Kalikshetra Kolkata. Why is this region named after Mother Kali? Documented records and archaeological evidence indicate that this area has been known as Kalikshetra for more than two thousand years.
Nearly two thousand years ago, Bengali merchants would
travel along the Saraswati and Adiganga rivers to trade with Sri Lanka, Java,
the Maldives, Sumatra, Crete, Greece, Rome, and Egypt. What was this suburban
settlement called in those times? The answer lies in the writings of the Greek
philosopher-mathematician Ptolemy.
According to his description, this settlement was named
“Colygrammam,” which in Bengali becomes Kaligram. This name is highly
significant. Even two thousand years ago, the name of Kali was so deeply rooted
in our national life that a settlement itself was named after her.
The idol of the Mother at Kalighat bears the features of a
very ancient artistic tradition. In that era, the hands of the goddess’s image
were not fully formed; they extended slightly outward from the shoulders. The
eyes on either side of the round face were large and prominent. The torso often
extended only up to the waist.
Anyone who has studied the terracotta of the Harappa
civilization will immediately notice the striking resemblance between this form
and the present-day Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra idols of Puri. During
the Pala period, this area served as the spiritual seat of Yogipal, son of
Emperor Devapala. The road to Kalighat still passes by his mausoleum—today
known as Chowringhee Road.
In the Sena period, Ballal Sena’s name became linked with
the reconstruction of Kalighat. The Ballal Dhibi at Nabadwip is shaped like a
Kali-yantra. During the time of the Ain-i-Akbari, this Kalikshetra was known as
“Kalikota,” from which the modern name Kolkata is derived. Maharaja
Pratapaditya, foremost among the twelve feudal lords of Bengal, had several
forts in Kolkata—in present-day Shyamnagar and Bagbazar. He was a devotee of Ma
Jessoreswari Kali. His name, along with that of his uncle Basanta Ray, is associated
with the story of the renovation of the Kalighat Temple.
Now let us come to the subject of the Shakti Peethas.
Bengalis are intimately connected to this concept. If you observe, you will
notice that most of the 51 Shakti Peethas lie within Greater Bengal.
Apart from these, Shakti Peethas are also found in some
parts of India and Pakistan. And at each of these sites, worship has continued
unbroken for hundreds of years. Not only Shakti Peethas—these regions also
house numerous Kali shrines. The reason for this is Bengal’s historic
expansions.
At various times, different Bengali dynasties conquered
regions of India. It is known that during the Pala period, the Bengali empire
extended as far as Afghanistan, which is why Kali temples are found there as
well. Even today, wherever Bengalis go, they establish a Kali temple. The same
was true in earlier times.
Thus, Bengal has always been the domain of Mahakali, Mahamaya. And therefore, from ancient times, the metropolis has been widely known as Kalikshetra Kolkata.