Dakshineswar Kali Temple

Dakshineswar Kali Temple
The Temple complex on the bank of river Hooghly, West Bengal.
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
DistrictNorth 24 Parganas
DeitySri Jagadishvari Bhavatarini Kalimata Thakurani
FestivalsKali Puja, Durga Puja, Snana Yatra, Kalpataru Day
Location
LocationGreater Kolkata
StateWest Bengal
CountryIndia
Dakshineswar Kali Temple is located in Kolkata
Dakshineswar Kali Temple
Location in Kolkata
Geographic coordinates22°39′18″N 88°21′28″E / 22.65500°N 88.35778°E / 22.65500; 88.35778
Architecture
TypeBengal architecture
StyleNavaratna
FounderRani Rashmoni
Completed31 May 1855; 169 years ago (1855-05-31)
Temple(s)1 main temple of Kali
12 Shiva temples
1 temple of RadhaKrishna
Website
Official website

Dakshineswar Kali Temple or Dakshineswar Kalibari is a Hindu navaratna temple in Dakshineswar, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Situated on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, the presiding deity of the temple is Bhavatarini (Kali), a form of Mahadevi or Parashakti Adya Kali, otherwise known as Adishakti Kalika.[1] The temple was built in 1855 by Rani Rashmoni, a Zamindar, philanthropist and a devotee of Kali Maa. The temple is known for its association with Ramakrishna and Ma Sarada Devi, mystics of 19th century Bengal.[2][3]

The main temple was inspired by Navaratna style Radhakanta temple in Tollygunge, built by Babu Ramnath Mondal of Bawali Raj family .[4][5][6][7] The temple compound, apart from the nine-spired main temple, contains a large courtyard surrounding the temple, with rooms along the boundary walls. There are twelve shrines dedicated to Shiva, Kali's consort, along the riverfront, a temple to RadhaKrishna, a bathing ghat on the river, a shrine dedicated to Rani Rashmoni. 'Nahabat', the chamber in the northwestern corner just beyond the last of the Shiva temples, is where Ramakrishna and Maa Sarada spent a considerable part of their lives.[2][8]

  1. ^ Mehrotra 2008 p.11.
  2. ^ a b "History of the temple". Dakshineswar Kali Temple. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Dakshineswar - A Heritage". Government of West Bengal. Archived from the original on 2 September 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
  4. ^ Roy, Diptimoy (2001). Paschimbanger Kali O Kalikshetra [Kali and Kali Temples in West Bengal] (in Bengali). Kolata: Mondal Book House. pp. 64–65.
  5. ^ "কংক্রিটের আড়ালে মুখ ঢেকেছে মন্দিরশিল্প". www.anandabazar.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  6. ^ "রানিকাহিনি". www.anandabazar.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  7. ^ Basu, Debashish Ed (1990). Kolkatar Purakatha. pp. 71, 78.
  8. ^ Swati Mitra, ed. (2011). Kolkata: City Guide. Goodearth Publications. ISBN 978-93-80262-15-4.