Dakate Kali Mandir or the Dacoit Kali Temple, located in Purushottampur village in Singur, Hooghly district of Bengal, is a symbol of faith for devotees. About 550 years ago, dacoits (bandits) and robbers first worshipped Maa Kali here. This is why this ancient temple was named Dacoit Kali (Dacait or Dakate Kali).
Special Worship of Maa Kali for Four Pahars
In this temple, situated on the Vaidyabati-Tarakeswar Road,
Maa Kali is specially worshipped for four pahars (a unit of time, traditionally
about three hours) on the day of Kali Puja. It is said that once, Maa Sarada
was going from Kamarpukur to the Dakshineswar Temple to see Thakur Ramakrishna,
who was ill.
Raghunath and Gagan's Vision of Kali On Sarada Maa's Face
At that time, two notorious dacoits named Raghunath and Gagan blocked her path to steal the ornaments from Maa Sarada's body. Recognizing the dacoits' intention, Mahakali manifested herself on Maa Sarada's face for the two of them to see.
Seeing Maa Kali's large eyes and her mouth stained with blood, both powerful dacoits fell at the feet of Maa Sarada and began to beg for her forgiveness. After this, Raghunath and Gagan took her to a dense forest and arranged for her to rest.
At night, the robbers roasted a little rice in a wok (kadahi)
and offered it to Maa Sarada to eat. Maa Sarada was satisfied after eating the
food offered by Raghunath and Gagan, and as soon as it was dawn, Sarada Maa
left from there to go to Dakshineswar.
Maa Came in a dream, Said: "Worship Me in This Dense
Forest"
The next day, Maa Kali appeared in their dream. She told
Raghunath and Gagan, "Worship me in this dense forest. Worshipping me here
will bring welfare to the world."
The Two Dacoits Abandoned Wrongdoing and Began to Worship
After this, the two dacoits abandoned all their bad deeds,
filled a pot (kalash) with water from the Saraswati River, and began
worshipping the Goddess. Later, the local people together constructed the
temple of Maa Kali here.
The Pot Kept in the Temple is Replaced on Kali Puja
The pot kept in the temple is replaced only once a year on
the day of Kali Puja. After the water in the pot is changed, Maa Kali is
worshipped for four pahars on Kali Puja day with a special offering (bhog).
Offering Roasted Rice as Prasad to Maa Kali
Maa's special offering is roasted rice. Devotees who come to
visit the temple offer only roasted rice as prasad to Maa Kali. Many years ago,
the practice of human sacrifice was also prevalent in this temple.