Among Kolkata’s century-old Kali temples, one of the most notable is the “Lal Mandir” (Red Temple) located in the Shobhabazar area of North Kolkata. Even today, this revered shrine of the Mother Goddess stands majestically in the middle of a busy street. Although officially established as the Sri Sri Putia Kali Temple and Yogamaya Temple, it is far more popularly known as the “Lal Mandir” because of its distinctive red color.
Shobha Bazar Lal Mandir History
According to the temple’s plaque, it was built in 1894,
which corresponds to 1301 in the Bengali calendar. The plaque also records the
temple’s address as 23/2 Raja Nabakrishna Street, Kolkata – 700006.
Shobhabazar Lal Mandir Story
There is a legend associated with this temple. It is said
that the temple’s founder, Amarkrishna Chakraborty, received a divine message
from Goddess Kali in a dream. In that dream, he saw that some bandits had
thrown an idol of Kali into the pond of the Shobhabazar Rajbari (royal estate).
Waking up at dawn, Amarkrishna went straight to the pond
and, after diving three times, recovered the idol of the Goddess. That very
idol was later installed in the temple.
The temple was originally a humble thatched structure built
on land donated by one of Amarkrishna’s friends. Later, during the British era,
a permanent brick temple was constructed and painted red—giving rise to its
present name and appearance, which remain unchanged to this day.
Since the temple stands right in the middle of the road,
there have been several attempts to relocate it—but each attempt somehow met
with misfortune or obstacles. As a result, the temple remains steadfast in its
original location, untouched by time or change.