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Read MoreShakti Pith #19: Kalighat Kali Mandir
228 574 228 574 Early medieval accounts of the shakti piths (centers of power) cite Kalighat as the dwelling place of a particularly fierce manifestation of the goddess, known as Dakshina (“south-facing”) Kalika. Once surrounded by a dense jungle...
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Read MoreShakti Pith #47: The Mahishamardini Mandir of Bakreshwar
37 37 Although Bakreshwar, West Bengal is primarily renowned for its Shiva temple and therapeutic hot springs, these attractions tend to overshadow its parallel significance as a place of power for goddess devotees. As a shakti...
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Read MoreTarapith: Fire, Blood, Magic, and Sati’s Third Eye
477 477 Is Tarapith a Shakti Pith? While Tarapith is often not considered a “true” shakti pith due to its rather curious omission from the list of 51 sacred sites found in the Mahapithanirupana, it most certainly...
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Read MoreShakti Pith #28: Kankalitala
133 133 While at first glance appearing to be no more than a modest rural temple, a closer examination of the Kankalitala Mandir reveals a unique mythology coupled with a vibrant local...
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Read MoreKali Puja: A Celebration of Light and Darkness
184 184 Kali Puja is celebrated on the New Moon day of the Hindu calendar month Ashvin. This is also the same day on which the famous festival of light, Diwali, is observed. Throughout this occasion, an...
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Read MoreEvening Aarti at Kalighat’s Northern Entrance
It is now 2 a.m. and I am staying up all night to see what I can collect from the opening ceremonies of Durga Puja early tomorrow morning near the Kalighat Kali Mandir. Julie and...
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Read MoreBengali Children Singing
Durga Puja is fast approaching and Kolkata is becoming a mad house–in a good way. The general vibe surrounding West Bengal’s biggest holiday is one of awe. Right now, I’m observing the most intense explosion...
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Read MoreShakti Pith #23: Varanasi’s Vishalakshi Mandir and Manikarnika Kund
37 37 In a narrow lane near Varanasi’s Meer Ghat is a small, curiously South Indian-styled temple dedicated to the goddess known as Vishalakshi–the “Wide-Eyed.” At first, this temple might be easy to overlook if it weren’t...
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Transmissions from Tarapith
October 3rd, 2011 2:00 A.M. After much difficulty obtaining a train and then getting fined 596 rupees because there were no available seats, we finally arrive at the Rampurhat station around 11:30 at night. A swarm of rickshaw wallahs descends...
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Evening Aarti at Kalighat’s Northern Entrance
It is now 2 a.m. and I am staying up all night to see what I can collect from the opening ceremonies of Durga Puja early tomorrow morning near the Kalighat Kali Mandir. Julie and I were invited to attend...
Read More
Bengali Children Singing
Durga Puja is fast approaching and Kolkata is becoming a mad house–in a good way. The general vibe surrounding West Bengal’s biggest holiday is one of awe. Right now, I’m observing the most intense explosion of creative energy I have...
Read More
A Visit to Kolkata’s Kumartuli District
Wanting to explore the culture of Kolkata a bit more, I decided to travel to the traditional potter’s quarter called Kumartuli. This place is renowned for being the section of Kolkata where the majority of clay images of gods are...
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Shakti Pith #23: Varanasi’s Vishalakshi Mandir and Manikarnika Kund
In a narrow lane near Varanasi’s Meer Ghat is a small, curiously South Indian-styled temple dedicated to the goddess known as Vishalakshi–the “Wide-Eyed.” At first, this temple might be easy to overlook if it weren’t for the elaborate gopuram (ornamented...
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The Varanasi Slide
“Ram Nam Satya Hai” Day and night, funeral processions transport the dead through Varanasi’s narrow, winding lanes toward the burning ghat, Manikarnika. Groups of men carrying corpses on decorated stretchers chant Ram nam satya hai (Ram’s name is truth). At...
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THE VISION OF MA
