There are a lot of stories associated with Kolkata’s Punte Kali, a more than 500-year-old temple of Goddess Kali located in the city’s Burrabazar area. There are several stories behind the naming of this idol of the Goddess! With many miracles and legends, ‘Punte Kali’ temple has become one of the most visited places in North Kolkata.

This temple on Kalikrishna Thakur Road, opposite Tarasundari Park in Posta, was built in 1558. The current idol of the temple is made of Kashtipathar or touchstone. It is said that the idol was brought from Nava Brindavana in Karnataka and installed in this temple.

Kolkata’s Pute Kali temple built during Mughal Emperor Akbar’s rule

The founder of this temple, which is about 500 years old, was Manikchandra Bandyopadhyay, a Tantra ascetic resident of Bhurshut, a medieval kingdom in Hooghly and Howrah districts of West Bengal. Earlier, during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar, this temple was built with a canopy of Nipa Palm or Golpata leaves. It is said that Manikchandra started worshipping Goddess Kali here by establishing a seat of Panchamundi.

However, there is a difference of opinion regarding the founder too. Some say that the real founder of this temple is Khelaram Bandyopadhyay, a descendant of Manikchandra.

During the British era, when an attempt was made to demolish this temple to build a road, the temple authorities saved it by taking legal action. The temple was renovated in the 1930s. It took on its present form at that time. The temple has four floors and three towers. The towers have symbols of a chakra, a trident and a flag. There is a basement under the temple. There are also several legends about the chakra, trident, and flag placed on the three peaks of the temple.

Why is the Kali temple named Pute Kali or Punte Kali?

The height of the Kali idol in Pute Kali temple is very short, due to which some say the Kali idol was named “Punte” meaning short in Bengali. ‘Punte’ means a little girl in Bengali, hence the name of the goddess is Punte Kali.

There is another story behind this name. One day, Khelaram Bandyopadhyay was performing Yagna in the temple, when suddenly a Puntius fish, locally known as “Puti” jumped into the yagna fire from the nearby Ganga river. A startled Khelaram somehow managed to pick up the half-burnt fish and threw it back into the water. It is believed that with the blessings of the Goddess, the fish came back to life! From then on, the goddess was named ‘Puti Kali’ after the miracle, later the name was distorted to Punte Kali or Pute Kali.

Pute Kali’s veg and non-veg ‘Bhog’

The goddess is worshipped according to Tantric principles throughout the year and on the night of Kali Puja, the she is worshipped in the form of Bhairavi. Both non-vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes are offered to the Goddess in her “Bhog” (the food offered to a deity).

Pute Kali’s vegetarian bhog comprises Khichdi, pulao, puri, two types of vegetables, chutney, and kheer. Non-vegetarian dishes include various types of fish such as Puntius, Rohu, Boal, Bhetki, and Hilsa. Kumari Puja and Annakut ceremony are held on the day following Kali Puja.

Pute Kali among the most revered Kali temples of Kolkata

In this Kali temple, the idol of Goddess Shitala is placed next to the Kali idol. There is also a tradition of Shitala Puja with Kali in this temple.

There are several stories about ‘Punte Kali’ and the debate about which one is correct is never-ending. It is believed that if you make a vow to Goddess Pute Kali, you will get results. And with that hope, even today, crowds gather in this temple. Special pujas are arranged in the temple of ‘Punte Kali’ on Saturdays, Tuesdays, and on the night of new moon. Even today, the descendants of Khelaram remain the servitors of ‘Punte Kali’.

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