Chittaranjan Park Kali Mandir

Coordinates: 28°32′12″N 77°14′51″E / 28.53667°N 77.24750°E / 28.53667; 77.24750
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

28°32′12″N 77°14′51″E / 28.53667°N 77.24750°E / 28.53667; 77.24750

Chittaranjan Park Kali Mandir
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
DistrictChittaranjan Park
DeityLord (Shiva)
Location
LocationChittaranjan Park
StateNew Delhi
CountryIndia
Chittaranjan Park Kali Mandir at sunrise. The entrance to the main kali temple can be seen at center. The Bengali-majority colony of Chittaranjan Park in the background.

Chittaranjan Park Kali Mandir (Chittaranjan Park Kali Bari) is a temple complex and

Bengali community during annual Durga Puja festivities.[1]

The temple also hosted its first Durga Puja in 1977, a tradition that continues to date.[2]

History

It was founded in 1973, on land designated by the nascent EPDP colony, and a small temple to

Bengal terracotta temple architecture. This was followed by two temples, one for Shiva and the other for Radha-Krishna
. The temples was overlaid with elaborate terracotta designs around 2006–2009.

The Kali Mandir is a hub of Bengali activity owing to the high density of Bengalis residing in Chittaranjan Park. Managed by the Chittaranjan Park Kali Mandir Society, it organizes a number of cultural and religious events throughout the year.

Pujas and Festivals

Religious functions include the major five-day festival of

Saraswati Puja, Ganesh Chaturthi etc. The mandir attracts a large volume of donations from devotees, particularly during the Durga Puja period.[5] There is also a small atelier where artists create the earthen idols of durga and other goddesses.[6]

The Mandir also houses a large library with books on various aspects of Bengali culture and runs bengali language classes for those wishing to learn bangla. A number of cultural programmes and competitions are organized for children. The mandir also manages a guest house.

Gallery

  • Kali mandir facade, from the main access direction, with Shiva (left) and Radhakrishna (right) temples. The temples themselves open on the other side.
    Kali mandir facade, from the main access direction, with Shiva (left) and Radhakrishna (right) temples. The temples themselves open on the other side.
  • Kali idol at the mandir
    Kali idol at the mandir
  • Durga Puja at Chittaranjan Park Kali Mandir (2004): the large durga idol is physically lifted onto a truck while devotees offer their tearful goodbyes.
    Durga Puja at Chittaranjan Park Kali Mandir (2004): the large durga idol is physically lifted onto a truck while devotees offer their tearful goodbyes.

References

  1. ^ "City pandals step up security ahead of Puja". Indian Express. 6 October 2008.
  2. ^ "How community pujas came about". India Today. 25 September 2009.
  3. The Pioneer
    . Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  4. ^ "Durgotsav '98: Kali Mandir, Chittaranjan Park, New Delhi". Durgotsav98.tripod.com. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  5. ^ a b "Slowdown fails to dampen puja spirits : What's Hot: News India Today". India Today. 25 September 2009. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  6. Indian Express. Archived from the original
    on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2011.

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chittaranjan_Park_Kali_Mandir&oldid=1213129176"