Were you to be present in the city of Calcutta in the month of
September, you might everywhere see the people busy in preparing for the
yearly festival of this goddess. Images representing her you would find
in great numbers for sale, as bread or meat is sold. In the houses of
the rich, images are to be found made of gold, silver, brass, copper,
crystal, stone, or mixed metal, which are daily worshipped. These are
called permanent images. Besides these, multitudes of what are called
temporary images are made--made merely for the occasion and then
destroyed. They may be made of hay, sticks, clay, wood, or other such
things. Their size varies from a few inches to twenty feet in height. If
any persons are too poor to buy one of these images, they can make them
for themselves. When the festival is near at hand, people are seen in
every direction taking the images to their houses. After they are thus
supplied, the festival commences. It lasts fifteen days. The greater
part of this time is spent in preparing for the three great days of
worship. Early on the morning of the first of the three great days, the
Brahmins proceed to consecrate the images, or to give them, as they
suppose, life and understanding.
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