February 26, 2007

Kolkata, Religious Places To Visit.

Kalighat Temple:

Kalighat Temple,Kolkata

The Kalighat Temple is one of the pithasthans of Hindus in India. The legend says that the little toe of Sati, wife of Lord Shiva, fell in this place. Since then it has been an important pilgrimage site. But the temple is dedicated to the destructive side of Shiva which takes the form of Kali. She requires sacrifice daily to satisfy her blood lust so every morning goats are sacrifices on the alter of the temple. The present Kali temple was built in 1809 by the Subarna Roychowdhury family on the site of an ancient temple. It is also known as the Kalighat temple.

Dakhineshwar Temple:

Dakhineshwar Temple

The famous Dakhineshwar Temple, located in Dakhineshwar was built in 1847 and completed in 1855 by Rani Rashmoni. This temple is associated with one of India’s greatest religious philososphers - Shri Ramakrishna Paramahansa. It is where he attained his enlightenment. The main temple is dedicated to Goddess Kali. It is called the Navaratna Temple. Here there is a silver lotus with a thousand petals. The Kali temple is surrounded by 12 other temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Panchavati, a congregation of five ancient trees, is a spot for peaceful meditation.

Birla Mandir:

Birla Mandir, Kolkata In this temple messages from the Bhagavad Gita have been carved on marble. Inside this 48.7m high temple are idols of Radha, Krishna, Shiva and Durga.
It is Located adjacent to the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club, not far from Gariahat market, it is one of the latest addition to the city’s list of tourist spots. It took 26 years and 180 million rupees to build. The gates were opened to the public in 1996. Sandstone has been used on the exterior of the temple, and marble for the interiors. Traditional artistry, coupled with modern technology, has lent uniqueness to the architecture. Sculptors were brought in from Agra, Mirzapur and Muzaffarpur to execute the intricate patterns on the walls. There are artefacts made of silver and Belgian glass.

Pareshnath Jain Temple:

Pareshnath Jain Temple

The Pareshnath Jain Temple is a beautiful temple in Kolkata built in 1867,the temple is laid out amidst a very beautiful and attractive garden.

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February 12, 2007

India, A Religious Country

Religious Places To Visit

The Kamakhya Temple

Kamakhya Temple

The Kamakhya Temple in Assam is one of the most venerated Shakti shrines in India, and is regarded as one of the Shakti Peethams associated with the legend of Shiva and Daksha Yagna.

Kamakhya is located on a hill - Neelachala Parvat or Kamagiri near the city of Guwahati in Assam. Shakti, residing on the Kamagiri hill is known as Kamakhya, the granter of desires. Assam traditionally has been known as the Kamarupa Desa and has been associated with Tantric practices and Shakti worship.

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The Hayagriva temple

Hayagriva temple
The Hayagriva temple at Hajo in Assam, near Guwahati is an ancient one, and it enshrines Vishnu as Hayagriva (an incarnation of Vishnu in the form of a human being with a horse’s head). The hillock on which this temple is housed is known as Manikoota Parvata.

Manikoota or Hajo has been a center of worship for both Hindus and Buddhists. While Buddhists regard the image of worship as that of Buddha, the Hindus regard it as that of Vishnu as Narasimha.

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