Kalighat Kali Temple Complex (Kolkata) | place with historical importance, religious organisation, Shakti Peeth

India / Bangla / Chakdaha / Kolkata / Kalighat Road
 temple, place with historical importance, religious organisation, Shakti Peeth
(In Bengali, Hindi & Tamil: কালিঘাট কালী মন্দির, कालीघाट काली मन्दिर, காளிகாட் காளி கோயில்)
A famous temple dedicated to the goddess Kali is situated in Kalighat.
This is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas.
The right toe of Dakshayani is said to have fallen here. The Shakti here is known as Kalika, while the Bhairava is Nakulesh. It is a very famous place and a pilgrimage for Shakta (Shiva and Durga/Kali/Shakti worshippers) followers within the Hindu religion.
Kalighat temple has references in 15th century texts. The original temple was a small hut. The present temple was built by the Roychowdhurys of Barisha in 1809. The name Calcutta was derived from Kalighata. In the early days traders halted at Kalighat to pay patronage to the goddess. The temple was initially on the banks of Hooghly. The river over a period of time has moved away from the temple. The temple is now on the banks of a small canal called Adi Ganga, connecting to Hooghly. The present dakshina Kali idol of touchstone was created by two saints - Brahmananda Giri and Atmaram Giri. It was they who discovered the fossils of Sati's finger in a lake called Kalikunda. This made Kalighat as one of the 51 Shakti Pithas.

Recently (August 2006) the Kolkata High Court has passed various orders to end the Panda-raj in the Temple premises. People are yet waiting to see the effectiveness of the order.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalighat_Kali_Temple
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   22°31'12"N   88°20'31"E

Comments

  • A famous temple dedicated to the goddess Kali is situated in Kalighat. This is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas. The right toe of Dakshayani is said to have fallen here. The Shakti here is known as Kalika, while the Bhairava is Nakulesh. It is a very famous place and a pilgrimage for Shakta (Shiva and Durga/Kali/Shakti worshippers) followers within the Hindu religion. Kalighat temple has references in 15th century texts. The original temple was a small hut. The present temple was built by the Roychowdhurys of Barisha in 1809. The name Calcutta was derived from Kalighata. In the early days traders halted at Kalighat to pay patronage to the goddess. The temple was initially on the banks of Hooghly. The river over a period of time has moved away from the temple. The temple is now on the banks of a small canal called Adi Ganga, connecting to Hooghly. The present dakshina Kali idol of touchstone was created by two saints - Brahmananda Giri and Atmaram Giri. It was they who discovered the fossils of Sati's finger in a lake called Kalikunda. This made Kalighat as one of the 51 Shakti Pithas.
  • This is the place, visually not especially dramatic, where Katherine Mayo began her inflammatory book Mother India (1927), which nominally attacked child marriage but at a deeper level openly admired India's Muslims while clandestinely despising its Hindus. Her hook was the goat sacrifices that take place here daily--today, as in her time. Murray in 1882 wrote that "a man of the name of Chandibar was the first priest appointed to manage the affairs of the temple. His descendants have now taken the title of Haldar, and are at present the proprietors of the building. They have amassed great wealth, not so much from the proceeds of the Temple lands as from the daily offerings made by pilgrims to the shrine." Even today, guides will seize upon the naive foreigner, give him a quick once-through, and then put on the squeeze.
  • Maayer 51 pith-er ek pith
  • maa er mandir abossoy jagroto abong anek purono mandir, kintu ekhankar sebayat/pandader bandramir jonno kalighat mandire jete echhe kare na, parishkar katha. santi te pujo jodi na dite pari tahole ki lav? ghare bose diley to hoy.
  • kalighater mondir amar khoobi bhalo lage.
  • MA KALI IS DEVINE GOD to bless you to fulfill all your wishes and save you from danger .. Only thing you need to devote and be sacred from your mind, soul and heart. MAA KALI is equal for all, You can only feel this if you really pray your wishes in sacred heart for you and others too. ""OM Sarba Mangalya mangalya Shiva sharbartho shadhika , Om Swaranwya strambhakya gouri.. Narayani Namahs stuta""...
  • Ma sabar Apon. Ma Sabai ke Bhalobase. Jai Maa Kali.
  • "SAKAL DANDHO BIRODH MAJE JAGROTO JE VALO"-SE MA; SAKALER MA ;CHOTO BARO UCCHO NEECH SABAR MA - MA KALIKA MATA SAKTIR PRATIK. SAKTI STHAL SWARGA BHUMIR MATAN PABITRA HAOYA UCHIT. KINTU PANDA GULIR DOURATYE MANDIR NARAKERO ADHAM. ORE MURKHO PANDARA PAROJANMO BA PAROLOKER VAI TO NEI ,AJANME MA-ER DARSANATHIDER MAYER DARSANE SAHOJOGITA KARE BADNAM GHOCHA. "JAYANTI MANGALA KALI BHADRAKALI KAPALINI DURGA SHIBA KHAMA DHATRI SWAHA SWADHA NAMOHSTUTE"
  • Kali Mandir
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This article was last modified 9 years ago