Kali Puja, also known as Shyama Puja or Mahanisha Puja,is a festival, originating from the Indian subcontinent, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali, celebrated on the new moon day (Dipannita Amavasya) of the Hindu month Kartik especially in the regions of Bengal, Mithila, Odisha, Assam and the town of Titwala in Maharashtra. It coincides with the Lakshmi Puja day of Diwali. While the Hindu Bengalis ,Odias, Assamese and Maithils worship the goddess Kali on this day, the rest of India and Nepal worships goddess Lakshmi on Diwali.As per the Kalikula sect of Shaktism, the supreme celestial Mother goddess Mahakali took 10 manifestations to slay evils on the Earth, which are collectively known as Dasa Mahavidyas. Each Mahavidya has a day of incarnation in the Hindu calendar of 12 months. Out of those 10 Mahavidyas, the last goddess is Kamalatmika, whose day of incarnation is celebrated as Kamalatmika Jayanti, falls on the day of Deepavali. She is often recognized as 'Tantrik Lakshmi'. In the rest of Indian subcontinent, the day is associated with deity Srirama or Srikrishna. Since both of them are central Gods of Vaishnavism, most Indians celebrate Deepavali as a Vaishnavite-oriented festival and thus worship the Goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Lord Mahavishnu as the supreme mother Goddess.However, in Eastern & Northeastern India, the Kalikuli Shakta faith being dominant, the root goddess of Kamalatmika, Mahakali is worshipped. Thus, the day eventually becomes Kali puja.
