Located on the banks of the Hooghly River, the Dakshineshwar Kali Temple is one of the most popular places of worship not only in Kolkata but all across eastern India. The temple was founded by Rani Rashmoni in 1855, a philanthropist and an ardent devotee of goddess Kali. The presiding deity of the temple is Bhavatarini, an aspect of goddess Kali. The 19th century mystic sage and reformer Ramakrishna Paramhansa and his wife Sarada Devi were associated with this temple for a major part of their lives.
A Divine Place:
The temple is built in the traditional ‘nava-ratna’ or the nine spires style following the Bengal School of Architecture. The three-storeyed south facing temple has nine-spires in the upper two storeys. It stands on a high platform with a flight of stairs. The idol of Bhavatarini standing on Lord Shiva is securely housed inside the garbha griha (sanctum sanctorum). Both the idols are placed on a thousand petal-lotus flower made of pure silver. Opposite the main temple, a row of 12 identical Shiva (mini) temples stand facing east. These are built in the ‘Aat Chala’ style of Bengal Architecture. A Vishnu temple is located on the extreme north-east of the main complex and houses the idols of Radha and Krishna. A small temple dedicated to Rani Rashmoni was added later and is located near the entrance. One of the top religious places in Kolkata, Dakshineshwar Kali Temple attracts thousands of devotees every day. Pay homage, watch the aarti, take a dip in the river or simply watch the sunset sitting at the ghats of Hooghly—a visit to the iconic temple is a must if you are in Kolkata. If there’s a temple that has always been revered as one of the holiest temples in Kolkata by all the local residents, it is the Dakshnineswar Kali Temple. The temple has been there in the city for ages and has always been one of the most important places of worship for the Bengali population at large. Apart from the local population of Kolkata and devotees from other neighbouring towns of West Bengal, the Dakshineswar Kali Temple also sees the presence of tourists who visit this place in great numbers, both for offering their prayers and also for exploring an age old temple which has no less than a heritage status in the city now. As far as the Dakshineswar Kali Temple timings are concerned, the temple is open from 6 am in the morning to 9 pm in the night.
Location of Dakshineswar Kali Temple, near Kolkata:
Dakshineswar Temple is located at a distance of 20 km north from the central part of Kolkata. It is located alongside the Vivekananda Bridge. The temple admires the eastern bank of River Hooghly.
History of Dakshineswar Kali Temple:
In the early phase of 1800s, Dakshineswar was a mere village, which nestled along the eastern bank of the Ganges River. Dense forest surrounded the area. It is said that Rani Rashmoni of Janbazar, while on her pilgrimage to Varanasi, had a dream, where she was instructed to built a Kali temple. Rani Rashmoni was quite a dynamic woman, who was highly respected and adorned by her people.
She prepared to go on a pilgrimage, in the year 1847, to the holy city of Banaras to express her devotion to the Divine Mother. At that point of time, there were no trains between Calcutta and Banaras and it was a common practice for the rich to make the journey by boat rather than by road. Rani Rashmoni and her convoy of 24 boats which were supposed to carry the relatives, servants and supplies were all set to begin the journey. But on the night before the pilgrimage was supposed to begin, the Divine Mother, in the form of Goddess Kali, is said to have intervened.
The Goddess appeared to the Rani in her dream and said "There is no need to go to Banaras. Install my statue in a temple on the banks of Ganges and arrange for my worship there. Then I shall manifest myself in the image and accept worship at that place." As a devotee of the Mother Goddess, Rani Rashmoni was immensely affected by the dream and she began looking for a land to construct the temple. She purchased a 20-acre plot from an Englishman, John Hastie in the village of Dakshineswar. It was popularly known as Saheban Bagicha, which was partly an old Muslim burial ground shaped like a tortoise, and was considered appropriate for the worship of Shakti as per Tantric traditions.
It took eight years and rupees 9 Lakhs to complete the construction. The large temple complex was built between 1847 and 1855. The idol of the Goddess was installed on 31st May 1855, on the day of Snana Yatra.
It was decided that the idols of the Gods and the Goddess would be installed on the auspicious day of the ‘snana-yatra’. The temple of Dakshineswar is dedicated to Sri Sri Jagadiswari Kalimata Thakurani. Rani Rashmoni was very benevolent and she wished that pilgrims of all religions and castes would be allowed to offer prayer at the temple. Rani survived only for five years and nine months after the temple was inaugurated. She fell seriously ill in 1861. Realizing that her days are numbered, she handed over a property that she bought at Dinajpur as a legacy for the maintenance of the temple to the temple trust. She passed on 18th February, 1861.
