Goddess Kali is most worshiped in West Bengal. That is why the state is full of Kali temples. During my recent visit to Kolkata, I came across many Kali temples. But the one that really amazed me was the Dakat Kalibari Temple. Animal sacrifices are a normal practice in many Kali temples. But there was a time long ago when people were sacrificed here.
The Dakat Kalibari Temple is located on Purna Das Road in the city. It is just like any other vibrant street of Kolkata. The temple is located in a compound. When I visited the place, I was impressed by the old-fashioned decor, which indicated that it was an ancient temple. To me it looked like any other ancient temple, until I was told that bandits once performed human sacrifices here.
I was obviously stunned by this revelation, but there was more to come. The people who run the temple have also kept the area and the trident where human sacrifices took place intact for over a century, as you can see in the picture below. One look at it gave me many feelings of what it could have looked like if such sacrifices took place in this place.
It is assumed and as reported by The statesman that brothers Raghu Ghosh and Bidhu Bhushan Ghosh installed the deity in the temple about five centuries ago. They worked as daily wagers during the day and transformed themselves into bandits at night. Their group was called Raghu Dakater Dal. Before leaving for each dacoity, they offered human sacrifices and roasted fish to the goddess to gain her blessings for their ‘mission’.
Despite being a bandit, Raghu was worshiped as a messiah or demigod by the poor and needy because of the help he provided them.
It is clear that no one dared to venture through the temple for fear of being caught and killed during the sacrifice. But once a devotee named Ram Prasad passed through the temple area and was caught by the dacoits to offer him as an offering to the Goddess. He begged Raghu to grant him one last wish: to sing a hymn to the Goddess. Since Raghu was an ardent devotee of Kali, he agreed to the wish.
Photos courtesy: Roshni Sarkar
When Ram Prasad sang, Raghu and the other dacoits were mesmerized by his singing and devotion to the Goddess. It is believed that during this time Raghu had a vision of Kali Mata and he realized that the practice of human sacrifice had to be stopped. It is also believed that Raghu became a follower of Ram Prasad from now on. This is how the practice of human sacrifice was stopped in this temple.
Today, this temple is a peaceful place where both locals and tourists throng.
Also read: Who is Lord Khandoba and why is he worshiped?
