Wednesday, November 18, 2009

dakineshwar


The Ramakrishna temple for the goddess Kali at Dakineshwar is north of Kolkata on the river. Ruma Dasgupta took me there last weekend. It was built in 1847 by Rani Rashmoni, who was a devotee of Ramakrishna. The temple is a beautiful structure and am important pilgrimage site.

Kali is an awesome figure, the goddess of time and change, destruction and birth. She holds a severed head, stands on top of her consort, Shiva and wears a garland of skulls. She has particular significance in Kolkata as there is a connection with the name 'Kalikata', one of the three villages that formed the city of 'Calcutta'.

The red hibiscus is associated with Kali and on the river in front of the temple at the ghat, I saw red flower islands float past.

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