Why Bengal’s Durga idols use ‘punya mati’ from brothel doorsteps
- Bengal's tradition requires soil from outside a brothel, called punya mati, to complete a Durga idol.
- The soil must be begged for and gifted by a sex worker; without it, the idol is considered incomplete.
- One belief holds that men who enter a brothel leave their "purity" behind, making that soil sacred.
- Another legend says Shiva, disguised as a leper, was aided by sex workers and blessed their soil in return.
Source: medium.com
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