Fatakesto Kali is the landmark Kali Puja of Kolkata. Standing tall for the past six decades, the puja will turn 64 years in 2021. In the 70s and 80s, puja was a craze among the residents of north Calcutta. Its grand immersion procession, illumination, and attendance of celebrities from Bollywood and Tollywood made it the talk of the town.
Congress strongman Krishna Chandra Dutta had started this Kali puja in 1957 from Guru Prasad Chowdhury Lane in central Kolkata. Later it was shifted to nearby Sitaram Ghosh Street, where Dutta also lived.
Why puja is popular as Fatakesto Kali Puja?
But Why the name Fatakesto? The name of Fatakesto is on the name of the founder of the Puja, Krishna Chandra Dutta alias Kesto. Some say that in a deadly attack, he received injuries in many places in his body. So, Fata was added to his nickname(daaknaam) Kesto. Fata, a Bengali word, means split or crack in English. While some say that, he had scars of smallpox on his face. So, his friends used to call him Fata Kesto.
Presently, the puja is held under the banner of Naba Jubak Sangha, but it is more popular as Fatakesto Kali puja.
There are many interesting stories related to puja. During 70s Kolkata was a Naxal hotbed. At that time, Congress leader Krishna Chandra Dutta gave a tough fight to Naxalites. After suppressing the Naxal movement, Fatakesto puja became more popular. FataKesto was the Robin Hood of the area.
Fatakesto Maa Kali
Nestled in the narrow Sitaram Ghosh Street near College Street, this age-old Kali Puja has managed to retain its splendor. Decked in eye-boggling pieces of jewelry, the Goddess stands tall as an epitome of divinity and grandeur.
Over the years, the traditional idol of Maa Kali, colorful lighting from Chandannagar, and the pandal structure have remained unchanged. The puja has stuck to the same structure of the pandal – the replica of a temple, and not deviated from the usual fancy lights from Chandernagore town.
Fatakesto Kali Puja, one of the oldest in Kolkata, pulls visitors from different places. Once several light and sound programs were its USP but nowadays they have stopped this program and use a joint LED screen behind Maa Kali.
Once the immersion procession of Maa Kali decked with lighting from Chandannagar was the talk of the town but with time things have changed and the committee has toned down the procession event.
The pandal is in a congested lane. The entering place towards the puja mandap is very narrow, but the towering height of the pandal makes it visible from the main road.
The height of Goddess Kali is 14 feet. Kalipada Paul & his son Madhab Paul prepare the idol. With drums and music, in a huge procession, Maa Kali is brought to the mandap from Kumartuli, the place where idol makers live in Kolkata.
The face of Fataketo Maa Kali is patented. Fatakesto Kali is the first Kali idol that comes out of Kumartuli during puja.
Celebrities at Fatakesto Kali Puja
In the past, many celebrities have visited the Fatakesto Kali puja for inauguration and performance. The puja had roped in the Bollywood superstars Amitabh Bachchan, Dev Anand, and Rani Mukherjee to inaugurate the festivities.
Fata Kesto had added a dash of glitz and glamour to his puja by bringing in celebrities like Asha Bhosle, R.D. Burman, Rajesh Khanna, Hema Malini, Vinod Khanna, Shatrughan Sinha, the full team of Mahabharat, Bappi Lahiri, and many more. Uttam Kumar, the superstar of Bengal, was associated with the puja for a lifetime and used to attend puja every year.
The presence of film stars continued to increase with the fame of the event. Amitabh Bachchan visited the puja twice. Once alone and another time with Vinod Khaana. The diamond nose-ring of Fatakesto Maa Kali was sent by Amitabh Bachchan.
The legacy continues
At the age of 52, Fatakesto died. After Fata Kesto’s death in the 1990s, Prabandha Roy took over the puja.
The puja committee organizes entertainment programs during the puja and a Milan Utsav on the day after the puja where all visitors are served with Khichuri, fish-meal lunch. Bhog Prasad is distributed among thousands of people. They also carry out philanthropic activities such as distributing clothes, blankets, etc., to the poor.
There may be theme Kali pujas in Barasat, North 24 Parganas districts, and elsewhere, but the most talked-about Kali Puja in Bengal and elsewhere in India is ‘Fata Kestor Kali Puja.’ In Kolkata, there are numerous Kali pujas, but Fata Kesto’s puja retains its charm.