The construction of Dakshineswar temple was initiated in 1847 and it was completed in 1855. The estimated cost of the construction was Rs. 9 Lakhs, of which Rs. 2 Lakhs was spent on the very day of inauguration. The temple along with its abiding areas spans 25 acres of land, which makes Dakshineswar temple one of the biggest temples in Kolkata. The main temple premise is around 46 sq ft. Dakshineswar temple was built in the traditional ‘Nava-ratna’ or nine spires style of Bengal architecture. The roof of the temple spires have been grooved artistically with a striking resemblance with the Pirhas. The temple sports a colossal, elongated structure, resting on a high platform with a flight of stairs. It is a three-story, south-faced temple. The nine spires of the temple are distributed in upper two stories. A narrow covered verandah has been erected, which serves as an audience-chamber and it is attached to the sanctum, which houses the goddess Dakshina Kali. A huge spacious Natmandir (Dancing hall) has been erected in front of the temple.
The Garbha Griha houses the deity of goddess Kali, famously known as Bhavataraini. The idol stands on the chest of Lord Shiva, who rests in a lying posture. The two idols stand beautifully on a thousand-petal lotus, made of silver. This colossal temple of Kali is renowned as one of the rare temples of Indian origin.
This Kali Temple in Dakshineswar is very much associated with Sri Ramakrishna Pramhans, as he was one of the earliest priests of the temple. His room, which nestles at the temple premise, can be accessed by all devotees, who visit the temple.
Tuesdays and Saturdays are believed as auspicious day for Kali worship. On both these days, there is a huge congregation of devotees at the Dakshineswar temple. The Sandhya Aarti is the prime attraction of devotees, which is truly amazing.
Temples of Shiva – The premise of the Dakshineswar temple is admired with twelve identical temples of Shiva. The temples have been erected just opposite to the Kuthi Bari and they nestle close to the banks of River Ganges. The interiors of the Shiva temples are adorned with white and black stone. Each of the temple houses beautiful Shiva Lingas, done in black stone. All these Shiva temples are east facing and they have been erected following the typical ‘Aat Chala’ Bengal architecture. The series of the Shiva temples are divided by Chadni (River bank). Six temples rest at the right of the bank, whereas the other six to the right.
Vishnu Temple – At the north east side of the Dakshineswar temple complex, lies the Vishnu Temple or the Radha Kanta’s Temple. A flight of stairs will lead you inside the temple. The temple houses a 21 and half inches idol of Lord Krishna and 16 inches idol of Radha. It is said that Sri Ramkrishna himself used to perform puja at this temple.
The Panchavati garden, a congregation of five ancient trees, located in close proximity to the Dakshineswar Temple is nicely landscaped and is well maintained by the temple committee. It is said that Sri Ramakriahna used to meditate at this very site.
The temple is built in the traditional ‘nava-ratna’ or the nine spires style following the Bengal School of Architecture. The three-storeyed south facing temple has nine-spires in the upper two storeys. It stands on a high platform with a flight of stairs. The idol of Bhavatarini standing on Lord Shiva is securely housed inside the garbha griha (sanctum sanctorum). Both the idols are placed on a thousand petal-lotus flower made of pure silver. Opposite the main temple, a row of 12 identical Shiva (mini) temples stand facing east. These are built in the ‘Aat Chala’ style of Bengal Architecture. A Vishnu temple is located on the extreme north-east of the main complex and houses the idols of Radha and Krishna. A small temple dedicated to Rani Rashmoni was added later and is located near the entrance. One of the top religious places in Kolkata, Dakshineshwar Kali Temple attracts thousands of devotees every day. Pay homage, watch the aarti, take a dip in the river or simply watch the sunset sitting at the ghats of Hooghly—a visit to the iconic temple is a must if you are in Kolkata. If there’s a temple that has always been revered as one of the holiest temples in Kolkata by all the local residents, it is the Dakshnineswar Kali Temple. The temple has been there in the city for ages and has always been one of the most important places of worship for the Bengali population at large. Apart from the local population of Kolkata and devotees from other neighbouring towns of West Bengal, the Dakshineswar Kali Temple also sees the presence of tourists who visit this place in great numbers, both for offering their prayers and also for exploring an age old temple which has no less than a heritage status in the city now. As far as the Dakshineswar Kali Temple timings are concerned, the temple is open from 6 am in the morning to 9 pm in the night.
Location of Dakshineswar Kali Temple, near Kolkata:
Dakshineswar Temple is located at a distance of 20 km north from the central part of Kolkata. It is located alongside the Vivekananda Bridge. The temple admires the eastern bank of River Hooghly.
