Hidden deep within the heart of Kolkata stands the Adi Chitteswari Durga Temple. Its story is not one of grand palaces and ancient dynasties. It begins with a dacoit. In the 16th century Chitteswar Roy a notorious bandit roamed the Cossipore region. This area was then a wild extension of the Sundarbans. Chitteswar was known for his cruelty. He robbed the rich and gave to the poor.
One day Chitteswar had a dream. The goddess Durga appeared. She instructed him to find a neem wood log drifting on the Ganga River. He found the log. Local artisans carved a deity of goddess Chitteswari Durga from it. This is the same deity worshipped today.
Chitteswar built a simple hut for the idol. He started worshipping the goddess. The temple’s location is on Khagendra Chatterjee Road. It covers 6806.25 square feet. The Chitpur area in north Kolkata is named after the Chitteswari Temple. Later Kolkata’s mayor Subrata Mukherjee designated it a heritage site.
Chitteswari Durga is unique. Unlike other Durga idols she does not have her four children Lakshmi Saraswati Kartik and Ganesh. With ten arms she represents Chandi slaying Mahishasura. The idol is over 438 years old. It stands six feet tall. Its altar is seven feet wide. The idol has never been altered. It receives new paint and jewels each Durga Puja.
A leopard statue stands beside the goddess. The story says leopards terrorized Chitteswar’s gang. The statue was placed to invoke divine protection. Sadly Chitteswari’s worship stopped after Chitteswar’s death. In 1586 Nrisingha Brahmachari rediscovered the shrine. He restarted the worship.
Manohar Ghosh a zamindar from Odisha built the current temple. This was completed in 1610. He entrusted the temple to Nrisingha. Generations of his disciples have served the temple. Today Kashiswar Roy Chowdhuri is the sixth generation shebait. His daughter and son will continue the tradition.
The temple celebrates Durga Puja with great devotion. Thousands of devotees attend. Offerings include vegetables and fruits. Goat sacrifice was stopped by Kashiswar’s great-grandfather. The temple also houses a Shiva lingam found near a 450-year-old Neem tree. Daily prayers are offered to other deities including Ram Sita and Krishna. The Adi Chitteswari Durga Temple a testament to faith resilience and a remarkable history. A story woven from the threads of banditry devotion and divine intervention.