Places Of Power: Temple of Kali

Kali Temple Kolkata
Address :- Situated on Eastern bank on of Hoogli river.
City :- Kolkata
State :- West Bengal
Location :- East India
Calcutta has for ages being associated with the followers for Goddess Kali. The story-legend has it that while carrying Sati's burnt remains from Daksha's Yagna, Shiva dropped the right toe of Sati here. Sati's father had set up to perform a major yagna and everyone was invited except for his daughter and son-in-law, as he had never liked Shiva.

This is located in South Calcutta, on the banks of Hoogly whose presiding deity is Goddess Kali and was rebuilt in 1809 from which the present name Calcutta comes to the city and since then it has been an important pilgrimage site. The original building was renovated in 1971.

The large temple complex, built between 1847 and 1855, had as its centerpiece a shrine of the goddess Kali, but also had temples dedicated to the deities Shiva and Radha-Krishna. A scholarly and elderly sage was chosen as the head priest and the temple was consecrated in 1855. Within the year this priest died and his responsibility passed to his younger brother, Ramakrishna, who over the next thirty years would bring great fame to the Dakshineswar temple.

Kalighat’s ancient Kali Temple is Kolkata’s holiest spot for Hindus and possibly the source of its name. Today’s version, a 1809 rebuild, has floral- and peacock-motif tiles that look more Victorian than Hindu. The double-stage roof is painted silver-grey with rainbow highlights. More interesting than the architecture are the jostling pilgrim queues that snake into the main hall to fling hibiscus flowers at a crowned, three-eyed Kali image. Priests loitering around the temple might whisk you to the front of the queue for an obligatory ‘donation’ (significant money). Behind the bell pavilion but still within the mandir complex, goats are ritually beheaded to honour the ever-demanding goddess, or, as locals describe it, to buy ‘God power’.

In Kali ghat temple , every morning Mangal aarti is carried out around 4.00a.m. in morning .

This is one of the most important & unique puja of MaKali every day . During this puja ,Rasogolla is offered to the Divine Mother.

Only a few persons are allowed entry to see this puja .Generally, elites of Kolkata , members of business & industrialists families attend and individuals who are Kali Bhakto attend as invitee of members of Kalimata Sebayait Samiti and Management committee .

During this time temple is free from hustle bustle of crowd.