This time of the year is awesome in Kolkata.
After Durga Puja for five days in mid October followed
by Lakshmi Puja in every
household five days later, every Bengali is eagerly waiting for Kali Puja
It is not humid at all now. The temperature is mild and this season
change reminds you that another year is almost gone.
Today is Kali Puja,
one of the biggest festival of Bengal - also referred as Shyama Puja. In most pandals, you will hear songs played in the name of
Goddess. This genre of music is popularly called Shyama Sangeet. Most
of us dismiss worldly affairs and often have momentary realization of the
futility of our pursuits when we hear those timeless, mesmerizing numbers Amar
Sadh Na Mitilo or Sokoli
tomori ichchha by Pannalal Bhattacharya.
So during this part
of the year, while you reconcile gains, pains, pleasures and losses, for the
more sensitive kind, it is time to ponder - What have we got done? After
all, the name Kali comes from the Sanskrit word Kaal which means time.How did
we fill our time this year?
Apart from the hundreds
of pandals in West Bengal, some of the famous Kali baari are
listed here
Firingi Kaali Baari, Bow Bazaar
Anyone who saw Bengal
super star Uttam Kumar’s famous Antony Firingi will know about why this temple
is name Firingi (Foreign). This is
over 500 years old temple dedicated to Goddess Kali and gets its name because
of Hensman Anthony who was of Portuguese origin, a folk poet and famous for his
competence in Kavigaan.
He converted to Hinduism
and was a great devotee of Kali.
Hangseshwari Temple, Bansberia
The main deity in this
temple is Goddess Hangseshwari, another form and manifestation of Goddess Kali
Kali Temple, Dakshineshwar
This temple is situated
beside the Hooghly river. Bhavatarini is main deity here which another form and
aspect of Goddess Kali – One who liberates her devotees from worldly affairs. The
courtyard has long queues of visitors coming from different parts of the
country. The main temple is nine-spired. You cannot miss twelve shrines of Shiva and Radha Krishna temple. The Hindu saint Ramakrishna spent a
significant part of his life here. This was Rani Rashmoni’s initiative and you
can see a shrine there dedicated to her. There are regular ferry services from
here to Belur
Sideshwari Kali Mata Mandir, Barrackpore
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| #Annapurna #Mountain of Rice |
Siddeshwari Kali Mandir, Habibpur, Midnapore
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| #Terracota |
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| In Our Complex |
Saturday, 10 November 2018
My Personal Take On Puri
Some trips are planned well; others are destined while a few others happen due to ongoing deals by a flight operator
Being a Bengali, born and raised in Calcutta, Puri was often the most preferred and natural selection to visit during summer/ winter vacation, where you often bump into two three of your classmates. How can I resist the flight deal with slashed prices?
Having regaled my husband about all of my childhood vacations to Puri, which must be roughly over a couple of dozen times, the deal tempted him as well to know what exactly the charm was that this place held?
With baited breath our trip begins, anxious if cheap tickets actually let you land in your destination– well this one did on time. It was a fairly new aircraft with a decent and fresh meal served on board.
We touch down at Bhubaneshwar’s Biju Patnaik Airport around two in the afternoon. The helpful staff from Uber counter at the airport assisted us in booking an Uber from Bhubaneshwar to Puri, around 60 Kms away. It costs us roughly twelve hundred.
The highway is well built with not much of vehicular traffic - mostly two wheelers and cattle were observed. This was a welcome break from the clogged road of Bangalore. The countryside also looked pretty serene, with very little human habitation, that kind of raises doubts if the population in Orissa is relatively lesser than other states.
We preferred staying in Ramakrishna Mission on Kacheri Road instead of exploring hotels primarily for the food. We refrain from spicy food and I was not sure of any other places that might cater to our tastes twice a day. Ramakrishna Mission provided basic and clean accommodation along with food at a nominal cost of INR 450 per head per day.
Beach is walking distance from here. That’s a bonus. Alternatively you can hire a Tuk Tuk for INR 50.
We walked up to Swargadwar in the evening and while I was reliving my childhood memories it was completely new experience for my husband -The shrill honking of the autos and the calls from the myriad vendors. After some sweet hot tea we went along the narrow lanes uncovering things to shop.
