Asim Bando's KOLKATA BLOG

Kripamoyee Kali Mandir of Baranagar, popularly known as Joy Mitra Kali Bari, is situated on the bank of river Hooghly at Baranagar of Kolkata. Baranagar is a very old place, more than 500 years ago this place was existed.  Famous zaminder Joyram Mitra of Sovabazar established this temple in mid-April of the year 1851. He bought about 3 bighas land at Baranagar from some James saheb and established the temple there similar to Brahmamoyee Kali temple of Mulajor of Shyamnagar.The goddess here is Dakshina Kali (দক্ষিণা কালী). If you walk from 'Kuthi ghat' of Baranagar river bank a few steps ahead, you'll reach to the temple - 171 years old this temple is situated by the side of Hara Kumar Thakur Strand. Twelve temples of lord Shiva are there beside the main temple. The array and formation of these Shiva mandirs are very innovative. Ramakrishna Paramahansa dev used to visit this temple frequently. This temple was erected as 'Navratna' art. But it is not the formal slop...

It says, 'thhan thhan' sound of bell of Kali temple could be heard from the nearby jungle and some say, the then residents of that area installed a big bell there and rang it to alert other residents from the invasion of dacoits. /> Whatever it may be, the area got the peculiar name 'Than thane' (ঠনঠনে) and the Kali temple there too got the name 'Than thane Kali Bari' (ঠনঠনে কালী বাড়ি). In the year 1703 - that means about 320 years ago a Tantrik named Uday Narayan Brahmachari established Siddheswari Kali murti there made of clay. The area was surrounded by jungles at that time. Uday Narayan used to sit on 'Panchamundi Asan' (পঞ্চমুন্ডি আসন) and performed 'sadhana' (সাধনা).  Later, a local trader of Bahir Shimla near Than thane - Ramshankar Ghosh alias Shankar Ghosh erected a pacca 'Aat chala' (আটচালা) and temple (মন্দির) for goddess Kali there in the year 1806. But actualy, the mud temple was founded in the year 1703. By reckoning th...

Firingi Kali Bari is a famous temple of goddess Kali established by Antony Firingi or Antony Kabiyal (who used to compose songs instantly and sing) at Bowbazar Street. Once upon a time this place was a burning ghat (shamshan). Lord Shiva was there in a small room made of sedge leaves  (হোগলা পাতা) in front of sub-stream (খাল) of river Ganges. Kabiyal Antony Firingi regularly attended the Shiva temple. One day, he established there idol of Siddheswari (সিদ্ধেশ্বরী) Kali. Antony appointed Srimanta Pandit as Purohit or priest of Ma Kali. The idol of Siddheswari Kali is very good looking here - the crown of Kali is made of silver, the idol is decorated with various ornaments, the third eye of Ma Kali is not so angry. Irrespective of castes and creeds all the people comes here and pray for their well-being to goddess Kali. A 'Kaath Champa' (কাঠ চাঁপা) tree is there just behind the temple and the lower portion (কাণ্ড) of the tree is looks like the ox of lord Shiva. Many devotees bi...

At this moment, the Maha Puja on the night of Kali puja is about to start at the temple of renowned Dakshineswar temple of Ma Bhabatarini.

            Raja Ramram Mitra was Diwan of Nawab of Murshidabad. He belonged to Dakshin Raarh Kayastha (দক্ষিণ রাঢ় কায়স্থ) community and Mitra family of Konnagar, Hooghly. Once, he came to Gobindapur (now Kolkata) from Murshidabad and had started living here. Ayoddharam was Ramram's son. Their family became prosperous during the time of Ayoddharam. After the War of Plassey, he had to construct residence at Mechobazar (মেছোবাজার) because his earlier residential area was occupied by British to erect new fort (Fort William) there. Ayoddharam had two sons - Kriparam & Jagannath. During the time of property division - Kriparam went to Shunra (শুঁরা) which is now under Beleghata-Phulbagan area (Raja Rajendralal Mitra was the descendant of Kriparam) and Jagannath stayed in his ancestral house. Jagannath's son Ramsundar Mitra (খ্যাদা রাম মিত্র) constructed the palace-like house at 84, Muktaram Babu Street of Chor Bagan. Once that big house was affected b...

            Jagatram Dutta was Diwan of import-export division of East India Company's Patna warehouse. He was the grandson of architect Ramchandra Dutta of Hatkhola area in Kolkata. Jagatram built a big mansion at 78, Nimtala Ghat Street after leaving his ancestral house in the year 1785 approximately. As per the custom of that time, Jagatram too initiated Durga and Kali Puja in his own house at Hatkhola. The mansion was very remarkable as a beautiful architecture, but now it is in dilapidated condition for want of proper maintenance. The conditions of walls and ceilings of Thakurdalan (ঠাকুরদালান) are very poor. The walls and ceilings are cracked, even the beams of ceilings are in extremely bad condition. Rain water drops through the cracked ceiling of roof and as a result, the walls became damped, deformed and the parget by plaster on walls are damaged. They usually cover the damaged portions by curtains during puja and other festivals. Goddess Ka...

