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| KALI
MAA TEMPLES IN INDIA |
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| Dakshineswar Temple |
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In the year 1847, the wealthy widow Rani
Rasmani prepared
to go upon a
long pilgrimage
to the sacred
city of Banaras
to express her
devotions to
the Divine Mother.
In those days
there was no
railway line
between Calcutta
and Banaras
and it was more
comfortable
for rich persons
to make the
journey by boat
rather than
by road. We
are told that
the convoy of
Rani Rasmani
consisted of
twenty four
boats carrying
relatives, servants,
and supplies.
But the night
before the pilgrimage
began, the Divine
Mother, in the
form of the
goddess Kali,
intervened.
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She appeared to the Rani in a dream and
said, "There
is not need
to go to Banaras.
Install my statue
in a beautiful
temple on the
banks of the
Ganges river
and arrange
for my worship
there. Then
I shall manifest
myself in the
image and accept
worship at that
place." Profoundly
affected by
the dream, the
Rani immediately
looked for and
purchased land,
and promptly
began construction
of the temple.
The large temple
complex, built
between 1847
and 1855, had
as its centerpiece
a shrine of
the goddess
Kali, but also
had temples
dedicated to
the deities
Shiva and Radha-Krishna.
A scholarly
and elderly
sage was chosen
as the head
priest and the
temple was consecrated
in 1855. Within
the year this
priest died
and his responsibility
passed to his
younger brother,
Ramakrishna,
who over the
next thirty
years would
bring great
fame to the
Dakshineswar
temple.
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| Kalighat Temple |
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The present temple was built in 1809 on
the site of
an ancient temple.
It is also known
as the Kalighat
temple. It is
on the name
of this temple
that English
gave the place
name Calcutta
which is anglicized
form of Kalikata.
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The
legend says
that a finger
of the Sati,
wife of Lord
Shiva, fell
here. Since
then it has
been an important
pilgrimage site.
But the temple
is dedicated
to the destructive
side of Shiva
which takes
the form of
Kali. She requires
sacrifice daily
to satisfy her
blood lust so
every morning
goats are sacrifices
on the alter
of the temple.
The temple is
busy through
out the year
and is surrounded
by poor who
come to have
free meal. The
Hospital for
Dying Destitute
by Mother Teresa
is near the
temple and every
one is a welcome
visitor here.
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Some 300 miles from Calcutta, Tarapith
is situated on the
banks of the north
flowing Dwarka river,
in Birbhum, in West
Bengal. The temple
that was built by
Vasistha got buried
under the earth with
the passage of time.
Tarapith as it stands
today, was built by
Joybroto, a merchant,
who received directions
from Tara Maa in his
sleep to unearth the
'brahmashila', or
the sacred stone,
to set it up as a
shrine in a proper
place.
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Tara
Maa of Tarapith, another
form of Kali, has
two hands, is garlanded
with snakes, is adorned
in sacred threads,
and has Shiva lying
in her left lap sucking
her breast.
Since
then it has been an
important pilgrimage
site. But the temple
is dedicated to the
destructive side of
Shiva which takes
the form of Kali.
She requires sacrifice
daily to satisfy her
blood lust so every
morning goats are
sacrifices on the
alter of the temple.
The temple is busy
through out the year
and is surrounded
by poor who come to
have free meal. The
Hospital for Dying
Destitute by Mother
Teresa is near the
temple and every one
is a welcome visitor
here.
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| Mahakalika Temple |
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Maa Mahakalika temple, Pawagadh is one
of the biggest
tourist and
pilgrimage centres
in the dynamic
state of Gujarat
which attracts
lakhs ot tourists
and pilgrims
every year and
tops the list
of educational
institutions'
excursion programmes.
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From
the city of
Baroda, at a
distance of
45 Kms. the
old town of
Pawagadh is
located. The
entire area
is mainly forest
land and very
picturesque.
On the hill
top, the ancient
famous temple
of Mahakalika
is located.
It is beleived
to be one of
the 51 Shakti
Peeths. The
right toe of
Goddess Kalika
fell here. On
the ground floor
of the temple
is Shakti Peeth
and idol of
Goddess Kali
visited by Hindus
and on the roof
of the building
is a Mazar of
a Peer, visited
by Muslim devotees.
In the same
structure, two
places of worship
stand and two
sets of devotees
visit them in
perfect peace
and harmony.
