matter where they are in the world, always remember the rituals attached to these mother-centric festivals. But when it comes to Kali Puja, something unique happens, especially in terms of the Bhog that is offered up to the goddess as a ritual.
The very concept of Bhog and the Prasad derived from it, anybody who knows anything about Hinduism would insist, is about purity and sattvik vegetarianism. So, where then does the significance laid on “veg” mutton or Niramish Mangsho during Kali Puja fit into this narrative? From preparations across homes and temples in Bengal to popular videos on YouTube and social media, the worship of the Goddess Kali during Kali Puja (which falls on November 12 this year) invariably includes this animal-based dish that is still considered to be pure and auspicious enough to be offered to the deity.
To explore and understand this curious culture of Niramish Mangsho as a Bhog offering for Goddess Kali during Kali Puja, Slurrp caught up with renowned historian and author Pritha Sen. Here is what she had to say.
Video Credit: YouTube/Bong Eats
Tracing Kali And Her Tribal Roots: The Origins Of Niramish Mangsho
As sacrilegous as it may sound to non-Bengalis, the offering of mutton to Goddess Kali on the Dipannita Amavasya Tithi when Kali Puja is observed is very common practice across Bengal, both the state and the larger region. If you are wondering how a goddess can be linked to the consumption of non-vegetarian food so intimately, Pritha Sen explains the roots of this practice in great detail. “If you look at the image of Kali, it is of a fierce, bloodthirsty goddess,” Sen explains. “This conjures up a very pimaeval kind of picture which tells us that she rose from absolutely ancient roots in Bengal, and Bengal’s ancient roots were all tribal. We come from tribal roots and therefore, the food that has emerged from that society is most beloved by Kali, who is loved as the goddess of the masses.”
Sen explains that because Goddess Kali was so popular among the Bengali masses, it was widely believed that all the foods she loved most were also those that the masses loved and ate every day. “Even after that ancient period, when we shed our tribal life and emerged as a homogenous “Bengali people”, what the common people ate was parboiled rice or Sheddho Chaal, Kochur Shaak which is foraged food from the forests, Kochu cooked with fish heads, inexpensive fish like Boal, Magur and Shoal, and meat only on special occasions,” she says.
Fierce Kali And The Sacrificial Animal For Her
The offering of mutton, she says, also ties in with the image and legend of this deity. “Kali is supposed to be a ferocious goddess out to kill evil,” Sen says. “Therefore, to appease Kali you need fresh blood and you need to offer her what was most precious to you, which was livestock at that point in time.” The practice even stretched to Durga Puja on many occasions. “The most common offerings to our goddesses were first harvests and livestock,” Sen explains. “Therefore, there was a practice of Mosh-Boli (buffalo sacrifice) during Durga Puja because Durga defeated the Buffalo Demon, Mahishasura. And for Kali Puja, the common sacrificial offering is either buffalo or goat.”
But with changing times, the practice of buffalo sacrifice ebbed away and Kali worshippers stick to sacrificing goat now. And it is woven into the very fabric of Hinduism and Shakta practices in Bengal. "Meat eating was a must during Kali Puja back then, and it happens all around us even today. There are references to animal sacrifice all through Bengali literature and it is also a part of living history today,” Sen elucidates. “In Kalighat, goats are sacrificed every day. Most Kali temples around Bengal still follow this practice. It is even recorded that the son of the Maharaja of Krishnanagar sacrificed 65,000 goats during three days of Durga Puja.”
Video Credit: YouTube/Lost And Rare Recipes
Niramish Mangsho: The “Veg” Yet Non-Veg Dish
Now that you understand how goat sacrifice specifically became a part of Kali Puja traditions, let us explore what Niramish Mangsho is. “Niramish Mangso, simply put, is mutton that is cooked without onion and garlic,” Sen explains. “It is offered to the Goddess Kali and therefore it becomes Prasad. Onion and garlic are deemed non-vegetarian during all Bengali festivities, so we have historically never offered foods with those to the gods and goddesses. Mutton, which is considered precious and auspicious once it is sacrificed, is therefore cooked without onion and garlic and offered to Kali during Kali Puja.”
Sen explains that not only is Niramish Mangsho considered to be an essential offering to Goddess Kali, but it is also consumed by all once it has been turned into Prasad by the deity’s blessings. “At one time, even widows were allowed to have Niramish Mangso during Kali Puja after it was turned into holy Prasad,” Sen says. “The coming of Vaishnavism did impact Kali Puja. Various forms of the goddess, like Krishnakali also emerged during this time. The system of Bhog also changed with this. I know of one family that offers 108 different kinds of vegetarian dishes on Kali Puja, but they also offer Niramish Mangso on the side.”
The impact of Vaishnavism in Bengal has today led to most homes across Bengal and beyond offering vegetarian dishes like Kochu, Labra and Bhog staples like Khichuri, Luchi, etc. But in most Kali temples, Shakta homes and across the tribal communities where Goddess Kali is still the most popular deity, Niramish Mangsho offerings on Kali Puja form an integral part of Bengali Hindu identity and culture.
