Boro Maa being carried to the ghat from the temple on Sri Aurobindo Road. Picture by Gopal Senapati

In keeping with tradition, thousands of people from different parts of Salkia took part in Sitala Matar Snan Yatra on February 14. People living in Belgachiea, Bhattanagar, Dasnagar, Kona, Jagachha, Bally and other parts of Salkia have been taking part in Sitala Matar Snan Yatra for the last 100 years or so. “Goddess Sitala is a non-Aryan deity mainly worshipped by people of lower castes. Later, people from upper castes and even non-Bengalis started worshipping the goddess because they believe she protects them from all harm,” said Anupam Mukherjee, a local historian.

According to custom, six sisters of Sitala are taken out from their temples to meet their second sister in her temple at Upendranath Mitra Lane before converging to Bandha Ghat for bath. The second Sitala sister never leaves her temple. Hundreds of people offer dandi (crossing the stretch from the temples to Bandha Ghat by crawling). Howrah Road and Aurobindo Road are closed to traffic since morning of the puja. Traffic is allowed on both ways on GT Road for the whole day.

“We have to close Howrah Road to traffic because since morning till late at night, people keep moving to Bandha Ghat for bathing,” said Nishat Parvez, deputy commissioner (headquarter), Howrah. He said that in spite of the massive crowds during snan yatra, no incident of crime was reported.

“More and more people are taking part in Sitala Matar Snan Yatra every year. This festival can be compared to the Pongal Festival of South India,” said Ajay Dey, a resident of Salkia.