A unique distinction
indeed.
Goddess Mahakalika
has been fulfilling
wishes of millions
of devotees
for thousands
of years.
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| Kamakhya Temple |
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The Kamakhya Temple in Assam is one of
the most venerated
Shakti shrines
in India, and
is regarded
as one of the
Shakti Peethams
associated with
the legend of
Shiva and Daksha
Yagna. Kamakhya
is located on
a hill - Neelachala
Parvat or Kamagiri
near the city
of Guwahati
in Assam.
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Shakti,
residing on
the Kamagiri
hill is known
as Kamakhya,
the granter
of desires.
Assam traditionally
has been known
as the Kamarupa
Desa and has
been associated
with Tantric
practices and
Shakti worship.
This temple
was destroyed
in early 16th
century, and
then rebuilt
in the 17th
century by King
Nara Narayana,
of Cooch Bihar.
Images of the
builder and
related inscriptions
are seen in
the temple.
The Kalika Purana,
an ancient work
in Sanskrit
describes Kamakhya
as the yielder
of all desires,
the young bride
of Shiva, and
the giver of
salvation.
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| Karni Mata Temple |
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The Karni Mata temple, 30 kms from Bikaner,
is dedicated
to an early
fifteenth century
mystic who was
considered to
be a reincarnation
of goddess Durga.
The specially
of the temple
is that it is
inhabited by
legions of brown
rats which scurry
around the complex
without aby
fear.
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The rats are believed to be repositories
of the souls
of dead charans,
the traditional
bards.
Bikaner's ruler Ganga Singh had the whole
temple built
in marble. The
domes of the
temple are made
of silver and
gold. The manadap
and the panels
above the image
are also golden.
Devotees place
offerings in
silver and gold
when their prayers
are answered.
The elaborate
works on the
main gate of
the temple is
a tribute to
the fine craftsmanship
of the artisans
of those days.
On the occasion
of Navratri,
this temple
hosts a fair
which attracts
hordes of pilgrims
from places
far the near.
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| Kalkaji Temple |
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Situated in Nehru Place (New Delhi), Kalkaji
Temple is a
very old temple
and the oldest
part was built
up in 1764 A.D.
The Kali Temple
in Kalkaji boasts
of an existence
of 3,000 years,
although the
oldest surviving
portion of it
dates to 1764-1771
when the Marathas
were in power.Kalkaji
temple dedicated
to the Goddess
Kalka Devi.
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Kalkaji mandir is very famous and
has numerous
devotees thronging
it on many religious
occasions, throughout
the year. Small
red flags decorate
the temple then,
and women outnumber
men among the
devotees. Folklore
is replete with
tales of the
Kalkaji temple,
so much so that
one does not
know where legend
ends and history
begins.
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| Chamunda Devi Temple |
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Chamunda Devi is a Shakti shrine, 10 km
west of Palampur,
on the Baner
River. This
colourful shrine
has a wrathful
form of Durga
or Chamunda.
The idol in
the temple is
considered so
sacred that
it is completely
hidden beneath
a red cloth.
It is situated
on the bank
of Ban Ganga.
With all the
natural surroundings
ideally suited
for meditation
prayers and
spiritual attainments.
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This
was the cremation
ground for 22
villages and
supposed to
be a place which
gives solace,
spiritual attainments
in the form
of Mahakali
Chamunda. Here
Lord shiva is
present in the
form of death,
destruction
& dead bodies
along with Devi
Chamunda. Devotees
offer prayers,
worship and
give offerings
for their ancestors.
It is thought
to be sacred
to take a dip
in Ban Ganga
and to read
and recite the
writings of
Shat Chandi.
In the old days,
people used
to offer sacrifices
also to the
deity. Kanyas
(unmarried baby
girls) are worshiped.
Also Lord shiva
is worshiped
with Holy water
from Ban Ganga.
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| Jwalamukhi Temple |
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Recognized as one of the 51 Shaktipithas
of India, the
Jwalamukhi Devi
Temple, tended
by the followers
of Goraknath,
is set against
a cliff. The
picturesque
temple, built
in the Indo-Sikh
style, is a
modern building
whose dome is
of gilt, gold
and pinnacles
and possesses
a beautiful
folding door
of silver plates,
presented by
the Sikh Raja
Kharak Singh.
