KOLKATA: After remaining closed for over nine months, the
garbha griha
(sanctum sanctorum) of the
Kalighat temple
reopened to devotees on Tuesday. The temple had reopened in July, like others in the state, but devotees could only stand outside the garbha griha and offer their prayers.
Kalighat temple is now allowing devotees to enter the sanctum sanctorum and offer their prayers. In most other temples, like Dakshineswar, the garbha griha is out of bounds for devotees.
Hundreds of calls and mails to the temple committee and requests from the sevayats or the priests who serve the temple, coaxed the authorities to reopen the garbha griha. “The moment I heard that the garbha griha has re-opened, I went to offer my prayers. I couldn’t wait to be near Maa finally,” said a happy
Anasuya Banerjee
, a Harish Mukherjee Road resident who runs a dance academy.
According to an official statement of the temple committee, devotees can enter the temple via Gate No. 2 to visit the garbha griha. Only 10 devotees are allowed at a time. The batches are being strictly monitored by volunteers and the Kalighat police. On Tuesday, devotees who entered with sevayats were allowed in through Gate No. 3. Gates 4 and 5 were used as exits and way to Jor Bungalow. “However, these rules will not be effective on January 1, since the crowd is expected to swell that day,” said an official of the committee.
“We told the temple authorities that they should open the garbha griha. Even
Tarapith
, where the situation is similar to ours, has opened up,” said
Dipankar Chatterjee
, secretary of the Sevayat Council.
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