INCREDIBLE VISAKHAPATNAM-UNIQUE TEMPLE.

“Candid cogitation” posted a very interesting blog about Visakhapatnam and ended it by appreciating the beautiful Ramakrishna beach. However he missed the unique Kali temple on the Ramakrishna beach.

The temple was built by Sri Dayand Bannerjee from Calcutta who walked into the port city from Calcutta during the WWII time. He started his career as a stevedore, rose to the rank of a Director and earned name, fame and wealth.

One fine morning in 1982 he decided to build a KALI MANDIR on a site on the beach where he had originally planned to build a beautiful rest house for his family. Although the site even in 1982 was prime real estate and a rest house on the beach would have been a great asset for generations of their family, all his family members stood by his decision and applauded him. Mr Bannerjee spending his entire wealth completed the construction of the temple and got the temple consecrated by “Amsha” of Dakshineswari of Calcutta and “Bhabatararini Mata”and the idol installed on 18^th October 1984 according to the prescribed rites amidst Vedic hymns and pooja.

Basically the temple is a miniature replica of the Kali temple at Dakshineshwar Calcutta. The steeples like poles normally seen in churches all over the world sticking out of domes reminiscent of mosques are almost the same. But the similarity ends there.

The temple is fortunately so located and designed that the rays of the rising sun always touch the feet of the Goddess each morning whatever the declination of the sun may be. The Goddess has an uninterrupted view of the Bay of Bengal throughout the year. The soothing sea breeze always keeps her cool.

The Kalimatha of this temple is always benign and a smile adorns her face in place of a frown or scowl or anger. She is therefore affectionately referred to as “loving mother” by the locals and worshipped with great devotion.

The temple was expanded later to include other deities Lord Siva, Vinayaka, Hanuman and Naagendra Swamy. Buddha on a pillar is also given the pride of the place.

The most important feature of this temple is that it doesn’t have the ubiquitous “hundy” where the devotees deposit their offerings. The excellent maintenance, daily running and several activities of the temple are financed by “Bhabatarani charitable trust” a charitable trust which includes some prominent and wealthy citizens of the city. The onerous task of heading the trust was passed on by Mr Bannerjee to his learned daughter Dr Sudeepta Bannerjee, a Professor of English Andhra University. The devotees are advised to offer only flowers to the goddess. However the petty cash offerings if any go to the priests who have been provided accommodation within the temple complex. In the interests of the cleanliness the offerings of coconuts are broken at a marked place and the broken pieces are offered to the Goddess.

The temple is supposed to have used bamboo reinforced concrete for construction. Secondly the Shiva temple has two “Nandi”s the smaller facing the Lord and the bigger one facing south. The stories about these two facets of the temple differ among the devotees.

The temple undertakes apart from the poojas and distribution of Prasadam on important occasions, social work to help the poor and needy in education and medical help. The trust also organises classes in music and various forms of dance in the temple premises. A good library of books on spiritual education is in the offing. The trust also organises a group of expert swimmers to act as life guards during the immersion ceremony of several festivals.

A visit to the temple is an education and a great revelation as the crowds that throng to the temple conduct themselves in a very orderly fashion without any additional staff. The temple and its surroundings are always maintained immaculately clean. The credit for the efficient running of the temple should go to Dr Sudeepta Bannerjee who attends the temple everyday and keeps a watchful eye all the time. She is assisted by her brother Sudeep who retired as Chief Manager of the State Bank of India and a band of devotees.

The temple illuminated to delineate its structural lines completely during the festive season of Pooja or Dussera is a sight for the Gods and a great attraction for tourists. All the local citizens of the city of destiny owe their gratitude to the noble soul of Sri Dayanand Bannerjee who gave away prime land which would have fetched his family today a princely sum and constructed the temple solely by using his personal funds. The city literally wept when he breathed his last on 16^th Jan 1992.

A visit to the incredible Visakhapatnam would be incomplete in many ways without a visit to this unique temple.  

A visit to the temple would also be rewarding as it would provide an opportunity to visit me and share a B/L as I live within a stone’s throw from the temple.