Dakshineswar Temple

Location: Dakhineswar.

Time to Visit: 7 A.M. - 12 P.M. & 4 P.M. - 9 P.M.

Preferred Timings: Tuesdays and Saturdays being the most propitious days as far as goddess Kali is concerned, both these days are very crowded. Nonetheless, it is advisable to visit the temple during the morning hours between 7 A.M. to 8 A.M. One can also visit the temple after sunset. The Sandhya Aarati or Evening Aarati is absolutely amazing and the entire temple reverberates with spiritual vibrations.

Admission Fee: Nil.

How to Reach:Local buses, mini buses and metered taxis are readily available from various parts of the city. Even auto rickshaws are available on share basis.

Photography / Video charges: Strictly prohibited.

Nearest Railway Station: Dakshineswar (suburban) & Howrah (Junction).

Nearest Metro Station: Dum Dum.

Nearest Functional Metro Station: Dum Dum.

Nearest International Airport: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Intrnational Airport.

Time required for sightseeing: About 45 minutes.

The majestic Dakshineswar temple is dedicated to mother Goddess Kali and this temple is a pilgrimage mecca for not only Hindus but of other religious sects as well. The very name of the temple of Dakshineswar conjures the image of the spiritual giant Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa who attained nirvana at this holy temple on the banks of the Ganges.

Legend has it that Rani Rashmoni who by birth was born to a fisherman's family and later on was married to a rich Bengali merchant was blessed with a divine vision which directed her to build a temple of Kali in Bengal. Ever since that dream, she ran from pillar to post in search of land where she could build the Kali temple. Her ordeal came to an end when she bought a sprawling 25 acres of land at Dakshineswar. The temple was built in 1855.

The first priest of Dakshineswar temple was Ramkumar who was the elder brother of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa. After years of working as a priest at Dakshineswar, the effect of old age began to tell on Ramkumar's health. All this while, Sri Ramakrishna had been a constant companion of Ramkumar and he worked as Ramkumar's assistant at Dakshineswar.

After the ceremonial change of guard, wherein the baton of priesthood was bestowed upon Sri Ramakrishna, a new chapter in India's spiritual life began to unfold. He began worshipping goddess Kali with such frenzied devotion that at times people saw him rubbing his face on the ground till it bled and lament thus - " Mother, another day has gone and yet you have not revealed yourself to me". Many passersby thought Sri Ramakrishna had gone mad.

The relationship between Mother Goddess Kali and Sri Ramakrishna is one of its kind in the annals of Indian spirituality. Kali was Sri Ramakrishna's mother, guardian and playmate.

What truly distinguishes Sri Ramakrishna from others of his ilk is that while most mystics are satisfied with experiencing one aspect of God, Sri Ramakrishna practiced almost every faith and spiritual disciplines known to religion. The transformation from being the son of a poor Brahmin priest, born in an obscure village of Bengal to the spiritual master of his time had unfolded in Dakshineswar temple. It was again from Dakshineswar temple that he preached the "universal harmony of all religions".

Today, when one visits the holy Dakshineswar temple, its raw spiritual energy envelops you. Lakhs of devotes come to offer prayers to the presiding deity with the customary red hibiscus flowers and sandesh or sweetmeat.

Besides the main Kali temple, there are 12 Shiva temples right opposite to the main temple. Each of them have a Shiva Lingam. Apart from theShiva temples, a gorgeous Laxmi Narayan temple too attracts hordes of devotees.

You can rekindle the rich spiritual legacy of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa and perhaps even get a whiff of his holy essence by visiting his living room, which is located towards the North West corner of the temple. The bed in which Sri Ramakrishna used to rest is carefully preserved. On top of the bed, a photograph of the master has been kept. All across the room, there are photographs of great men and women who had the divine fortune of coming in contact with the master. There is absolute silence inside the room and people come from all over the world to spend a few precious moments at this holy chamber.

According to his chief disciple, the great Swami Vivekananda, the most wonderful part of Sri Ramakrishna's life was that his work was just near a city, which had run mad after Western and Occidental thoughts. A city, which become more Europeanized then any other city in India. And what is more baffling is the fact that being born to a high caste Brahmin family, he had choosen the Dakshineswar temple as his alma-mater, which incidentally was built by the daughter of a low caste fisherman. Strange are the ways of the lord.

After winding up the religious rituals at the temple premises, you would do well to visit the banks of river Ganga which has adequate seating arrangements for rest and relaxation. The riverside promenade is always brimming with activities and hundreds of hawkers sell everything from Ramakrishna and Kali memorabilia to miniature Shiva Lingams and other associated utensils used during worship of gods of the Hindu pantheon. The ice cream parlors, tea shops and quintessential Bengali restaurants do brisk business all day.

The Dakshineswar jetty is close by and time permitting, you would do well to hire a boat and go to the other side of river Ganga where the majestic Belur Math stands like a sentinel. The boat trip to the other bank takes almost 20 minutes and makes for an imminently pleasant riverine trip. Tickets cost Rs.6/- per head.

Special Event / Annual Event

Diwali or Kali Puja and monthly Amabasya.

Nearby Tourist Attractions

Adyapeath, Belur Math.