Dakshineswar Kali
Temple is situated alongside the Vivekananda Bridge north of Calcutta,
about 20 km. from BBD Bagh. It is famous for its association - with
Ramkrishna who achieved spiritual vision here. This temple was built by
Rani Rashmoni in 1847. The 12- spired temple with its enormous courtyard
is surrounded by 12 other temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is a world
famous place of pilgrimage and it was here that the famous religious
thinker Rama Krishna Paramahamsa achieved his spiritual vision and
preached the unity of all religions.
Ramakrishna served as temple's head priest. From the first days of his
service in the shrine of the goddess Kali, he was filled with a rare form
of love for the Goddess known in Hinduism as maha-bhava. Worshiping in
front of the statue of Kali, Ramakrishna would be overcome with such
ecstatic love for the deity that he would fall to the ground and immersed
in spiritual trance, lose all consciousness of the external world.
Ramakrishna fully realized the infinite and all-inclusive nature of the
divine.
Dakshineswar
Temple was founded on the 31st of May,1855;18 Jaistha 1262 b.s. The holy
tithi was of Jagannath Deva Snanyatra. The Dakshineswar temple was founded
on this auspicious day after facing many conflicts. The Rani Ma called by
her people out of adoration, respect and love, installed Sri Jagadishwari
Maa, the mother of the universe under the priesthood of Sri Rama Kumar
Chattopadhaya .From young Gadadhar's coming to Dakshineshwar along with
elder brother Rama Kumar to his transformation into the Avatar of the age,
has become a legend now.