Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple

Introduction about the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple

Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple is a temple located in Bangladesh. The Hindu temple is dedicated to Goddess Kali. The temple is one of the 51 Peeths of Sati. A Peeth is where the burning parts of Sati fell while Lord Shiva carried her on his shoulders; it was the part of Shiva's Rudra Tandava.

As per Hindu mythology, Sati, the wife of Lord Shiva, threw herself in the fire of yagna when his father, Daksha, insulted her husband, Lord Shiva. This burnt Sati, and she died. Seeing her wife dead and burnt, Shiva couldn't bear his pain; he came into his Rudra roop and started roaming the whole Earth, carrying Sati on her shoulders.

During this journey, the places where the burnt body parts of Goddess Sati fell became the Peethas. Hence there are a total of 51 Shakti Peethas all around South Asia. These Peethas are significant because they contain the part of the Goddess; hence, every Peetha is a built temple that worships some avatar of the Goddess.

The Creation Of The Temple

The legend says that once, General Maharaja Pratapaditya saw a ray of light coming from the bushes. He then went closer and found that it was coming from a stone in the shape of a human palm.

Later, Pratapaditya built this temple for Goddess Kali, and she was also known as the "Goddess of Jessore," as she was named after Jessore, a city in Bangladesh. Anari was a Brahmin who is believed to be the creator of this 100-door temple. He created it for the Jeshoreshwari Peeth, but the exact time of the building is unknown. Later, Laxman Sen and Pratapaditya modified the temple as needed.

The exact location of the temple is Ishwaripur, a village in Shyamnagar. The temple attracts tourists from all the corners of the nearby countries. The priest performs the worship every Saturday and Tuesday afternoon. Before 1971, there was a ritual of daily worship that was not followed anymore. The temple also conducts a ceremony on Kali puja every year. During this time, a fair is organized within the temple premises, which becomes an attraction point for tourists and locals.

The Significance Of The Temple

Some parts of Bangladesh hold a deep devotion to the Goddess. Such a part is Jessore, also known as Johor. This is not a tourist place, however; the place facilitates the journey between Khulna and the Indian border at Benapole. This is a small town with narrow streets where the market remains busy while having many roadside stalls and grocery shops.

When the war of 1971 happened, it left the majority of the temple collapsed; only the pillars remained intact. Hence these pillars still hold more significance than other parts. The structure was then redesigned and strengthened to worship the Goddess.

Here the shape of the Goddess's palm is considered essential and is believed to have the power of the Goddess. It is considered the hand of the Goddess herself, which holds immense spiritual power. The Goddess removes all her devotees' fears, and she is in the Abhaya mudra. During the puja, all the devotees in the town gather here and gain the blessings of the Goddess.

Jashoreshwari Shakti Peetha is visited by everyone regardless of any religious division. Thousands of people come here from Bangladesh and other countries to glance at the Goddess and Lord Shiva. The temple celebrates Goddess Kali during the annual puja with great pomp and devotion. Here devotees surrender themselves to the Goddess, who washes away all their sins and clears the sense of ego from them. It is believed that by gaining the blessings of the Goddess, their soul becomes closer to salvation.

Here the statue of Kali is different; her fierce fire is directed inwards, which dissolves the impurities and ego. The Peetha is significant for one's spiritual journey, which makes the aatma meet the parmathma. By worshipping the Goddess here, we become a more enlightened version of ourselves. Every year the devotees participate in the Kali Puja, which occurs in the months of Navratri in the Ashwija month or October.