20-Foot Tall Wax Candle Lit at Mangala Temple on Diwali
Kakatpur (Tushar Ranjan Dixit) | 14/11
On the occasion of Diwali Amavasya and the worship of Goddess Kali, a 20-foot tall wax candle (mahambati) was lit at the premises of Maa Mangala Temple, drawing a large crowd of devotees.
This initiative, now in its fourth year, was undertaken by Satyapira Das of nearby Kundheswar village, along with his companions. They collectively saved money from their individual earnings and used around 75 kilograms of wax to make a candle approximately 18 to 20 feet in height and about 1.5 feet in diameter. Satyapira mentioned that around ₹18,000 to ₹20,000 was spent on this candle, and it took him three days to make it.
The candle was lit inside the boundary of Maa Mangala Temple on the sacred occasion of Diwali. Notably, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a similar candle was lit and prayers were offered to the Goddess for the eradication of the virus from the world.
His efforts were praised by the Executive Officer of the Temple Trust Board, Kailash Chandra Das, as well as by the temple priests. Yesterday, after traditional muruj art was drawn near the temple and receiving divine permission, the candle was lit by temple priest Tapas Kumar Dixit.
Due to the impressive height of the candle, a large crowd of devotees and the families of temple priests gathered to witness it. Satyapira informed that the candle is expected to remain lit for three days. Even today, the area around the candle continues to attract crowds.
