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Kalighat
is situated on the bank of Adi (old) Ganga in the south-western
border of Calcutta. This is a sacred pilgrimage center for the
Hindus.
It is believed that the swirling wheel of Lord Vishnu had sliced
off the corpse of Goddess Sati, when Lord Shiva was performing
his menacing dance (Pralay) with her on his shoulders, in a fit of tremendous
rage. The slices of her body fell at different places which later
turned into pilgrimage centers for the devout Hindus. Kalighat
is one such sacred spot where a toe of the Goddess's right foot
is believed to have dropped. In the months of Bhadra, Paush and
Chaitra (according to Bengali calendar), Kalighat turns into a confluence of devout
Bengali and non-Bengali pilgrims.
There are different opinions regarding the age of this prominent
pilgrimage centre. This spot is not mentioned in any old books, Puranas
(mythologies) or elsewhere. It is found
in the Bengali books of the 17th/18th centuries as well as some
Government documents. In the guide-map of Calcutta (1742), the 'road to Kalighat' has been delineated.
'Kalighat' is also mentioned
in Hallwell's compositions.
Santosh Roy, the descendant of Sabarna Roychowdhury of Barisha, had founded the Kali temple
at Kalighat. He constructed this temple
in 1809. The Birlas had made the present 'Toran' or arch-portal
of the Kali temple. The Nakuleshwar Mandir stands in front of the Kali
temple. Tara Singh, a Punjabi merchant had founded this temple.
It was built in 1805. Kalighat started to gain prominence simultaneously
with the growth and development of Calcutta. During this time, an indigenous
canvas art emerged in Kalighat. It
became popular as 'Kalighat Pot' (canvas art of Kalighat).
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