A Hindu temple named Dakshineswar Kali Temple is in Dakshineswar, not far from Kolkata. The managing deity of the temple, situated on the bank of Hooghly River’s eastern bank, is Bhavatharini, a form of Kali who represents “She who liberates her devotees from the sea of presence.” Rani Rashmoni, a humanitarian and devotee of Kali, built the shrine in 1855.
Aside from the main temple with nine spires, the temple compound also has rooms along the boundary walls and a sizable yard surrounding the temple. Along the riverbank are twelve sacred sites dedicated to Shiva, Kali’s sidekick, as well as a Radha-Krishna temple, a washing ghat by a stream, and a shrine to Rani Rashmoni. Ramakrishna spent a significant portion of his life in Nahavat-Khana, the chamber in the northwest quadrant just beyond the remaining Shiva temples.
A intriguing tale surrounds the Dakshineswar Kali temple. The construction of this magnificent temple began in 1847 and was finished in 1855. The monarch Rasmani of Janbazar deserves praise for the design of the Calcutta Dakshineswar Kali temple. It is dedicated to the goddess Kali and is located in Kolkata on the Ganges riverbank to the north of Belur Math. It is a sizable temple that spans a territory of around 25 parts.
The renowned deep pioneer Ramakrishna Paramhansa is also associated with this temple since it was only here that he worshipped Goddess Kali and developed the unusual form of love for her that is commonly referred to as maha-bhava in Hinduism. Continue reading to consider the Dakshineswar Temple’s historical context in Kolkata, India.
According to the narrative surrounding the construction of the temple, the king Rasmani was ready to travel to the holy city of Banaras to worship the celestial mother and solicit her favours. Since there were no train lines between Calcutta and Banaras at the time, travelling by pontoon was the only practical option. But the night before, Rani Rasmani had a dream in which the celestial mother Kali instructed her to build a magnificent temple on the banks of the Ganges River and place her object of worship there. She also promised to confirm her commitment by appearing in the photo over there. One of Kolkata’s largest temples is this one.
A Board of Trustees currently has control over the Temple. It is without a doubt a must-see, revered, and well-known location in Kolkata. About 20 kilometres from BBD Bagh, the Dakshineswar Kali Temple is situated close to the Vivekananda Bridge in northern Calcutta. The Dakshineswar Temple is a huge complex of temples that occupies over 25 sections of land.
These towers are located on the upper two stories of the three-story temple complex, which was constructed in the traditional Bengali “Nava-ratna” or nine spired structural style. The sanctum sanctorum, which contains the dark image of Goddess Kali, also known as “Bhavataraini,” is found still on the midsection of Lord Shiva and is decorated with Hibiscus rosa-sonances (Jaba) blossoms, gold, and silver stones, and other flowers.
The Temple
The traditional “Nava-ratna” or “nine towers” form of Bengali structural planning was used in the construction of the three-story, south-bound temple, which has nine towers appropriated in the upper two storeys. In general, it measures 46 feet (14 m) square and rises more than 100 feet (30 m) tall.
One of the biggest temples in Kolkata is Dakshineswar Temple, which spans 25 parcels of land and includes their surviving ranges. The main temple’s purpose is spread across about 46 square feet. The Dakshineswar temple was built using the traditional “Nava-ratna” or “nine towers” style of structural engineering used in Bengal. The temple towers’ tops have been cleverly ornamented with a remarkable Pirhas likeness. The temple is a massive, outstretched structure that is elevated on a high platform with steps. It has a southern façade and is a three-story temple. The nine towers that make up the temple’s upper two storeys are dispersed. The sanctum, which houses the goddess Dakshina Kali, has a narrow verandah that can be used for gatherings and is guarded. The Natmandir, or dancing lobby, has been built in front of the temple.
The goddess Kali’s emblem, Bhavataraini, is kept on the middle of a lying Shiva in the garbha griha (sanctum sanctorum), and the two images are placed on a silver lotus with a thousand petals. The line of twelve identical Shiva temples built facing the east in the typical “Aat Chala” Bengali structural engineering are located close to the main temple. They are built on either side of the ghat on the Hoogly stream. The Vishnu Temple, also known as Radha Kanta’s Temple, is located to the north-east of the Temple Complex. A flight of stairs leads to the well-kept verandah and the temple, where a silver throne is adorned with a 16-inch (410 mm) icon of Radha and a 21 12 inch (550 mm) emblem of Lord Krishna.
Sri Ramakrishna Pramhans has a lot of ties to this Dakshineswar Kali Temple because he served as one of the temple’s earliest ministers. All devotees who visit the temple can access his room, which is located in the temple’s location.
It is generally agreed that Tuesdays and Saturdays are good days to honour Kali. At the Dakshineswar temple right now, there is a huge gathering of devotees. The Sandhya Aarti, which is very amazing, is the object of fans’ greatest attention.
