Kalighat Kali Temple, West Bengal

Kalighat Kali Temple is a Hindu temple in Kalighat, Kolkata, West Bengal, India dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali. It is just one of the 51 Shakti Peethas. It is also one of the 4 main Shakti Peethas in India. The various other three are Kamakshya, Tara Devi & Bimala. Kalighat was a Ghat (landing stage) spiritual to Kali on the old course of the Hooghly River (Bhāgirathi) in the city of Calcutta.

The name Calcutta is stated to have been derived from the words Kalighat. The river over an amount of time has moved away from the temple. The temple is now on the banks of a small canal called Adi Ganga which connects to the Hooghly. Goddess Kali is considered one of the most compound goddesses of the Hindu pantheon. Typically shown in a horrible form, Kali is the destroyer in addition to the liberator.

Goddess Kali, in her wrothful kind, is worshipped by countless devotees, who come all the way from far-off parts of India as well as the Globe. The temple brings in a major part of visitors to Kolkata as well as other parts of West Bengal. Kalighat Temple is a significant spiritual area for the fans of Hinduism.

As per the legends, the various body parts of Sati fell on the earth at the time of self-sacrifice. It is believed that the appropriate toe of Sati dropped here as well as consequently; the temple was erected to celebrate the Goddess. Goddess Kalika is the administering divine being in the Kalighat Temple.

History and Significance

The Kalighat Kali temple in its existing form is about 200 years of ages, although it has actually been described in Mansar Bhasan composed in the 15th century, as well as in Kavi Kankan Chandi of the 17th century. Only two kinds of coins of Chandragupta II, who included Vanga in the Gupta Realm, are understood from Bengal.

His Archer-type coins, which ended up being the most prominent kind of coinage with the Gupta leaders after Kumaragupta I, have actually been found in Kalighat. This is proof of the classical times of the area. The initial temple was a tiny hut. A tiny temple was created by King Manasingha in the very early sixteenth century. The present temple was erected under the patronage of the Sabarna Roy Chowdhury household of Banisha. It was completed in 1809.

The Haldar household asserts to be the original proprietors of the temple property. Yet this was challenged by the Chowdhrys of Banisha. In the nineteen sixties, a committee was created for the administrative management of the temple with depiction from the Government as well as the Haldar family. The responsibility of performing the prayer rests with the Haldars and their successors, generally known as sebadas.

Architecture

The Kalighat Kali Mandir is a traditional example of the Bengali architectural style which is an architectural emulation of the mud as well as thatch-roofed huts of the towns. Kalighat’s main temple is a four-sided structure with an abbreviated dome. A smaller identically-shaped projection caps this domed framework.

Each sloping side of the roofing system is described as a Chala For that reason the Kalighat Mandir is marked as a Chala temple. Both roofings will certainly birth an overall of 8 separate faces. This piled, hut-like style prevails for Bengali temples and also we locate the very same exact design of architecture utilized at an additional Shakti Peeth.

Both roofs are painted with glossy, metal silver and also are decorated with intense bands of red, yellow, eco-friendly, and blue where they join the building at the cornice. The uppermost roofing is topped by three apexes with the highest main apex birthing a triangular pennant flag.

Each of the mandir’s external wall surfaces is enhanced with a diamond chessboard pattern of rotating green and also white tiles. A recent enhancement to the temple is the application of an elaborate illumination system which produces a unique mood as well as creates the mandir to radiance with funky colors throughout the night.

Temple Idol/ Deity

The main shrine comprises the idol of Goddess Kali. The idol of Goddess Kali is made from black stone and also enhanced with silver and gold. The Lord Shiva remains in silver. 3 attractive yet intense eyes, long protruding tongue made from gold as well as 4 hands, which all are constructed from gold also. 2 of these hands holding a sword and a severed head of the asura king ‘Shumbha’.

The sword symbolizes divine Expertise and also the asura (or, human) head represents human vanity. The other two hands are the abhaya and varada mudras or blessings, which suggests her launched enthusiasts (or any person venerating her with a real heart) will be conserved as she will direct them right here and also hereafter. The goddess is offered a ritualistic bath yearly on the snan-yatra day, the rituals being done by the priests that cover their eyes with a towel during the event.

