Dear friends,
Today I am here to share with you a story related to "Bhoot Chaturdashi"; As I told you this is the festive season going on for Indians, the Bengali Hindu community celebrates 'Bhoot Chaturdashi',('Bhoot' means 'ghost' and 'Chaturdashi' is the fourteenth night of moon cycle) is a kind of Indian Halloween; which normally occurs on the 14th day of Krishna Paksha; the night before Kali Puja or Dipawali festival. It is believed that this day Maa Chamunda along with fourteen other ghostly forms scared everyone around. The 'Dakini' and 'Jogini'. On this day we Bengalis make 14 saak (fourteen green leaves) recipe. These customs are believed no evil spirit could reside in our body if you eat them. On this night, we Bengalis light up 14 earthen-lumps(choddo prodip) at our homes( Nowadays many of us also use candles instead of earthen-lumps) to appease the spirits of our past 14 generations of ancestors. These 14 lamps are set around the dark corners of the house; to chase the dark spirits away. These lamps also believed to help the ancestors come back to the household on this night; and these lamps help them find their loving homes.
Another popular belief is that Chmunda (a fearsome aspect of Kali) along with fourteen other ghostly forms ward off the evil spirits from the house as fourteen earthen-lamps are lit at different entrances and dark corners of the rooms.
It is also a belief, especially in rural Bengal, that tantriks were known to kidnap children the night before Kali Puja and sacrifice them the next day to gain dark magic powers. So, Bhoot Chaturdashi is also often believed to be a custom to keep the children safe by keeping them busy at home.
Some families make lamps from the mud and lit them up at night. After the lamps were lit, we place them near the Tulsi (Holy Basil) plant, one on the outside window sill of the bathroom, and the rest by the doorsteps of each room. As I always write about recipes, just for the information let me tell you about the names of 14 green leaves.
Spinach.
Red Amaranth.
Water Spinach.
Mustard Greens.
Radish Green.
Malabar Spinach.
Fenugreek Greens.
Young Jute Greens.
Turnip Greens.
Chickpeas Greens.
Enhydra Fluctuans(helencha).
Bottle Gourd Green.
Pumpkin Green.
Taro Greens.
These green leafy vegetables are cooked all together. Hope you enjoy the story of Bhoot Chaturdashi(Indian Halloween). Stay Blessed and Safe.
image credit source 1,2