The Dakshineswar Kali Temple was an attempt made by the Royal widow Rani Rasmani and she initiated the task in the attempt to show devotion to Goddess Kali. At the time there was no provision to reach Benaras on rail from Calcutta. This is the reason Rani Rasmani journeyed to Benaras by boat and it was a huge convoy that followed her. There were 24 boats and these carried the servants and relatives of Rani and it was a huge arrangement for the purpose of establishing the temple. However, on the night before the pilgrimage had started Rani saw a dream in which the divine mother instructed her not to move to Benaras but to establish the temple at Dakshineswar.
The Making of the Temple
This was just like a divine resurrection for the Rani and she bought land at Dakshineswar and this is the place she started with the construction work of the Dakshineswar Kali Temple. Things started in the year 1847 and the work continued till the year 1855. Here you would just feel the essence of the centrepiece shrine of Goddess Kali and there are even temples of Lord Shiva. There is also a separate temple dedicated for the worship of Radha Krishna.
It took 9 lacs for the total construction of the temple. From the amount 2 lacs was spent for the inauguration of the temple. The temple is constructed on an area of 25 acres and this is the reason one can say that this is the biggest temple in Calcutta. The total premise of the temple is 46 square feet. The temple resembles the nava ratna style and it is a specimen of perfect Bengal architecture. The roof of the temple has spires and this has been artistically grooved having similarity with the Pirhas. The visitors will love the colossal look of the temple. The elongated structure of the temple is highly unique and it is made to rest perfectly on the platform having the flight of stairs. The temple faces towards the south and it has the lovely three storey formation. The temple is encircled with a narrow and the covered verandah. The audience or the spectators are made to stand at the verandah and this is the place from where they are made to offer dedication to the goddess.
This is the Dakshina Kali temple and this is the reason it is called the Dakshineswar Kali Temple. There is the adjacent and the spacious natmandir and the same just stands facing the main temple. There is even something known as Garbagriha and here stands the deity of Goddess Kali and she is even famous as Bhavatarini. The temple resembles the love and dedication of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahangsa. The amazing structure of the temple really entices the attention of the visitors.
The Responsibility of the Temple
An elderly sage was given the responsibility of looking after the temple and carry on with worship at the place. It was in the year 1855 that the temple was consecrated and after the death of the priest the responsibility of worship was given to his younger brother Ramakrishna. This was the starting of the devotional journey and in fact, under the dedicated supervision of Ramakrishna the temple earned much fame and reputation. He had a unique relationship with Goddess Kali and this was the reason the temple became so special.
Ramakrishna did not continue as the priest for long. From the beginning of his tenure as a priest he was filled with maha bavava and interacted with the deity as if he was talking to a real person. Often Sri Ramakrishna experienced a spiritual trance and he became unconscious due to the reason. Sri Ramakrishna was considered to be a divine avatar and his devotion to God made the Dakshineswar Kali Temple a global pilgrimage.
The Location of the Temple
The Dakshineswar Kali Temple is located 20 kilometres on the northern part from the destination of Central Calcutta. The temple stands close to the Second Vivekananda Bridge. This temple stands on the east bank of River Hoogly. The position of the temple is such that it can be easily accessed by people coming from all parts of the town. This is a real cultural and devotional specimen lying in the heart of the City of Joy.