Katwa’s Kartik Ladai

If you are visiting Katwa in October or November around the Kartik Puja, you will encounter one of the most energetic local festivals in the district. More than 250 separate puja committees in the greater Katwa area organise individual Kartik celebrations (a traditional deity associated with the warrior son of Shiva) and they compete enthusiastically with one another on the artistic ambition of their Kartik idol. The deity is locally known as Nangto Kartik (Naked Kartik), reflecting the youthful, boyish aspect of the god. After the puja, the idols are paraded through the town in long processions featuring religious music, dancing and a festival atmosphere that the Bengalis themselves call the ladai (battle), the ‘battle’ between competing puja committees for the most spectacular display. The Kartik Ladai is Katwa’s most distinctive local festival and an outstanding cultural spectacle.