Kiriteswari Temple, West Bengal

Kiriteswari Temple is the oldest and a famous religious place in the Kiritkona village, near Lalbagh Court road under the Nabagram in Murshidabad district, and It is also known by the name Mukuteshwari Temple. It is one of the 52 Shakti Peetha. According to belief, the “crown” or the kirit of Sati Devi had fallen here. Kirit Shaktipeeth is also known as Mukteshwari Temple. Here Devi is worshipped as Vimala and Shiva as Sangbart or Sambarta.

The Shakti Peet at Maa Kiriteswari temple is considered as an Upapeeta, as no limb or part of the body fell here, but only a portion of her ornament fell here. It is one among the handful of temples in Bengal where no deities but an auspicious black stone is worshipped.

History and Significance

Shiva took Rudra Thandavam in mourning the death of the Goddess Sati, Vishnu severed the body of Sati into several pieces with Sudarshan chakra. In which the body of the Goddess Sati was scattered into 51 parts which fell on Earth and became sacred Shakti Peeth. In the Kiritkona village, Sati was blessed by placing her crown at Kirit Shakti Peeth.

The previous name of Kiriteswari was Kireetkana. Kireet means the crown. Kireetkana or Kiriteswari is mentioned in the Vabisyapuran. It is also heard that in the time of Shankaracharya and the Gupta age the Kiriteswari had the existence.

The construction of the temple is more than 1000 years old and this place was considered to be the sleeping place of Mahamaya. Local people call this temple as “Mahish Mardini” and this is the oldest mark of Architecture in Kiriteswari. Maa Kiriteshwari temple was built by King Darpanarayana Roy during the 19th century. Yogendranaryan Roy, the late king of Lalgola had renovated and taken care of the temple built by Darpanarayan Roy.

It is heard that the old temple was destroyed in 1405. It is said that Maa Kiriteshwari was the presiding deity of the ruling house of Murshidabad. When the ruling families of Murshidabad’s capital were at the height of glory, Kiriteshwari Devi was worshipped by hundreds of devotees every day.

In this complex 16 temples of different deities are at present surviving. Adjacent to the temple ‘Bhairav’ is situated in an unclean and filthy small temple, on the banks of the river Bhagirathi. The temple remains locked for hours.

Architecture & Temple Deity

There is no image or deity in this temple, Instead of deity It is represented only by a Red-colored stone that is worshipped by devotees. Here Goddess Maa Kiriteswari, also known as Mukuteshwari. The Red-colored stone is covered with a veil and is changed only on the Ashtami of each Durga Puja and given a sacred bath. At present, the headdress is preserved at Rani Bhabani’s Guptamath opposite the temple. Here the face of Maa Kiriteshwari is indexed.

Festivals

There are celebrated mainly five celebrated Festivals Vijayadashami, Durga Puja, Navaratri, Amavasya, and Kali Puja.

A special ritual is held during every new moon. Fruits and annabogh are offered to Goddess Kiriteshwari with the whole night yagna.

Kiriteshwari Fair is held every Tuesday and Saturday in the month of Poush (December-January) on the banks of River Bhagirathi with other special customs since the time of Darpanarayan.

How to Reach

• Nearest Railway Station: Dahapara Railway station(Distance 3.2 km)
• Nearest Airports: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata(Distance 269 Km)
• Nearest Bus Stand: Dahapara(Distance 5 Km )

Kiriteswari Temple Timings

The temple is open from 6.00 am to 10.00 pm.

6.00 am to 10.00pm

Kiriteswari Temple Video