Dakshineswar Temple

- Sreelekha Banerjee

A member of the Choir

Monday, May 12, 2025

Dakshineswar has always been at the center of my life since childhood. Growing up in a Brahmo school environment and a religiously liberal household, I guess the lack of overwhelming and imposing rituals at Ramkrishna Mission and Dakshineswar always attracted me.

I could connect myself with Dakshineswar so dearly as it patronizes praying from one's own heart. No mantras, no priests are needed to reach the Dear Goddess. No incense sticks, candles or flowers are needed to pray to Kali Ma. As Thakur preached, Goddess is one's very own; he considered Her as Ma, sometimes as daughter, all that is needed is a spirituality and devotion. Not to be overshadowed by strict religious practices, he believed if one can call ‘Ma Kali’ from the bottom his heart She is bound to respond. Ma Kali cannot turn away the children, just as a mother cannot stay away when a child needs her.

This time we went to the temple in the evening around 7pm with my family. On our way to the temple we deposited our shoes and personal effects to the locker, and bought a prasad box. The temple had only a handful of devotees as it was late in the evening. First we went around the 12 shiva temples by the Ganges. From the Shiva temples as we looked around, on one side the Ganges was beautifully lighted and on the other side the temple premises looked ethereal.  The entire ambience was very serene and peaceful.  Then we went up the stairs to the temple, the priest touched the prasad box and gave back to me. After this short formal worship we stood in front of Ma Bhabatarini for our own prayers. There was no rush, we stood there with a strange feeling of devotion. The idol of Bhabatarini, the household look of Kali captivated me. The calm, benevolent deity seemed to be a loving mother of all, who can be seated in the heart without fear and prejudice.

My heart filled with emotion as I imagined this is where Thakur prayed everyday calling Kali as Ma and keenly seeking for her Darshan. Thakur earned the holy Darshan of Kali many times in this place sometimes as a strong light, sometimes as Ma and sometimes as a little girl or daughter. This is also the place where Sarada Moni, Thakur’s wife also spent her life praying. Sarada Moni also was very devoted to Ma Kali and followed her husband's path, sacrificing above all material desires. Thoughts of Thakur being an incarnation of Narayan and Saradamoni that of Lakshmi crossed my mind as I stood with folded hands.

Then we went to visit the Naat Mandir in front of the temple to get a view of the Temple and the Deity together. Naat Mandir is a space in front of the main temple, where performances were offered to God. Strangely enough we saw a group of singers were singing Bhaisnavi songs in the Naat Mandir, dedicating to Kali and Thakur and depicting Thakur's true belief on unity of God.

Naren also met Thakur in this temple and asked for guidance on his struggling financial situation. Thakur asked him to go to Kali and ask for whatever he needed. Naren went in thrice and every time he could ask for devotion, renunciation, and knowledge. He could not ask for money. Over time he became thakur’s most acclaimed devotee and the monk Swami Vivekananda, who was one of the greatest preachers of Hinduism in India and abroad. Story goes that someone complained to Thakur about Naren eating meat. Thakur's response to the person was that; even if he had simple boiled rice for rest of his life he will not be an inch closer to Naren's spirituality. Such was the connection between Thakur and Vivekananda. Later he built the Ram Krishna Mission keeping the philosophy of liberal thoughts and that spirituality as the primary focus. God lies in every human and serving humanity is service to God, was one of Vivekananda's ideology.

It would be incomplete if I do not mention the great Lady Rani Rashmoni in this context. The Dakshineswar temple was established by Rani Rashmoni, who saw Kali in her dreams asking for prayer. Thakur's brother and then Thakur were appointed priests for this temple in sequence.

This time I bought a saree for the Goddess and the salesman in the store asked me who was this for? When I told him, he asked me to pray for everyone and so did I. How can you or I be fine in an isolated way, when people around us are suffering? She is the mother of this big infinite world and need a collective blessing!

The doors of the temple closed around 7:45pm with conch blowing and we left with a heart full of peace and serenity. As we drove off a sense of fulfillment engulfed, as the mind was overwhelmed with respect for Thakur, Ma, Swamiji and deep love for Ma Kali.