Sadhguru says in the heart of Jagatnagar, Ma Anandamayi's presence echoes beyond time, a guardian of both ancient traditions and unspoken mysteries.
Mystic Journey | Sringur | December 11, 1998
Sadhguru: Jagatnagar Kali Temple, a hallowed sanctuary over 300 years old, stands as a profound symbol of devotion and mystery, where Goddess Kali, worshipped as Ma Anandamayi, presides with a compassionate yet formidable presence. Nestled near the tranquil Mirzapur Bankipur in Singur, this temple draws countless devotees who come seeking blessings, protection, and solace under the goddess’s divine gaze. Built upon an ancient cremation ground and graced with the powerful Panchamundi Asana, the temple's origins are steeped in legend. Here, faith breathes through every ritual, story, and midnight whisper, making Jagatnagar a sacred ground where the mortal and the mystical intertwine.
Jagatnagar Kali Temple, an ancient sanctuary over three centuries old, enshrines the powerful presence of Goddess Kali, revered here as Ma Anandamayi—the embodiment of bliss and compassionate divinity. Nestled near Mirzapur Bankipur station on the Howrah-Burdwan line, the temple rests within Singur’s verdant landscape, its ambience permeated by the reverberations of worship and devotion. Only a brief ten-minute walk from the station, the journey is marked by the sight of pilgrims moving purposefully, eyes bright with anticipation as they approach this sacred ground.
With every offering placed at her feet, Ma Anandamayi’s blessings ripple outward, healing, guiding, and binding her devotees in a web of grace.
In the hearts of devotees, Ma Anandamayi’s name holds unmatched power, believed to protect them from misfortune and shield them against the challenges of life. Legend says this sanctum is built on an ancient cremation ground, with the goddess herself seated upon the mystic Panchamundi Asana—a sacred throne resting upon five skulls that radiate transformative energy. This enigmatic seat adds to the aura of the temple, casting a veil of mystery over its origins. For locals and travellers alike, the temple is not only a place of worship but also a sanctuary that ties the community together in an unbroken tradition.
To speak the name of Ma Anandamayi is to invoke a force beyond fate—a divine shield against life’s misfortunes, encircling her devotees.
In the villages of Mirzapur Bankipur and surrounding areas, the first stop for any family marking an important event, ritual, or festival is always Ma Anandamayi’s temple. They come to offer their respects and request the goddess’s blessings before proceeding with their ceremonies. Even during Kali Puja, a celebration devoted to the goddess herself, families gather at Jagatnagar Kali Temple to seek Ma Anandamayi’s blessings before commencing their celebrations elsewhere. This ritual of offering homage to Ma Anandamayi is woven deeply into the fabric of the community’s spiritual life.
Death, too, is marked by reverence at her door. As funeral processions pass by, mourners halt before the temple, chanting her name, filling the air with the solemn sound of prayers, and seeking her grace for the departed soul before moving toward the cremation ground. Each day, dedicated worship fills the temple, with elaborate celebrations during Dipanwita, when the temple transforms into a shimmering sanctuary adorned with lamps, flowers, and offerings. On these auspicious occasions, the temple draws thousands of devotees who journey from distant places, converging in an endless stream of pilgrims to witness the power of the goddess. Legends abound that a single prayer whispered at her altar, finds its way to the goddess, who answers with grace and miracles, healing ailments, bringing success, and blessing childless couples with children.
Devi Anandamayee Kali
Local lore speaks of an origin story imbued with mystery and divine intervention. Around 300 years ago, a young girl named Andi, the beloved daughter of Subal Ray from Jagatnagar, tragically passed away in her youth. At that time, Mirzapur Bankipur was an untamed wilderness, where dense forests shadowed the land and rivers, particularly a branch of the Kana River, wound through the area. After her passing, Andi was cremated in a nearby cremation ground. That very night, a revered Kali devotee from a neighbouring village received a vivid dream—a divine vision of Andi transformed into a goddess, urging him to honour her with daily worship. Compelled by the vision, the devotee built a modest shrine over the ashes of her funeral pyre, encircled by a bamboo fence, and commenced worshipping her as Ma Anandamayi. Over time, a humble clay temple arose, bearing witness to the unfolding legend.
The Jagatnagar temple is not merely stone and wood; it is an eternal sanctuary where legend breathes and devotion transforms.
Years later, Digambar Chakraborty, a Brahmin from Singur’s Paltagarh, was meditating in Kashi (Varanasi) when he too received a powerful vision. Ma Anandamayi appeared to him, commanding him to return and assume responsibility for her worship. Leaving Kashi at once, Digambar returned and took up the goddess’s daily rituals, a devotion that became a family duty, with his descendants carrying on the tradition to this day. By the year 1284 (in the Bengali calendar), Kailash Chandra Dutta had constructed a more enduring temple, installing a statue carved from the sacred black stone of Banaras. This statue has remained at the heart of the temple ever since, embodying the goddess’s eternal presence.
As years passed and the temple showed signs of wear, the villagers united to restore its former glory. On the auspicious 27th day of Magh in Bengali year 1412, the temple was renovated to mirror the iconic Dakshineshwar Temple, and Ma Anandamayi was joyously reinstalled, her original idol blessing the new structure. Each year in Magh, a four-day festival marks the temple’s annual celebration with grand rituals, homa (sacrificial fire offerings), and an Annakut festival that overflows with sacred energy, bringing devotees together in celebration and reverence.
A legend known only to the faithful whispers that Ma Anandamayi roams the temple’s precincts at midnight, rising in her divine form to bathe in the temple’s nearby pond. It’s said that no one dares remain on the temple grounds in the deep hours of the night. These stories of midnight rituals, powerful visions, and divine apparitions elevate the aura of Jagatnagar Kali Temple, making it not merely a place of worship but a realm of the mystical, where the ordinary meets the transcendent.