History of Dakshineswar Kali Temple:
In the early phase of 1800s, Dakshineswar was a mere village, which nestled along the eastern bank of the Ganges River. Dense forest surrounded the area. It is said that Rani Rashmoni of Janbazar, while on her pilgrimage to Varanasi, had a dream, where she was instructed to built a Kali temple. Rani Rashmoni was quite a dynamic woman, who was highly respected and adorned by her people.
She prepared to go on a pilgrimage, in the year 1847, to the holy city of Banaras to express her devotion to the Divine Mother. At that point of time, there were no trains between Calcutta and Banaras and it was a common practice for the rich to make the journey by boat rather than by road. Rani Rashmoni and her convoy of 24 boats which were supposed to carry the relatives, servants and supplies were all set to begin the journey. But on the night before the pilgrimage was supposed to begin, the Divine Mother, in the form of Goddess Kali, is said to have intervened.
The Goddess appeared to the Rani in her dream and said "There is no need to go to Banaras. Install my statue in a temple on the banks of Ganges and arrange for my worship there. Then I shall manifest myself in the image and accept worship at that place." As a devotee of the Mother Goddess, Rani Rashmoni was immensely affected by the dream and she began looking for a land to construct the temple. She purchased a 20-acre plot from an Englishman, John Hastie in the village of Dakshineswar. It was popularly known as Saheban Bagicha, which was partly an old Muslim burial ground shaped like a tortoise, and was considered appropriate for the worship of Shakti as per Tantric traditions.
It took eight years and rupees 9 Lakhs to complete the construction. The large temple complex was built between 1847 and 1855. The idol of the Goddess was installed on 31st May 1855, on the day of Snana Yatra.
It was decided that the idols of the Gods and the Goddess would be installed on the auspicious day of the ‘snana-yatra’. The temple of Dakshineswar is dedicated to Sri Sri Jagadiswari Kalimata Thakurani. Rani Rashmoni was very benevolent and she wished that pilgrims of all religions and castes would be allowed to offer prayer at the temple. Rani survived only for five years and nine months after the temple was inaugurated. She fell seriously ill in 1861. Realizing that her days are numbered, she handed over a property that she bought at Dinajpur as a legacy for the maintenance of the temple to the temple trust. She passed on 18th February, 1861.
The construction of Dakshineswar temple was initiated in 1847 and it was completed in 1855. The estimated cost of the construction was Rs. 9 Lakhs, of which Rs. 2 Lakhs was spent on the very day of inauguration. The temple along with its abiding areas spans 25 acres of land, which makes Dakshineswar temple one of the biggest temples in Kolkata. The main temple premise is around 46 sq ft. Dakshineswar temple was built in the traditional ‘Nava-ratna’ or nine spires style of Bengal architecture. The roof of the temple spires have been grooved artistically with a striking resemblance with the Pirhas. The temple sports a colossal, elongated structure, resting on a high platform with a flight of stairs. It is a three-story, south-faced temple. The nine spires of the temple are distributed in upper two stories. A narrow covered verandah has been erected, which serves as an audience-chamber and it is attached to the sanctum, which houses the goddess Dakshina Kali. A huge spacious Natmandir (Dancing hall) has been erected in front of the temple.
The Garbha Griha houses the deity of goddess Kali, famously known as Bhavataraini. The idol stands on the chest of Lord Shiva, who rests in a lying posture. The two idols stand beautifully on a thousand-petal lotus, made of silver. This colossal temple of Kali is renowned as one of the rare temples of Indian origin.
This Kali Temple in Dakshineswar is very much associated with Sri Ramakrishna Pramhans, as he was one of the earliest priests of the temple. His room, which nestles at the temple premise, can be accessed by all devotees, who visit the temple.
Tuesdays and Saturdays are believed as auspicious day for Kali worship. On both these days, there is a huge congregation of devotees at the Dakshineswar temple. The Sandhya Aarti is the prime attraction of devotees, which is truly amazing.
Temples of Shiva – The premise of the Dakshineswar temple is admired with twelve identical temples of Shiva. The temples have been erected just opposite to the Kuthi Bari and they nestle close to the banks of River Ganges. The interiors of the Shiva temples are adorned with white and black stone. Each of the temple houses beautiful Shiva Lingas, done in black stone. All these Shiva temples are east facing and they have been erected following the typical ‘Aat Chala’ Bengal architecture. The series of the Shiva temples are divided by Chadni (River bank). Six temples rest at the right of the bank, whereas the other six to the right.
