The Popular cultures in South Asia have been constructed in the each region, influenced by historical events such as colonialism, nationalist movement, globalization. Modern Hindu urban festivals observed in the urban areas of West Bengal have also been changed from 18th century. This paper focuses on the diversity of the images of the goddesses and temporary shrines built on the street or the park during the autumn festivals in Kolkata city, and especially on the peculiarity of Kalipuja celebrated in Chetla located southern suburb of the city.
Hitherto, the Transformation of Hindu popular cultures were explained by concept of "Sanskritization". It means the mobility in the caste hierarchy, in which lower castes or tribal groups imitate and adopt some parts of the upper custom. But the concept is not proper to explain the diversity of recent urban festivals.
The aim of this study is, at first, to describe the variation and the fashion of the image and the temporary shrines observed in the festivals in terms of the landscape (Appadurai). At second, to clarify the relative peculiarity of Kalipuja conducted by Chetla Mercantile Committee, I will classify the type of Kali images according to my survey to the potter castes making most of the images be worshiped around the city and argue that their rituals are not corresponded with both Sanskritization and prevalent fashion.
They organize the committee during only annual Kalipuja particularly on the post-slum area and declare a common identity relating Chetla area. 42 ritual communities are participated in the committee and pray each images. And several Kali images include the elements of local God or Goddesses, from where they were immigrated. Therefore, the main issue is not peculiarity itself of their Kali images at least, but will relate with their everyday's life in the post-slum area in the translocal and transnational city. But to consider why they have pride and attachment to Kalipuja, I introduced some historical landscape adjacent to the area.
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