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Dedicated
to the "Goddess
of Light", the
Jwalamukhi temple
is one of the
most popular
Hindu temples
in Northern
India. The temple
located on a
small spur on
the Dharamshala-Shimla
road at a distance
of about 20-kms
from the Jwalamukhi
Road Railway
Station attracts
lakhs of pilgrims
every year.
In this temple
there is a copper
pipe through
which natural
gas comes out.
After Daksha
Yoga Bhagna,
Lord Shiva placed
the burnt dead
body of Sati
on his shoulders
and started
wandering about
in a state of
madness. To
save the world
from the destructive
wrath of Lord
Shiva, Lord
Vishnu started
cutting the
limbs of the
dead Goddess
Parvati one
by one. The
places where
they fell became
sacred centers
for the worship
of Shakti. The
tongue of Sati
fell at the
place where
the temple of
Jwalamukhi is
situated. The
flames that
come out of
the openings
in the earth’s
surface are
regarded as
the manifestations
of the fallen
tongue of Sati
and are worshipped
as “Jwalamukhi
Devi” (Goddess,
who emits flames
from her mouth).
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| Vaishno Devi Temple |
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The shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is one
of the most visited
pilgrim sites in
India. Situated
at a height of 5,
300 ft., the site
is located inside
a cave in a hill.
One of the most
visited pilgrim
sites in India,
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the
shrine of Mata Vaishno
Devi is located
in a cave, amidst
the folds of the
Trikuta Bhagwati
hill at a height
of 5, 300 ft., in
the state of Jammu
and Kashmir (J &
K). The temple of
Vaishno Devi is
dedicated to Vaishnavi,
the human manifestation
of Goddess Shakti.
Within the temple
is the deity in
the form of a five
and half feet tall
rock with three
Pindies or heads.
It is written that
the goddess to achieve
her destiny of finally
merging with Lord
Vishnu assumed the
form of a human
and was born as
Vaishnavi, in the
household of one
Ratnakar.
The holy cave shrine
of Vaishno Devi
is nestled in a
beautiful recess
of the Trikuta Mountains
forming a part of
the lower Himalayas.
It is located 61
km north of Jammu
at a height of 5,200
feet above the sea
level in the state
of Jammu and Kashmir.
In the cave there
are images of three
deities viz. the
Mahakali, Mahalakshmi
and Mahasaraswati.
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| Kali
Devi Mandir, Patiala |
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Click
The Images & Full
View
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About
Kali
Devi Mandir, Patiala
Shri Kali Mata Temple
is situated opposite
Baradari garden on
the Mall Road of Patiala
City (Punjab). This
Temple was built by
the Sikh ruler of
the Patiala State
Maharaja Bhupinder
Singh who financed
the building in his
capital of the Mata
Kali Devi Temple and
oversaw the installation
there, in 1936. Bhupinder
Singh was the ruling
Maharaja of the princely
state of Patiala from
1900 to 1938. He was
inspired to build
this temple and bring
the 6-ft statue of
Devine Mother Kali
& Paawan Jyoti
from Bengal to Patiala
& he offered First
?Bali? (sacrifice)
of a water buffalo
to the temple of Kali
in Patiala. Because
of Temple's awesome
beautifulness, the
temple has been declared
a national monument.
This large complex
attracts devotees,
Hindu and Sikh, from
distant places. A
much older temple
of Raj Rajeshwari
is also situated in
the center of this
complex. Devotees?
offers Mustard Oil,
Daal, Sweets, Coconuts,
Bangles and Chunnis;
Goats, Hens &
Liquor to the Devine
Mother here. As an
average estimate,
devotees offer more
than 60,000 liquor
bottles during Navratras
alone and this liquor
goes into a ?Sharab
Kund? built on the
temple?s premises.
Any one, who makes
his /her presence
before Maa here with
pure heart & soul,
gets her kind blessings
immediately.
Courtesy:
Hari Rajan Durgia.Abohar,
Punjab
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| Maa
Mahakalika temple, Pawagadh, Gujarat,
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Maa
Mahakalika temple, Pawagadh
is one of the biggest tourist
and pilgrimage centres in the
dynamic state of Gujarat which
attracts lakhs ot tourists and
pilgrims every year and tops
the list of educational institutions'
excursion programmes.
Visit
Website for Details:
http://www.udankhatola.com/kali.htm
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