Vishnu Temple – At the north east side of the Dakshineswar temple complex, lies the Vishnu Temple or the Radha Kanta’s Temple. A flight of stairs will lead you inside the temple. The temple houses a 21 and half inches idol of Lord Krishna and 16 inches idol of Radha. It is said that Sri Ramkrishna himself used to perform puja at this temple.
The Panchavati garden, a congregation of five ancient trees, located in close proximity to the Dakshineswar Temple is nicely landscaped and is well maintained by the temple committee. It is said that Sri Ramakriahna used to meditate at this very site.
Sri Ramakrishna and his connection tot he temple:
Ramkumar Chattopadhyay was able to serve the Goddess for only one year and the position was taken over by his brother Gadadhar or Ramakrishna. Ramakrishna was initially given the task of decorating the deity, whilst his brother performed the pujas, but after his death and Ramakrishna being the head priest now, he became more meditative. He looked upon the image of the goddess as his own mother and as the mother of the universe. Ramakrishna developed an intense devotion towards Mother Kali and spent hours in loving veneration of her image, which made him forget his priestly duties.
Intense Devotion:
In his intense devotion to the goddess, it is reportedly said that Sri Ramakrishna had a vision of goddess Kali as the Universal Mother, which he described as " The houses, doors, temples and everything else vanished altogether; as if there was nothing anywhere! And what I saw was an infinite shoreless sea of light; a sea that was consciousness. However far and in whatever direction I looked, I saw shining waves, one after another, coming towards me." Sri Ramakrishna would be overcome with such ecstatic love for the deity that he would fall to the ground deep into a spiritual trance and lose all his consciousness of the external world. These experiences of intoxication became so frequent that he was relieved of his duties as the priest but was allowed to continue living within the temple compound. During these years Ramakrishna would journey even deeper into this passionate and absolute love of the divine.
Trivia of Dakshineswar Temple, near Kolkata
Sri Ramkrishna Paramhans, one of the greatest religious reformers is closely associated with this Dakshineswar temple. He first came to the temple, accompanying his brother to assist him in the performance of the holy rituals. According to legends, this was the vary place, where Ramakrishna attained his divine enlightenment. Here he obtained a spiritual vision and witnessed a holy glance of Goddess Kali.
The Dakshineswar temple was built under the benefaction of Rani Rashmoni of Janbazar, as she received a divine instruction.
Major controversy arose centering the Dakshineswar temple, as Rani Rashmoni was of low birth, as she was not supposed to own the right of temple or to offer Bramhin foods. Eventually, it was suggested by the elder brother of Sri Ramakrishna, known as Sri Ramkumar Chattopadhyay to dedicate the temple to a Bramhin to overcome the problem. So, the temple was transferred in the name of Rani’s Guru. And on 31st may 1885 the deity of Kali was installed in the temple with much grandeur.
Twelve identical shrines of Shiva adorn the premise of Dakshineswar Temple, each housing Shiv Lingas of black stone.
The Panchavati garden, where congregation of five ancient trees is found is an ideal spot for meditation.
Belur Math, another important tourist attraction of Kolkata is located at a distance of 3 km from Dakshineswar Temple and it is a ‘must visit’ place.
The Dakshineswar temple was built under the benefaction of Rani Rashmoni of Janbazar, as she received a divine instruction.
Major controversy arose centering the Dakshineswar temple, as Rani Rashmoni was of low birth, as she was not supposed to own the right of temple or to offer Bramhin foods. Eventually, it was suggested by the elder brother of Sri Ramakrishna, known as Sri Ramkumar Chattopadhyay to dedicate the temple to a Bramhin to overcome the problem. So, the temple was transferred in the name of Rani’s Guru. And on 31st may 1885 the deity of Kali was installed in the temple with much grandeur.
Twelve identical shrines of Shiva adorn the premise of Dakshineswar Temple, each housing Shiv Lingas of black stone.
The Panchavati garden, where congregation of five ancient trees is found is an ideal spot for meditation.
Belur Math, another important tourist attraction of Kolkata is located at a distance of 3 km from Dakshineswar Temple and it is a ‘must visit’ place.
References:
https://www.nativeplanet.com/travel-guide/dakshineswar-kali-temple-in-kolkata-003268.html
http://kolkatacitytours.com/dakshineswar-kali-temple/
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/dakshineshwar-kali-temple/ps47798885.cms
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakshineswar_Kali_Temple
http://kolkatacitytours.com/dakshineswar-kali-temple/
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/dakshineshwar-kali-temple/ps47798885.cms
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakshineswar_Kali_Temple
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