                Jagannath Prasad Mitra was the founder of Dorji Para Mitra family. He belonged to Dakshin Raarh Kayastha (দক্ষিণ রাঢ় কায়স্থ) community. Jagannath came to Sutanuti area (now Kolkata) from Ariadaha in search of fortune. His grandson Durgacharan was the 'Court Jeweller' of Nawab Siraj-ud-doula. Besides, he was engaged in several business and had Dewani of Salt. Nilmani Mitra - nephew of Durgacharan was also an honourable person at that time. Prankrishna Mitra - grandson of Nilmani Mitra once made an idol of goddess Kali in his childhood. But by error, he set the left foot (instead of right) of goddess Kali on the chest of lord Shiva. Since then, the family worshipping goddess Kali by keeping the error of Prankrishna made while making the idol. One of the main feature of this family is offering (নৈবেদ্য) butter to goddess Kali by this way: at first, they put a decorated big banana leaf on a big brass container (থালা) and a banan...

                Gurucharan Pramanick was one of the bell and brass metal traders of Bengal and belonged to coppersmith community. He came to Kolkata from Sahagunge of Hooghly district in the first half of eighteenth century and constructed a residential house at Chorbagan-Kansaripara area of central Kolkata. Later, his son Tarak Pramanick was able to flourish the business manifold. He established a dock named Caledonic too in Howrah. Their family is now not in the trade of bell and brass metal, but, the custom of worshipping weight and weighing machine on day after Kali Puja is still in vogue in Pramanick family residing at 154, Tarak Pramanick Road. By the effort of Gurucharan and his son Tarak, - Rathyatra, Raas and Janmastami festival were used to observe by the family. Later, Kali Puja and Durga Puja too included in the list. They worship goddess Kali according to Kalika Puran. The image of scorpion is painted on the left foot of goddes...

                               Ramdulal De - the foremost businessman of nineteenth century, started his life in the house of Madan Mohan Dutta of Hatkhola as 'Bill Sarkar', and after 'Ship Sarkar'. Sarkar was his title. His paternal house was at the village Rekjani of 24-Pgs. He lost his parents in childhood and came to Calcutta with his grandmother. Adult Ramdulal accepted the job of ship business manager of Madan Mohan Dutta. Once, he bought a sinked ship by himself and earned rupees one lakh. But he handed over the entire amount to his employer Madan Mohan Dutta. Mr. Dutta was very pleased to see his honesty and returned the whole amount to Ramdulal. He advised Ramdulal to start a new business of his own. Ramdulal started worshipping various god and goddesses at his own residence of 67E, Beadon Street. It was the last part of nineteenth century. On the day of Kali Puja, the episode of "অলক্ষী বিদা...

After the war of Plassey, to pave the way of construction of new fort (Fort William), the inhabitants of the then Gobindapur (now Kolkata) were been rehabilitated to various areas of Kolkata. The head of this family - Ramgobinda Mitra was Diwan of Nawab Siraj-ud-doula. He was one of the resident of Gobindapur. During the rehabilitation, he constructed his new house (ভদ্রাসন) at 26, Chakraberia Road of Bhawanipur and had started puja of goddess Kali and Durga at 'thakur dalan' (ঠাকুরদালান) of his new house.      It was the middle of nineteenth century. The house was called 'Bhawanipur old Mitra Bari' as there were more Mitra families. The original house (ভদ্রাসন) of Mitra family at Bhawanipur was divided among the members in course of time. Now, the main 'thakur dalan' (ঠাকুরদালান) of 26, Chakraberia Road is not in shape as it was in old time - the four arches (খিলান) out of five were broken gradually and now the puja's are performed at the only 'thaku...

Kali puja at Haripal, Hooghly.

Maha Kali Puja is now being processed at Dakshineswar.

Kali Puja by fruit vendors of Nalikul.

In the year 1873 on this day, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa deb worshipped Sarada Ma as 'Tripura Sundari Debi' (The Divine Mother). To mark the auspicious event, every year, on this day, Phalaharini Kali Puja being performed at every RK Math. This night the special puja also performed at Alambazar Math in Kolkata. Swami Vivekananda came to this Math after returned from Chicago in February, 1897 and stayed at Alambazar Math for one year. He also used to worship goddess Kali and Ramakrishna-Sarada Ma on this day.-- A. B.