The European Group That Worships Goddess Kali
Hyderabad, April 1 (Maxim News): Every year, on May 24 and 25, thousands of Romani people from around the world gather in the small town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, located in Southern France, to celebrate the pilgrimage of Saint Kali Sara.
This unique festival of the Roma community is similar to the Goddess Durga procession celebrated in West Bengal, India, underscoring the Romani people’s deep ancestral ties to India.
At the heart of the celebration is Kali Sara, the patron saint of the Romani people, whose idol is kept in the crypt of the Church of the Three Maries. The saint’s statue is adorned with glittering clothes and jewelry each year before being carried on a decorated pedestal through the streets of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer by four Romani men, accompanied by Romani music and dance.
The procession ends at the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, where the statue is symbolically dipped in the water, much like the Durga Visarjan (immersion) held in India.
From Goddess Kali to Saint Kali Sara
What makes Kali Sara unique is that she is the only saint venerated by the Romani people who is not recognized by any other Christian church or denomination. To the Romani, Kali Sara represents a folk saint and a direct link to their Hindu heritage.
The Romani people, who practice a branch of Hinduism known as Shaktism—the worship of a divine feminine goddess, Kali—carry this tradition with them even as they migrated across the world.
As the Romani people left India and migrated to Armenia, their beliefs blended with Christianity. Later, when they entered Europe, they were pressured to adopt Christianity, abandoning their native religious practices, which were often viewed as witchcraft. To preserve their indigenous beliefs, they transformed Goddess Kali into Saint Kali Sara (also known as Sarala Kali), aligning the goddess’s origins with the story of the Three Maries.
Continuing the Tradition
Today, although many Roma have converted to Christianity or Islam, there are still some who continue to honor Shaktism and celebrate the annual festival of Saint Kali Sara. Every year, thousands of Roma people from around the world make their way to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, France, to participate in the Romani pilgrimage and honor Kali Sara. (Maxim News)
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