Things to pick up here are – Kotki Sarees or Dress materials, Stoles, Shell Handicrafts. Orissa made Gamcha (towels). Do visit the handloom Boyonika for silk dupattas, Sarees and cotton bedcovers.
The next day we go to Puri Jagannath Temple, one of the major Dhamsfor the Hindus. (Non-Hindus are not allowed to enter the temple. I will update this blog when I know why). From Ramakrishna Mission we took a Tuk Tuk and the distance is only 2 kms. You can walk up if it’s not too warm.
As I remember from my childhood days as soon as you enter a 100 meters periphery of the temple there will be a number of “Pandas”chasing you to hire them for a seamless Darshan and unadulterated blessings from God. It used to be very difficult to dodge them. However this time around the numbers were very few and only one or two stopped us and when they saw our disinterest to engage with them, quietly walked off. I think this is the result of rapid growth of India, where these “pandas” have found more meaningful livelihoods.
Depositing our shoes and mobile phones outside the temple in a booth we went inside for the Darshan. It was quite seamless and if it’s a bit too crowded wait for 15-20 min and then go in again as the crowd thins very quickly.
There is some major renovation work going on, hence it was not possible to enter the “Grabagriha”, but concluded the Darshan from a bit far. The renovations are going to be on for a few more years.
After visiting Jagannath , don’t forget to pay visits to the other smaller temples around especially Lakshmi Temple and light a lamp. Again if vendors/priests are going to push their religious paraphernalia, just ignore.
Bhog is offered to Lord Jagannath quite a few times during the day and during that time the temple is closed for a short while. This Bhog is available for sale outside in the “bhog” market and you can buy them. We chose not to as we recall in one of our trips the entire family suffered from Dysentry the day we had consumed Bhog.
As you exit, if you are in mood for some hot beverage, tea is readily available. Have some tea and check out the various shops just opposite the temple for some authentic local shopping. Things to buy here areKansa utensils, Local handloom bed sheets and off course “Purir Lathi”. Do buy some cotton wicks being sold outside the temple. The women selling those are really poor.
The one thing constant everyday was a dip in the blue waters of the Bay of Bengal. From that day when I was three and witnessed the sea for the first time, till today it is one love that has been constant. Although I have visited some of the best beaches in the world, Puri beach with its multitude of people, still holds a special place in my heart.
So the daily morning splashing in the waters every day was something that cannot be missed. If you want to get into the deeper waters, hire a“nulia” the local version of the “Baywatch” folks. You will enjoy the ride! No one can be spotted in beach wear here, but mostly nighties and sarees and over sized under wears. But who cares!! Everybody has fun. Best time to visit is October to February. Otherwise it is extremely hot.
The other half a day trip to do while in Puri is the local sightseeing - We hired a Tuk Tuk for INR 500 and he covered the following places. (INR 100 additionally to take us to Totapuri’s Ashram )
He first takes us to Lord Jagannath’s Masir Bari, where during Rath yatraevery year the lord travels to and resided for seven days. The place has lost much of its olden day’s grandeur and upkeep. The priests are almost begging for money. The place is of immense architectural value but sadly the footfalls are very less.
We were then taken to Narendra Tank or Pisir Bari which is average and you can choose to skip.
We then covered Jatia Baba’s Ashram and Samadhi.
Next we moved to Sonar Gouranga in Chakrathirtha road which is a historic temple, but upkeep can be better.
After this we head towards Totapuri’s Ashram which is a bit far from Puri town. Totapuri was the spiritual guru of 19th century mystic Ramakrishna. He spent the last 40 years of his life in this mountain dune and post his demise his Samadhi is here at this very place. This place is maintained pretty well, my guess is somehow the Ram Krishna Mission is involved in the upkeep of this place.
We then head to the Sankarcharya Mutt in Puri. This is very well maintained and they also provide basic lodgings to pilgrims. This place also houses a 2500 years old Bed that was supposedly used by Adi Shankarcharya.
Finally we visit Karar Ashram. The last gift Steve Jobs gave to his family and friends was “The Autobiography of a Yogi” by Yogananda Paramhasa. Yogananda’s guru Sri Yukteshwar Maharaj’s mortal remains rests here at this very place – Karar Ashram.
