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18-foot-tall Shivling from Single Stone at Twin Shiva Temple at Kidderpore in Kolkata – Tallest Single Stone Shivalinga


Kidderpore area in Kolkata is home to a twin temple which houses an 18-foot-tall Shivling – believed to be one of the biggest in the region. The temples - Krishna Chandreshwar and Rakta Kamaleshwar – are twin Shiva Temples. The Shivling is carved out of a single kashti stone and is believed to be the tallest single stone Shivalinga. The two temples have two large Shivlings.

The twin temples with the unique Shivling were in a dilapidated condition but have been restored now. The temple on the banks of a pond was built by Zamindar Joynarayan Ghoshal more than 200 years ago. The temples are named after the father and mother of the Zamindar. The temple architecture is the aat-chala which is typical of Bengal.

Kulodevi Patitpabani Durga temple is located in the courtyard of the twin temples. The Durga murti in Kulodevi Patitpabani Durga temple is made of astadhatu (eight metals).

A mela ground in the temple area attracts thousands of people during Shivratri. 
Times of India reports  
Declared a heritage site by Kolkata Municipal Corporation in 1996, the twin temples were on the verge of crumbling when the government came to its rescue.
"The temples were in a dilapidated condition due to lack of maintenance. The restoration work was very essential. Besides its heritage tag, the fact that it has the tallest single stone Shivalinga in Asia is a huge selling point to make it a tourist attraction. It is our pleasure that Bollywood actress Hema Malini will visit the temple on Wednesday," said urban development minister Firhad Hakim who took a personal interest in the renovation. 
Image courtesy Deep Majumdar