Maa Kali Temple is devoted to Kalighat Kali Temple. It’s one of India’s four primary Shakti Peethas. Kamakshi, Tara Devi & Bimala are the other three. Kalighat was a sacred Kali Ghat (landing stage) on the ancient Hooghly River (Bhāgirathi) course in Calcutta City. It is said that the name Calcutta was derived from the word Kalighat. The river has shifted away from the temple over a period of time. The temple is now on the banks of a tiny canal that connects to the Hooghly called Adi Ganga.
Goddess Kali is considered the Hindu pantheon’s most compound goddess. Kali is the destroyer as well as the liberator, usually portrayed in a horrendous shape. In her worthy shape, Goddess Kali is worshiped by thousands of devotees who come from far-off areas of India and the world. The temple draws a large number of tourists to Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal. Kalighat Temple is an important religious site for Hindu adherents. According to the legends, at the moment of self-sacrifice, the distinct body parts of Sati fell on earth. Sati’s correct toe is thought to have fallen here and thereafter; the temple has been built to honor the goddess. Goddess Kalika is the presiding deity in the Kalighat Temple.
Temple History
The Kalighat Kali temple in its current form is about 200 years old, although it was mentioned in the 15th century written by Mansar Bhasan and the 17th century Kavi Kankan Chandi. Only two kinds of Chandragupta II coins are known from Bengal, which integrated Vanga into the Gupta Empire. His Archer type coins were discovered in Kalighat, which became the most common form of coinage after Kumaragupta I with the Gupta rulers. This is proof of the place’s antiquity.
A tiny hut was the initial temple. King Manasingha built a tiny temple in the early sixteenth century. The current temple was built under the patronage of the Banisha family of Sabarna Roy Chowdhury. It was finished in 1809. The Haldar family claims to be the temple property’s initial owners. But Manisha’s Chowdhry’s contested this. In the 1960s a committee was created with representation from the government and the Haldar family for the administrative leadership of the temple. The Haldars and their heirs, usually known as Sebadas, are responsible for conducting the worship.
Address: Anami Sangha, Kalighat, Kolkata, West Bengal 700026