Sunday, March 1, 2020

Kankalitala Shakthi Peeth, Bolpur, West Bengal

Kankalitala Shakthi Peeth, Bolpur, West Bengal
Kankalitala Shakthi Peeth is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Goddess Sati, located in Kankalitala in Bolpur subdivision of Birbhum district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The Temple is situated on the banks of Kopai river. The Temple is believed to be one of the 51 Shakti Peethas. Being one of the Shakti Peethas of Hindu Mythology, this temple is one of the holiest sites for devotees of the Shakti sect of Hinduism.




Legends
For brief details, please refer below link;
The Temple
There is no deity statue made of stone, clay, or metal in the sanctum. Only, a framed painting depicting the goddess Kali standing on top of her husband Lord Shiva can be seen. The Sanctum is a small room crowned by a curved pyramidal roof, ornamented with a metal spire. Nat Mandir is a rectangular raised platform can be found in front of the sanctum. Though, painting of Kali is considered sacred, but the most sacred in this Temple is the Kund (temple tank) located next to the Temple.




This Kund is a small shallow pond that is surrounded by a protective concrete wall topped with red fencing. It is believed that fall of Sati’s waist created a depression in the earth which later filled up with water and formed the sacred Kund. It is repeatedly told that the actual body part now lies underneath this water. Harikath, a device used for the ritual sacrifice of goats can be found next to the sacred Tree. The temple complex also boasts a large cremation ground.




The deity is accompanied by her divine consort, Ruru Bhairav, consecrated as a Shiva Lingam inside the Shiva Temple close to the entrance of the temple complex. But the Shiva lingam is placed under the ground and devotees have to pour water and offerings on the pit of the broken Lingam. Once the lingam used to be huge but during the Muslim invasion during the 16th century by the notorious Kala Pahar, the lingam was broken.




There is a sacred tree on the opposite side of the Sanctum. It can be noticed that numerous stones had been tied up in the tree by the devotees. This is a Bengali folk tradition associated with fertility. These rocks are tied to trees as offerings to be blessed with pregnancy and a safe childbirth. There is a unique formation of Shiva Lingam on this Tree.




Festivals
Holi, Navaratri, Vijaya Dashami, Sharad Poornima, Deepawali, Annakuta, Makar Sankranti and Shiva Ratri are the festivals celebrated here.
Connectivity
The Temple is located at about 5 Kms from Prantik Railway Station, 9 Kms from Santiniketan, 9 Kms from Bolpur Railway Station, 9 Kms from Bolpur Bus Stand, 67 Kms from Bardhaman, 168 Kms from Kolkata Airport and 176 Kms from Kolkata. The Temple is situated on Bolpur to Labhpur Road. One can hire a taxi or take a rickshaw from Bolpur to reach this Temple.
Location

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