Guys You might have heard about the Shakti Peetha , which are significant shrines and pilgrimage in Hinduism. These Shakti Peethas are dedicated to the various forms of Adi Shakti. In the Shakti Peetha there are Adi Shakti Peetha, Maha Shakti Peetha and Shakti Peetha as per Sankara Samhita of Sri Skanda Purana. In this article you will learn about the Kalighat Kali Temple which is one of the four Adi Shakti Peetha.
Kalighat Kali Temple
Kalighat Kali temple is one of the four Adi Shakti Peetha. This temple is dedicated to Goddess Kali. Kalighat was a Ghat sacred to Kali on the old course of the Hooghly river in the city of Kolkata. The name Kolkata is said to have been derived from the word Kalikata devi of Kalighat Temple. The river over a period of time has moved away from the temple. The temple is now on the banks of a small canal called Adi Ganga which connects to the Hooghly. The Adi Ganga was the original course of the river Hooghly. Hence the name Adi Ganga.
Legends of the Temple
According to the famous legend of Goddess Sati who married to Lord Shiva against his father Prajapati Daksha wishes. As a result he insulted Shiva and Sati, and not invited them in the grand Yagya where all the gods were invited. Sati went to yagya even when she was not invited and as a result she was insulted by Daksha. Unable to withstand this insult, Sati sacrificed herself in the fire. Lord Shiva became angry at his wife’s death and wild, grief-stricken Shiva wandered the universe with her half-burnt corpse. To overcome this grief, Shiva has to get rid of Sati’s corpse but his love wouldn’t let him do it. Finally, Lord Vishnu used his Sudarshan Chakra to dismember her body into 51 parts, each of which fell on different places on the earth, each creating a Shakti Pitha. The Kalighat Kali Temple was the place where the toes of the right foot of Sati fell and now it is revered as the holiest place to worship goddess Sati.
The mythological texts which include the Kalika Purana, recognize the four major Shakti Peethas—Bimala where resides the Pada Khanda, Tara Tarini housing the Stana Khanda, Kamakhya, Yoni khanda and Dakshina Kalika, Mukha khanda originated from the lifeless body of the goddess Sati.
References From :-