Kali stands for the devastating side of Siva’s consort and also needs daily sacrifices; consequently, in the morning goats have their throats slit below to please the goddess’s bloodlust. The Kali idolizer, primitively only had her face. More tongues and hands made from gold and silver were added to the photo. An additional Kalika murti which is housed within is a representation of the goddess taken into consideration so effectively that it is never ever displayed to the public, nor ever before seen by the clergymen.

This surprising image of the goddess was not made with human hands, yet was developed naturally, and also is for that reason referred to as the self-generated, or svayambhu photo of Kalika. Identified as one of the toes from Sati’s right foot is stated to have actually fallen at this place, and also is concealed within the pedestal whereupon the Kalika murti stands. Right beside the temple exists the Natmondir- it’s a platform through which the divine being can be seen directly. Right alongside the natmondir lies 2 temples which likewise have a murti of Radha-Krishna.

A spiritual tank called Kundupukar hinges on the southeast edge of the temple premises. The water of this fish pond is considered to be as holy as the river Ganga and also has the power to present the benefit of a child. There are 2 lines going for darshan, i.e. Garbha-Graha (Nijo-Mandir) as well as another for having darshan from Verandah. (Jor- Bangla).

Legend

Kalighat Kali Temple is considered among the 51 Shakti Peethas of India, where the various parts of Sati’s body are said to have actually fallen, during Shiva’s Rudra Tandava. Kalighat represents the site where the head of Sati fell. However, some people believe that the right toe of Sati fell below. The image of Kali in this temple is unique. It does not follow the pattern of various other Kali images in Bengal.

The here-and-now idol of touchstone was created by two saints– Brahmananda Giri and Atmaram Giri. Three massive eyes, a long sticking-out tongue made from gold, and 4 hands in which 2 hands will certainly be holding a sword and also a severed head. The Sword represents Divine Understanding as well as the Human Head symbolizes the human Ego which a lot be killed by Divine Understanding in order to obtain Moksha. The various other 2 hands remain in the Abhaya and varada mudras or true blessings.

How to Reach The Temple

Kalighat Kali Temple By Road

Buses are available from all parts of Calcutta. All buses most likely to south Calcutta need to go through Shyam Prasad Mukherjee road. The temple is off this road. You get down in Kalighat bus quit and also walk down the Kali Temple roadway to the temple. Kalighat is connected by the Metro railway. National Highway numbers 2 and 6 link the city with various other cities as well as states in India. Kolkata has a wide network of government and personal buses.

Kalighat Kali Temple By Rail

The Temple is well connected with the nearest Howrah railway station (9.7 kilometers) to major city railway terminals like Delhi, Agra, Mumbai, Chennai, Ajmer, Pali, Jaipur, and Ahmedabad. The nearby city terminals are Jatin Das Park and Kalighat. Please take the North leave in Jatin Das Park as well as the Southern leave in Kalighat.

Kalighat Kali Temple By Air

The Temple can be gotten to with nearest Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport Terminal (23.2 Km) which is well connected with regular domestic flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, and other metropolitan cities.

Kalighat Kali Temple Timings

Kalighat Kali Temple Timings

Morning Timings	Evening Timings
5.00 A.M. to 2.00 P.M	5.00 P.M to 10.30 P.M (Sunday, Saturday & Tuesday Closing Time 11:30 PM)

Aarti and Pooja Timings

	Monday, Wednesday to Friday	Sunday, Saturday & Tuesday
Mangal Aarti (temple closed)	4:00 AM	4:00 AM
Nitya Puja	5:30 AM to 7:00 AM	5:30 AM to 7:00 AM
Bhog Raj	2:00 PM to 3:00 PM	2:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Sandhya Aarti	6:30 PM to 7:00 PM	6:30 PM to 7:00 PM

Festivals at Kalighat Kali Mandir

The divine pilgrimage location observes a flock of devotees throughout the different festivals at the temple that include Durga pooja, Kali Pooja, and Poila Boishakh. Dondi festival is a celebration carried out in the temple during Sheetla Pooja in which the ladies pray by laying down on the ground and also covering the distance to the temple by moving in the very same setting. They go on noting the distance with chalk.
Animal sacrifice or typically called Boli is a vital ritual adhered to here. Concrete fencing serves to cover the sacrificial area from the sight of laid-back observers and define the space within, where goats are beheaded as an offering to Kalika. Nearly 499 goats are provided to the Goddess yearly which functions as a sacrifice to her blood lust.

Kalighat Kali Mandir Photos & Video