Kalighat Temple or the Kali Mata Temple in Kolkata is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess Kali. People from all over the country come to the temple to seek the blessings of Maa Kali. Kalighat Temple is a sacred ghat on the Hooghly River in the city of Calcutta. Over time the river moved away from the temple. The temple is now on the banks of a small canal called Adi Ganga which connects to Hooghly. The word Calcutta is said to have been derived from the word Kalighat.
History
The Kalighat Temple is believed to have existed since the time of Chandragupta II. The original temple was a small hut-shaped structure, built by King Mansingh in the 16th century. The present structure was completed in 1809 under the guidance of Sabran Roy Chaudhary. The main temple of the temple has a unique statue of Goddess Kali.
The current idol of Maa Kali was created by two saints - Brahmananda Giri and Atmaram Giri. The statue has three huge eyes and a long tongue and four hands, made of gold. The Kalighat Temple has floral and peacock-shaped tiles to give it a Victorian look. Apart from this, the temple has a sacred pond called "Kundupukar" which is located in the southeast corner of the temple complex. The water of this pond is considered as holy as the Ganges. It is believed that water has the power to fulfil the blessing of the child. If you also want to visit the famous Kalighat temple in Kolkata, then read this article of ours, so that your religious journey can become simple and enjoyable.
Architectural style of Kalighat Temple
In 1809, the Kalighat Kali Temple was built by Sabarna Roy Chaudhary. The Kalighat Temple is often referenced in texts such as Mansar Bhasan of the 15th century. The original temple was built by King Basant Rai, uncle of Pratapaditya and king of Jessore (Bangladesh).
The temple is built in the style of the traditional Bengal School of Architecture, with a large dome on top. Different sections within the temple are kept for different purposes. The Natamandir and Jor Bungalow provide a better view of the sanctum sanctorum and the hartal is the yajna altar.
A temple dedicated to Radha-Krishna is located within the western part of the complex. Another temple, Nakuleshwar Mahadev Temple (dedicated to Lord Shiva) is located opposite the main Kalighat temple.
A raging statue of Kali Devi made of touchstone is installed. In this statue, mother Kali is seen with feet on Lord Shiva's chest. Wearing a garland of Narmundas around the neck and holding axe and Narmund in hand. The black mother's tongue is out so that a few drops of blood will also be seen dripping. Some legends are also behind this idol.
The idol of Kali Mata is black in colour. Eyes and head are in vermilion. Even Tilak of mother Kali is also covered in Sinduria colour. They hold a loop in the hand which is of Sinduria colour.
Mythological Importance
Kalighat Temple is considered to be one of the 51 Shaktipeethas of India, where various body parts of Sati fell during Shiva's Rudra Tandava and Kalighat represents the site where the right foot claws of Dakshinayan or Sati fell. The present temple dates back to the 19th century. However, it finds reference in some of the devotional literature of 15th and 17th century Bengal.
It is said that once Goddess Kali got angry at something, after which she started committing genocide. Whoever comes in his way would kill him. The idol where Kali Devi is seen with feet on the chest of Shiva means that Lord Shiva lay in his path to calm his anger. This attempt of Lord Shiva also could not calm the anger of Goddess and Goddess angrily stepped on his chest. During this time, he recognized Lord Shiva and his anger subsided.
Kalighat Temple in Kolkata is one of the top tourist attractions in the city. This temple, one of the 51 Shaktipeethas, is located next to a small canal, which is basically a part of the Adi Ganga River, which literally means the old part of the Ganges River that directly meets the Hooghly River. Explain that due to religious belief, on the day of 'bathing yatra' (bathing ceremony), the goddess is blindfolded while taking a bath.
How to reach Kalighat Temple
To get to Kalighat, you have to catch a train to Kolkata railway station. The distance of Kalighat from the station is 12 km. From here you can take any public vehicle and get down to Kalighat bus stop and go from Kali Mandir Marg to the temple. Kalighat is also connected by the metro railway. The nearest metro station is Jatindas Park and Kalighat. After landing at Jatin das Park metro station, take North exit to Kalighat and take South exit from Kalighat station.
Best time to visit Kalighat Temple
Navratri is considered to be the best time to visit Kalighat Temple. During this, Navratri is celebrated with great pomp and show. At this time, you can see Bengali people doing traditional worship of Maa Kali here. The time from October to March is also considered very good for coming to Kolkata.
Kalighat Temple Timings:5:00 AM to 2:00 PM & 5:00 PM to 10:30 PM
Aarti Timings: 4:00 AM
Prasadam Timings: 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Kalighat Temple Entry Fees: Nil
