Description
A temple that symbolizes patriotism, benevolence, following of a dream, devotion and faith in the Goddess is the Dakshineshwar Kali Temple in Kolkata. It is located in the picturesque and serene place that is the Eastern banks of river Hooghly, the Dakshineshwar Kali Temple is dedicated to Goddess Bhavatarani, who is a manifestation of Goddess Kali. The very well-known Ramkrishna is believed to have spent a considerable time of his life here. Goddess fulfill aspiration and wishes of all devotees.
History
As this temple not being a very ancient one, all the details about its origin are exactly known. There is an interesting story about the origin of this temple which goes as, the founder of this temple who was a great devotee of Goddess Kali once decided to go on a holy tour to Kashi to seek the blessings of the Goddess and worship her. Rani Rashmoni is said to have dream in which Goddess Kali appeared, and mentioned that there was no need for her to go to Banaras instead build a temple of the Goddess in Dakshineshwar and she would manifest into the idol there and bless the devotees. After this vision, Rani Rashmoni instantly arranged for the land and initiated the construction of the temple. The complete work of the construction of the temple was done in 8 years and the amount spend on it was 900000 rupees. Thus the idol of the Goddess was established in the temple on the 31st of May, 1855.
Importance/Significance
This temple is a beautiful place with an exceptional Bengal style architecture. It is spread extensively across almost 20 acres of land, and is a classic example of time-honored art work. It consists of typical nine spires which are in the upper two storey's. Also this temple is at an elevated platform that one has to reach through a flight of stairs. Visiting this temple is a delight to the eyes, as it displays a magnificent view all around.
Facts/Mythology
The presiding deity of the temple is Goddess Bhavatarini, who is a manifestation of Goddess Kali. This Goddess is known as the one that has the power to free the devotees from the sea of existence i.e. Samsara. Also Goddess Kali is the consort of Lord Shiva, hence close to the main shrine, are twelve similar temples constructed facing in the Eastern direction which are dedicated to Lord Shiva. Another important fact about this temple is that this temple is very famous for its connection with Sri Ramkrishna who served in this temple as the head priest for many years. Sri Ramkrishna was a great devotee of Goddess Kali and served the temple selflessly. It is believed that he had envisioned divine existence of Goddess in this temple.
Festivals/Events/Gatherings
There are many festivals like Kali Puja, SnanaYatra, Kalpataru Day etc. which are celebrated with great enthusiasm and high spirits. People throng the temple to experience the festivities .
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