The shrine
They found the Dakshineswar Temple on May 31, 1855, or 18 Jaistha 1262 B.S. The Jagannath Deva Snanyatra was in the celestial tithi. After dealing with several disputes, they built the Dakshineswar temple on this auspicious day. The Rani Ma, who was introduced to Sri Jagadishwari Ma by her family out of respect, adoration, and devotion, joined Sri Rama Kumar Chattopadhyaya’s organisation. The story of young Gadadhar’s journey to Dakshineswar with elder sibling Rama Kumar and his transformation into the Avatar of the Age is now legendary.
The Vishnu Temple
The Vishnu Temple, also known as Radha Kanta’s Temple, is located to the north-east of the Temple Complex. A set of stairs leads to the well-kept verandah and the temple, where a silver seat is adorned with a 16-inch statue of Radha and a 21-and-a-half-claw sign of Lord Krishna. We reported that Sri Ramakrishna himself performed puja here, and we performed it daily. The original representation of Lord Krishna, which was replaced after the icon’s leg repeatedly shattered, is located in a room next to it. Despite being fixed after the Sri Ram Krishna season, it had to be finally replaced by the current sign in 1930 by the Debottar Estate.
The Panchavati Garden, a collection of five historic trees located near the Dakshineswar Temple, is tastefully finished and is meticulously maintained by the temple advisory committee. According to legend, Sri Ramakriahna used to meditate here.
One year later, in 1856, Ramkumar Chhattopadhyay passed away, and his younger brother Gadadhar (or Gadai) became the cleric of the Dakshineswar Kali Temple. Soon, the desire to experience life’s realities led him to enter sannyasa under the guidance of the sage Totapuri, who gave him the name Paramhansa. Currently, the temple is honoured for its connection to Shri Thakur Ramakrishna Paramhansa. Ramakrishna was in charge of arranging most of the transportation for visitors to the temple from that moment until his death in 1886, 30 years later. Due to the presence of Ma Sarada Mani and Sri Ramakrishna Parmahansa Deva, this temple holds great promise for Bengalees.
Just before the main entrance to the temple, there is another fenced-off area where approximately 30 to 40 permanent shops sell everything needed for puja, such as wreaths and agarbattis, and devotees are free to choose their offerings.
Before approaching the grounds of the temple, you must take off your shoes. The temple compound is spotless, roomy, peaceful, and serene. They would crowd the temple grounds with worshipers on auspicious or notable days, such the yearly Kalpataru Utsav celebration on January 1. Ramakrishna’s adherents thought he had revealed himself as an Avatar, or God incarnate on earth, on January 1, 1886. On that day, Kalpataru Utsav is celebrated. To worship, people came to the Dakshineshwar Temple from all over the nation. It has a lot more teaching than many other temples, which will also surprise you. There will be a line. You won’t have much time to observe the deity, though, and they might ask you to leave right away.
Deity
Goddess Kali, also known as Bhavatarini, is the overseeing deity of the Dakshineswar Temple. The largest shrine of the Dakshineswar Temple complex, known as the Navaratna Temple, features the image of Goddess Kali still on Lord Shiva’s prostrate posture on a silver lotus flower with a thousand petals. Other than this, I worshipped Lord Shiva in 12 temples that surround the Navaratna Temple. As well as being worshipped as Goddess Kali, Uma, Gauri, Parvati, Jagatmata, Durga, Chandi, and Bhairavi. Later, inside the grounds of the temple, a Rani Rashmoni shrine was constructed.
On May 31, 1855, the goddess Kali’s icon was consecrated under the direction of chief cleric Sri Ramkumar Chattopadhyay. Soon after, Sri Gadadhar Chattopadhyay, who would later become Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, accompanied him. After a year, Sri Ramkumar Chattopadhyay passed away, and they gave the Temple over to Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and his wife Sarada Devi. They resided in the Temple Complex, where Sarada Devi’s sanctuary has since been built. The Temple was Sri Ramakrishna’s responsibility for a very long time, up to his death in 1886. He was in charge of getting people to the Temple and spreading fame. Additionally, his religious school of thinking contributed to the growth of the well-known and currently active Ramakrishna Mission, which was founded by his boss disciple Sri Swami Vivekananda.
The day of the snana-yatra, a favourable day for Hindus, was chosen to introduce the symbols of the Gods and the Goddess. In spite of the argument that the Rani was too lowly born to be able to claim a temple or provide food for Brahmins, they welcomed more than 1 lakh Brahmins from all across the country on May 31 to grace the promising event.
Goddess Bhavatarini, a component of Kali Maa, is the focus of the Dakshineswar Kali Temple. Something beautifully constructed the temple in three storeys. I revered the goliath statue of Goddess Kali in the main shrine on a silver lotus flower with many petals. The group of Lord Shiva, who is reclining on a flat surface on the bloom, is where one of the symbol’s legs is located. There are twelve backup Mahadev temples located around the sanctum sanctorum of Goddess Kali, where the Shiva Linga rites are conducted. The Rasmoni-related landmark is located near to the temple’s main entrance. Besides this, there is a beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Lakshminarayan where both Lord Vishnu and his wife Goddess Lakshmi are revered. The nimble appearance of this landmark attracts the devotees who come to see.