Khalighat Kali Mata Temple - Kolkatta
Goddess Kali is this temple’s
main deity, an incarnation of Goddess Parvathi.
The idol of Goddess Kali is
made of black stone and decorated with gold and silver. The image of the deity
appears incomplete. On the initial level, the face of the goddess was made and
further tongue and hands made of gold and silver were added to the image.
Lord Shiva is worshipped
as the husband of Goddess Kali Mata
It
is believed that the toes of Sati's right foot fell at Kalighat.
The Kalighat Kali Mandir is a well-known example of Bengali architecture,
which imitates the mud and thatch-roofed huts found in rural areas. The main
temple in Kalighat is a four-sided structure with a short dome. This
dome-shaped structure has a smaller, identically shaped projection on top. A chala
is the name for each sloped roof side. Kalighat Mandir is therefore designated
as a chala temple. There will be a total of eight distinct faces on the two
roofs. Both roofs are covered in gleaming, metallic silver paint that is
accented at the cornice, where they join the structure, with vivid bands of red,
yellow, green, and blue. Three spires crown the topmost roof, the tallest
central spire sporting a triangular pennant flag.
Sosthi Tala - This is a rectangular altar about three feet high
bearing a small cactus plant. Beneath the tree, on an altar three stones are
placed side by side - left to right representing the Goddesses
"Sosthi", "Sitola", and "Mongol Chandi". This
sacred spot is known as Sosthi Tala or Monosha Tala. This altar was constructed
by Gobinda Das Mondal in 1880. The place of the altar is the Samadhi of
Brahmananda Giri. Here all the priests are female. No daily worship or offering
of Bhog (food offering) is done here. The Goddesses here are considered Maa
Kali.
Natmondir - A large rectangular covered platform called Natmondir
has been erected adjacent to the main temple, from where the face of the image
can be seen. This was originally built by Zamindar Kasinath Roy in 1835. It has
been subsequently renovated often.
Jor-Bangla - The spacious verandah of the main temple Facing the
image is known as Jor Bangla. Rituals occurring inside the sanctum sanctorum
are visible from the Natmondir through the Jor-Bangla.
Harkath Tala - This is the spot adjacent to the Natmondir, southwards
meant for Bali (sacrifice). There are two Sacrificial altars for animal
sacrifices side by side. These are known as Hari- Kath. The bigger one is for
buffalo sacrifices and the smaller one is for goats and sheep. The animals are
sacrificed with a single stroke of the scimitar and there is very little
cruelty to animals when compared to the professional abattoirs.
Radha-Krishna Temple - This temple is known as Shamo-ray temple and is situated
inside the temple on the west side of the main temple. In 1723, a settlement
officer of Mushirabad district first erected a separate temple for
Radha-Krishna. In 1843 a Zamindar called Udoy Narayan Mondal erected the
present temple in the same spot. The Dolmancho was founded in 1858 by Madan
Koley of Saha Nagar. There is a separate kitchen for the preparation of vegetarian
Bhog (food offering) for Radha-Krishna. Kundupukur - This is the sacred tank
situated in southeast of the temple outside the boundary walls. The present area of the tank is approximately 10 cottahs. In the past, it was bigger and
called 'Kaku-Kunda'. In the 16th century, 'Sati-Ango' ( the right toe of Sati) was
discovered from this tank. This tank is well known for its power to bestow the
boon of a child. The water from this tank is regarded as sacred as that of the
Ganges. Efforts at draining the water from the tank for cleaning have failed in
the past showing the possibility of a subterranean with Adi Ganga.
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