Kalyaneshwari Mandir is one of the holy shrines of Goddess Kali located near Maithon, Asansol, West Bengal on the banks of River Barakar. This is another place of religious importance near Asansol apart from the Ghagorburi Temple.
The temple is 500 years old and was established in the year 1377 by Garpanchokot Raj.
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The temple has many historical stories and mysteries. The name “Maithon” is derived from the hindi saying “Mai Ka Sthan,” meaning the place for the Hindu Goddess Maa Kalyaneshwari.
In this article, you will get to know about the following points about Maa Kalyaneshwari Temple,
Let’s see each of these points in detail.
Location of Maa Kalyaneshwari Temple
The temple is just at a distance of 5-7 KMs from Barakar and 600 meters from NH-19. It is a 4-hour drive away from Kolkata.
Check out available trains and buses from Kolkata to Asansol.
Many tourists from Jharkhand and West Bengal visit the temple as it is present on Bengal Jharkhand Border. Many arrive by private cabs or by bus from Asansol or Barakar bus stoppage.
Timings of Maa Kalyaneshwari Temple
The temple remains open to all visitors from morning 6 AM till 8 PM in the evening.
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Places to Stay near Maa Kalyaneshwari Temple
There are several accommodations near the temple like Tara Maa Lodge, Jatri Nivas. You can find these lodges on the side of the road by taking a left turn from Kalyaneshwari Mandir.
The road goes towards the Maithon Dam which is at a distance of 5km from the temple.
You can also stay at Asansol if you are planning to visit the temple. You can also find hotels in Asansol at the best prices at,
The nearest airport to this temple is the Durgapur (Andal) Airport. You have to take a car from there to the temple via GT Road.
History and Significance of Maa Kalyaneshwari Temple
The Kalyaneshwari temple holds some mysteries dating back almost 500 years.
It is said that a Brahmin priest who lived there with his family used to worship the goddess Kalyaneshwari. One fine day due to some reasons he was late for the worship. He told his daughter to wait on the Puja mattress till he came back. But unfortunately, the goddess assumed his daughter as the main Prasadam and accepted her.
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When the priest returned, he was spellbound to see that his daughter was not there and realized what had happened. When he begged for his daughter, Devi Maa arrived and told that she wished to be worshipped by mothers who desire to have a child or who face miscarriages or fail to give birth.
After accepting the advice given by the goddess, she gave back life to his daughter.
It is believed that Kalyaneshwari Ma fulfills the desires of all childless mothers.
The modern-day temple of Devi Maa has been replenished and renewed by the Hindu Raja Hari Gupta of Kashipur. It is said that the Hindu Raja received Maa Kalyaneshwari as a gift of dowry. Devi Maa came in palanquin along with his wife to Sabarpur.
Hari Gupta built a temple for Devi Maa in Sabarpur. But later on, the temple was shifted to its present-day location. Maharaja dreamt of Devi Maa saying she felt extremely disturbed due to the clamor and constant noise of the husking pedal and milling of wheat and rice in the village. Hence Maharaja shifted her temple to Kalyaneswari forest for her gratification. Still, some of the remnants of the original temple are there in Sabarpur.
It is also said that there were dominance of dacoits in this area in the remote past and humans were even sacrificed for the purpose.
About Maa Kalyaneshwari Temple
There are a lot of shops outside the temple selling garlands and other puja materials. They also have sweets like “Pyenra” and “Nakuldana” which are very popular in Bengal. These are mainly offered to the goddess during Puja.
Devi Maa resides in the temple wearing a red piece of cloth holding a baby in her hands. Kalyaneshwari Maa is present in a small cave in the temple. Outside the cave is a small Ashtadhatu Kali Maata idol which is actually being worshipped as Kalyaneswari Devi.
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Generally, Maa Kali temples perform arati twice a day but in this temple only morning Arati is performed. “Sondhya Arati” is not performed here as it was not performed in the original temple in Sabarpur as well.
The priests used to close the Temple before dusk and the tradition of sandhya arati was not performed since then. It is known that the reason for this is because there were disturbances of wild animals in the forest areas.
The backside of the temple has a small stream flowing with a gurgling sound that cuts across the granite terrains. The area is surrounded by greenery.
People all over India believe that Devi Kalyaneshwari is very active and awake and saves her devotees from obstacles and blesses them.
Other attractions near Maa Kalyaneshwari Temple
| Attractions | Distance from Maa Kalyaneshwari Temple |
|---|---|
| Maithon Dam | 3.5 km |
| Nehru Park | 26 km |
| Gar Panchakot | 28 km |
| Ghagar Buri Chandi Mata Temple | 23 km |
| Panchet Dam | 18 km |
Other Religious Places To Visit In West Bengal
- ISKCON Radha Govinda Temple (Kolkata) – Timings, Address
- Ras Mancha (Bishnupur) – Timings, Ticket Price, History
- Lalji Temple (Bishnupur) – Timings, Ticket Price, History
- 5 Temples And Attractions To Visit In Belur Math (West Bengal)
- Belur Math (Howrah) West Bengal – 6 Points To Know About
- Ichhai Ghosher Deul (Gourangapur) – 6 Points To Know About
