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The Mythical Link Between Nilgiris and Kolkata Kali Temple
Ooo: As the Maha Kali temple (Mangali Gudi in Badaga) at Dimbatty in Kotagiri in the Nilgiris celebrates its centenary with Maha Kumbhabhishekam, the Nilgiri Documentation Center (NDC) has revealed the interesting mythological connection between the Nilgiris and the famous Kali temple at Kalighat in Kolkata.
NDC director D. Venugopal said Nilgiris’ reputation as a sacred mountain has gone down in history. According to 18th century legend, one look at the Nilgiris hills would cleanse a person from all his sins. People living in the surrounding plains believed that the hills were the abode of the Gods and that anyone who went up would not return alive. For the indigenous people of the Nilgiris, mountains and peaks remain sacred and objects of worship. Similarly, the 10-day Durga Puja held in Kolkata also has an interesting mythological connection with the Nilgiris.
According to the book ‘Fixed and Changing Faces of the Goddess: Goddess Traditions of Asia’, a legend associates the beginning of the Kalighat temple where Durga Puja was held with a devotee named Brahmananda Giri who meditated for Goddess Kali alone in the Nilgiri hills. Since the Goddess would not appear to him, he decided to commit suicide, at which point the Goddess appeared to him, assuring him that she would never leave him unless he asked her to leave.
It is later believed that another devotee joined him and Goddess Kali decided to take them to the site of her future temple. He gave them a stone to hold and close their eyes, and a moment later they found themselves in Kalikshetra. Mr. Venugopal stated that following the instructions of the goddess, they went north, placed the stone in the present Kalighat and started worshiping it, which led to widespread Kali worship.
According to the book ‘Fixed and Changing Faces of the Goddess: Goddess Traditions of Asia’, a legend associates the beginning of the Kalighat temple where Durga Puja was held with a devotee named Brahmananda Giri who meditated for Goddess Kali alone in the Nilgiri hills. Since the Goddess would not appear to him, he decided to commit suicide, at which point the Goddess appeared to him, assuring him that she would never leave him unless he asked her to leave.
It is later believed that another devotee joined him and Goddess Kali decided to take them to the site of her future temple. He gave them a stone to hold and close their eyes, and a moment later they found themselves in Kalikshetra. Mr. Venugopal stated that following the instructions of the goddess, they went north, placed the stone in the present Kalighat and started worshiping it, which led to widespread Kali worship.
