Adi Karunamoyee Kali Mandir of Raiganj

 Today, in the word Kali, there is a Kali temple in the north, Raiganj, a capital city of North Bengal. Raiganj has been the capital city since North Dinajpur became part of Dinajpur. Raiganj Port is located on the bank of Kulik River. Adi Karunamayi Kali Mandir is located at the junction of three small roads. The estimated age of the temple is more than 200 years. The name of saint Bama Kshyapa is associated with this temple.

Even today the successors of Sadhak Bamakshyapa are in charge of this temple. It is said that once upon a time traders used to go to trade with barges through Kulik river. Now there is no way, Kulik's trajectory is very straight. But even today mother is worshiped at the port of Raiganj on Kartik Amavasya Tithi.

Even today, on the night of Kali Puja, the sound of mother's footsteps can be heard from the temple. Many have seen the goddess walking. There are many stories about the worship of the original Kalibari of Raiganj port. This Kali Puja is about 500 years old. It is one of the oldest and popular Kali Pujas of Uttar Dinajpur district.

On the night of Kalipuja, many people from neighboring districts and other states also flock to the original Kalibari of Raiganj port. On the night of Kalipuja, many devotees come from other districts including Kolkata as well as from Odisha, Bihar and even Bangladesh to this original Kalibari of Raiganj port. No one knows how many years ago this Kalibari puja of Raiganj port started.

It is heard that this puja was practiced about five and a half hundred years ago. For siddhilav, a saint from Punjab province walked and established panchamundi asana under a tree in the port area on the bank of Kulik river and sat in sadhana. He also succeeded. Then he left. Since then Kali Puja started at this panchamundi altar. Then after many miracles, the temple was built here.

It is said that the mother used to walk here since the altar was established. Mother's footsteps could be heard at night. The king of Dinajpur got the dream of his mother and built a temple at this place. After the construction of the temple, saint Janakinath Chattopadhyay, the successor of Bamakshyapa, brought the hard stone idol of the mother from Benares and placed it in the temple in 1216. Since then daily worship started in this temple.

Locals believe that the mother Kali of Adi Mandir is very awake, praying to her will bring fulfillment. In ancient times, merchants used to visit this temple while going for trade through the Kulik river. Earlier, on the night of Kali Puja, boats used to crowd the ghats next to the temple.

However, there is a difference of opinion about when the puja started here. Some say that the descendants of Saint Bamakhayapa started this puja. They were the ones who served the original Kalimandir.

Every year on the day of Dasahra Ganga Puja, Maa Puja is performed on the occasion of the foundation anniversary of the temple. Apart from the day of Kali Puja, puja is performed in this temple on special days. It is said that in the year 1809 of English and 1216 of Bengal, during the reign of the Maharaja of Uttar Dinajpur, the statue of mother of hard stone was established by the hand of saint Janakinath Chattopadhyay on the tenth tithi of Shukla in the month of Jaishthyama.

Another group says that in 1216 Bangabd, the king of Dinajpur got Sapnadesh and built the Kali temple at this place. After that, Jankinath Chattopadhyay, a descendant of Bamakhayapa, the Mahasadhak of Tarapeeth, brought the Kalimurthy of Harupipatha from Varanasi and established it at Panchamundi seat. Since then, the port of that idol is being worshiped at Karunamayi Kalibari. It is said that about five hundred years ago in 1470, a saint from Punjab arrived on foot at the port of Kulik River in Raiganj.

He achieved success by building Panchamundi seat under a banyan tree near the ghat. Since then the worship of Kali started in Raiganj. The temple stands there today. The banyan tree still exists in the temple premises. The stone idol is estimated to be more than 200 years old. The Panchamundi altar inside the temple is estimated to be more than 500 years old.

This temple is a witness of many history. Mother did not have any temple at that time. A group of dacoits in the forested area used to worship the mother at that seat. They used to perform mother's puja twice while going for robbery and after returning. Later, rich traders also visited this altar while going to trade or returning. There was no fear of being robbed.

Later, word of the greatness of this place spread. Others say that his temple was built on the will of his mother. Around 1808, Maharaja Tarakanath Chowdhury of Dinajpur in undivided Bengal built a temple here on the advice of his mother. It was he who gave the responsibility of Puja in this temple to Janaki Nath Chatterjee, successor of Sadhak Bamakshyapa. In 1809, Janaki Nathbabu brought a hard stone idol from Benares and installed the Matri Murti. which is still present in this temple.

After a long time, the city of Raiganj was built next to this port ghat. In ancient times this river port was known as Raiganj. From that ancient time, the five male descendants of Bam Dev are the chief priests of this temple. On the night of Kalipuja, Saptasati Chandipath and Homam are held here. There is also the practice of animal sacrifice as worship is done according to Tantra. This ancient puja has now taken the form of universal Kali Puja. Locals believe that the goddess of this temple is very awake.