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Kalighat Kali Temple
View of the Kalighat Temple
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
DeityKali
FestivalsKali Puja, Durga Pujo, Charak Puja
Location
LocationKolkata
StateWest Bengal
CountryIndia
Geographic coordinates22°31′12″N 88°20′31″E / 22.52000°N 88.34194°E / 22.52000; 88.34194
Architecture
Completed1809
Website
kalighatkalitemple.com

Kalighat Kali Temple is a Hindu temple in Kalighat, Kolkata, West Bengal, India, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali.[1] It is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas in eastern India.[2]

Legend

The term Kalighat originated from the Hindu goddess Kali who resides in the temple, and Ghat (riverbank) where the temple is located.[2]

As per mythology, on learning about the death of Sati by self-immolation, Lord Shiva was blinded in rage and started the Tandav Nritya (Dance of Destruction). To prevent the world from eminent destruction, Lord Vishnu used his Sudarshan Chakra to cut the corpse of Sati into 51 pieces, which fell in various places of the Indian subcontinent.[3] Kalighat represents the site where the toes of the right foot of Dakshayani or Sati fell.[4]

History

The Kalighat Kali temple in its present form is about 200 years old, although it has been referred to in Mansar Bhasan composed in the 15th century, and Kavi Kankan Chandi in the 17th century. The present structure of the temple was completed under the Sabarna Roy Chowdhury family's patronage in 1809. Santosh Roy Chowdhury, a Kali devotee himself, started the construction of the present-day temple in 1798. It took 11 years to complete the construction.[5] The factual authenticity of Roy Chowdhurys' being the traditional patron of the deity is disputed.[6] Pilgrims to the site practice a holy dipping event called Snan Yatra in the temple's Kundupukur tank.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ Balakrishnan, S (9 May 2003). "Kali Mandir of Kolkata". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 30 June 2003. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
  2. ^ a b Paul, Santanu (25 July 2022). "Kalighat Kali Temple, the famous shakti peeth of Eastern India". Bengal Chronicle. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  3. ^ Alightindia. "List of 51 Shakti Peetha in India". List of 51 Shakti Peetha in India. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  4. ^ "SHAKTIPEETH -among MAHAVIDYA -KALI -RIGHT TOE FELL HERE OF SATI .-maaa - Reviews, Photos - Kalighat Kali Temple". Tripadvisor. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  5. ^ "History". Kalighat Kali Temple. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  6. ^ Moodie, Deonnie (6 November 2018). The Making of a Modern Temple and a Hindu City: Kalighat and Kolkata. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-088528-1.
  7. ^ Karkar, S.C. (2009). The Top Ten Temple Towns of India. Kolkota: Mark Age Publication. p. 91. ISBN 978-81-87952-12-1.

Further reading

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