The place has fallen on hard times, but so are many other historic places in India today.
Tomorrow can be another beautiful morning promising better times ahead.
Photographs: Will be uploaded soon
Write to chaltechalteindia@gmail.com if you have a story to share about Puri or if you are planning a visit, our team will be glad to assist you with a no-obligation itinerary at no cost.
Friday, 9 November 2018
Where The Soul And Senses Are At War..
The sky walk in Dakhineshwar is functional and that is just one part of the story. The other story is not quite as bright.
Those who have visited Dakhineshwar will agree that this pilgrim holds the same appeal for devotees and tourists alike.
In 1875, a miniature replica of Dakhineshwar was constructed in Barrackpore. This is equally beautiful and situated very close to Rani Rashmoni Ghat. This place is popularly called Annapurna Mandir
This plot on which the temple stands, a hundred feet tall, was purchased by Mathur’s (Rani Rashmoni’s son in law) eldest son and therefore, this place is locally referred as the temple built and maintained by Rani Rashmoni’s daughter Jagadamba Devi
Diwali is still in the air. During Kali Puja and Diwali, obviously all Kali temples are crowded. I and my mother decided to visit a Kali temple yesterday. I searched for the images of Annapurna Mandir in Google and was amazed to see the striking similarity between the two – Annapurna Mandir and Dakhineshwar.
I made a mental note of the address (which I soon forgot), visiting time – when the temple remains open, asked a neighbor for directions and got started from home after some rest post lunch.
Frankly, once we boarded the bus, I had no idea what to tell the bus conductor as I did not know the bus stop. My mother asked the lady seated next to her, who said in excited tones, that it is in Monirampore.
I almost believed, God is guiding us only to realize later we ended up in a completely different Kali Temple, which was beautiful however not remotely close to Dakhineshwar. People were busy collecting Prasad.
My school and college were all around that area, so it is a pure pleasure for me to hang out there, anytime. It is a peace trip, and this place is so good that I even mentioned this in one of my story stories.
We saw a couple of pandals based on different themes. It was all worthwhile but then this was not exactly what we had set out for. In fact I had raised my mother’s anticipation so much that I felt guilty about it.
As my phone charge dropped, I called my nephew to quickly Google and give me the exact address and directions to Annapurna Mandir. Within minutes, he gave clear instructions
- a) On B.T.Road, go to Talpukur
- b) Ask for Rani Rashmoni Ghat
So a Toto dropped us in Barrackpore Chiriamore, another auto to Gandhi More. We crossed the road to take another Toto to Annapurana Mandir. As we found none, we just walked and as we walked, our anticipation and expectations soared.
I almost crossed the temple without noticing it because I think there was just one street light and it was quite dark. I was expecting crowd, lights, people’s voices, Dhaak, music – While I was glad to finally find the temple, something inside me snapped. The whole courtyard was so dark.
I did not miss the crowd, lights, voices or music really. I am perfectly alright with the tranquil atmosphere. I was saddened by the state of maintenance of this beautiful structure – It was so similar to Dakhineswar and in such a poor state.
We were very fortunate because we saw mother at this distance (Three arms perhaps). As we stepped down the stairs, a person stopped us to give us bhog. It was all worthwhile. I asked permission and was allowed to click this for the world to see how blissful she is. It was just one more family and us.
I will update this blog soon, after I reach out to a few influential people regarding its maintenance. I will soon go there with my sister during the day and click better photographs to highlight the state of walls and floor before I start a campaign.
I had no plans of going there today. It is only because my mother proposed to visit Kalitemple that I thought of covering this place - Annaparna Mandir.
Now the question is - was it my mother’s idea alone or was it the divine mother’s idea - that I visit his place and see not just the temple, but its state now. Then, with a burning soul fighting with my senses, I use some words, some wisdom, some women power, some world power, some wit to get the authorities go for some really long guilt trip.
Photograph: Editing in process. Will be updated soon.
Photograph: Editing in process. Will be updated soon.
Write to chaltechalteindia@gmail.com if you want to share about any Kali Temple or if you are planning a visit here, our team will be glad to assist you with a no-obligation itinerary at no cost.
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