Tarakeswar Temple Kolkata
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The Tarakeswar Temple, Kolkata, is a famous Shiva temple of the 18th century, located near Serampore, at Tarakeswar, a terminating station on the Seoraphuli-Tarakeswar section. The greatest center of the Shaiva sect in West Bengal, the Tarakeswar Temple, Kolkata, is a well-known place of pilgrimage, and people from all over the world come here to worship the Lord Shiva, in the form of Tarakeshwar.
Like all ancient temples, the Tarakeswar Temple, Kolkata, has a legend surrounding its origins. It is said that a devotee Vishnu Das shifted here with his clan from Oude (Ayodhya), and proved his innocence to the suspicious local people by holding a red hot iron bar in his hand. Later, his brother discovered a spot in the woods nearby, where the cattle of the village emptied their udders of milk. Investigation revealed a Shivalingam at the site, which was realized to be a manifestation of Tarakeshwar, or Lord Shiva, in a dream. At this spot, they built the Tarakeswar Temple, Kolkata, and made it a holy place where people could come and offer prayers.
The Tarakeswar Temple, Kolkata, is visited by devotees and pilgrims all through the year, though the occasions of “Shivaratri” and “Gajan”, see maximum crowds. Shivaratri takes place in Falgun, which falls between February and March, and Gajan, is a five-day event that ends on the last day of Chaitra, in mid-April. The month that sees maximum number of devotees in the Tarakeswar Temple, Kolkata, is Sravana (mid-July to mid-August), which is auspicious for Lord Shiva. Mondays also see great crowds at the Tarakeswar Temple, Kolkata.