300-year-old Bhasm aarti continues at Bhootnath temple during coronavirus pandemic

The Bashma Aarti of Bhootnath temple in Kolkata has continued even during the lockdown. Every day, at 6 am and 7 pm, the aarti is conducted as a ritual.

Though the Bhootnath temple was closed during the lockdown and during the saavan month, the Bhasma Aarti, which is a 300-year-old tradition, has been continued by the priests of the temple.

A Bhasma is the ashes of a dead body that is burnt in a crematorium. Devotees believe that in order to offer Bhasma to Lord Shiva, every day a body reaches Nimtalla burning ghat which is the nearby crematorium.

Senior priest Ganesh explained, “It is the glory of the lord. The way the sun and the moon rise on its usual time, similarly, every day at the time of the art, a pyre is brought to the crematorium and the Bhasma Aarti is conducted on the usual time. It's the faith of the lord that a body reaches before these timings and we get the ashes to be offered for the aarti too".

Since March 22, even when the lockdown was in place, a corpse would be put at the crematorium before the time for puja.

Bhootnath temple runs along the cremation ground making it the residence of Lord Shiva, also known as the creator and destroyer of the Universe.

During the month of saavan the temple usually gets more than 3 lakh devotees on a Monday. However this year, the temple was closed.

Mahesh Kumar, in-charge of the administration of the temple said, “In order to maintain the safety and security of the devotees, the authorities of the temple decided to keep the gates of the temple closed even for the holy month of saavan. But this has not stopped devotees from coming outside the temple in huge numbers. The Bhasma Aarti, however, is special and was not interrupted even for a day.”

Sandeep, a senior associate of the temple stated, “The puja will continue, but considering the safety and security of the devotees, we will not allow them to enter the premises. However, they can take a glimpse from outside”.

The puja will be done as usual but there won't be any devotees.