Trip to Kalna

 Today, I joined one more day trip with Crosswalks … this time, to Kalna.  

Kalna, located in Purba-Bardhaman District, also known as ‘Ambika Kalna’ … is the ‘City of Temples’. It is particularly well-known for its 18^th century temples that showcase the terracotta heritage of Bengal. My earliest knowledge of ‘Kalna’ however, was the nonsense verse by Rabindranath Tagore from Khhapchhara (1937) which describes the bizarre lifestyle of an old lady and the five sisters of her grand mother-in-law:

ক্ষান্তবুড়ির দিদিশাশুড়ির
পাঁচ বোন থাকে কাল্‌নায়,
শাড়িগুলো তারা উনুনে বিছায়,
হাঁড়িগুলো রাখে আল্‌নায়।
কোনো দোষ পাছে ধরে নিন্দুকে
নিজে থাকে তারা লোহাসিন্দুকে,
টাকাকড়িগুলো হাওয়া খাবে ব’লে
রেখে দেয় খোলা জাল্‌নায়—
নুন দিয়ে তারা ছাঁচিপান সাজে,
চুন দেয় তারা ডাল্‌নায়।

 

From the Entrance 

The most memorable part of my trip was the visit the Naba-Kailash Temple. The name ‘Naba Kailash’ means ‘New Kailash’ signifying the temple complex as an alternative to Lord Shiva’s original divine abode, Mount Kailash in the Himalayas. It is said, Rani Bishnukumari, wife of Raja Tilakchand had a dream of constructing a Shiva Temple in Kalna … and the temple complex was constructed by her son, Maharaja Tejchandra Bahadur (reigned c. 1770–1832) in 1809 to celebrate their ownership of the Bishnupur royal estate. The Maharaja belonged to the Sangam Rai Dynasty of Punjab who is regarded as the founder of the Bardhaman Raj, a renowned Zamindari estate in Bengal that thrived from 1657 to 1955. Sangam Rai was a Punjabi Khatri Kapoor merchant from Kotli (near Lahore) who was impressed by Baikunthapur (near Burdwan) while he was returning from a pilgrimage to Puri and decided to settle there. He established the Bardhaman Raj in 1657. The family gained significant influence and also the title of ‘Raja’ as Punjabi Khatri people were entrusted high-ranking revenue and administrative posts in Bengal during the Mughal era. The Burdwan Raj family continued to rule Burdwan even after the fall of the Mughal Dynasty and flourished under the British. They ruled for nearly 300 years and transformed the region into a culturally rich milieu.  

Inscription on the entrance 

Temples of the Outer Circle 

Rudra and Sadashiva 

Only three Shivalinga-s are visible at a time from any location within the premises

Temples of the Inner Circle

Shiva with Nandi in one of the Inner Temples

The Well within the Inner Circle of Temples

The Naba-Kailash temple is a remarkable structure consisting of 108 ‘atchala’ Shiva temples arranged in two concentric circles - the outer circle has 74 temples, while the inner one has 34 temples. At the centre of the complex is a well. The temples are conjoint and each one enshrines a ‘Shivalinga’. As per popular belief, Shivalinga represents the phallus, the emblem of the generative power in nature - but this idea is erroneous. The Shivalinga is the primary representation of Lord Shiva symbolizing his formless, infinite, divine nature. It is the cosmic pillar of blazing fire resulting from the union of masculine (Shiva) and feminine (Shakti) energies leading to the creation / destruction of the universe. The Shiva temples of the outer circle of the Naba-Kailash Temple have alternating black and white Shivalinga, while the inner circle enshrines exclusive white ones. The white Shivalinga-s represent the tranquil form of Shiva i.e. Sadashiva, while the black Shivalinga-s represent chaos or Rudra i.e. Shiva in his fierce form. The cosmic duality of destruction and creation manifests through the black and white Shivalinga-s respectively. Alternately, it is also believed that the white and black Shivalinga-s represent the external world, the world we live in, a world of sin, guilt and remorse; while the white Shivalinga-s of the inner circle symbolize peace and purity attained through meditation and prayer.  

The temples have a mystical significance as 108 has always been a sacred number for thousands of years, in diverse cultures and traditions across the world. The 16^th century Italian astronomer, Galileo, once said, the universe is written “in mathematical language”; hence the mysteries of creation could be deciphered through mathematical equations. Two centuries before him, 13^th century Italian mathematician, Fibonacci, well-known for the Fibonacci number sequence, believed 108 represented the wholeness of existence.  Mystics around the world believe numbers are a secret language for awakening intuition and spiritual aspects of our being … Yogis of India believe 108 is that magic number. In Vedic cosmology, number 108 is the basis of creation. Interestingly, in the Sanskrit alphabet, there are 54 letters; each letter has a feminine, or Shakti, and masculine, or Shiva, quality; 54 multiplied by 2 is the number 108. The significance of this number extends to the 108 ‘Upanishads’, 108 beads on a ‘japa-mala’ or prayer beads/ rosary and even the 108 names of Gods and Goddesses. In Buddhism, particularly within Tibetan and Mahayana traditions, 108 represents the wholeness of existence, the human experience, and the path to enlightenment. Buddhist prayer beads, similar to Hindu japa-mala-s, have 108 beads. In astrology, the 12 zodiac signs and 9 planets create 108 possible combinations … an alignment that symbolizes harmony in the celestial sphere.

Indeed, the enigma of the number 108 transcends cultural, spiritual and mathematical realms. From the prayer beads held by a devotee, or the cosmic movements of celestial bodies in space, the mathematical theory of numbers, or the mystical architecture of the Naba-Kailash Temple - the number 108 persists everywhere as a timeless and sacred phenomenon. 

Indeed, the day trip to Kalna was another great experience with Crosswalks … my fifth actually! Thanks to Crosswalks team for their well researched and organised trip to Kalna as a sequel to the day trip to Guptipara. Looking forward to more such trips.