Situated 9 km away from Bhopal city is the Kankali Temple of Raisen. This is a Hindu religion temple dedicated to Goddess Kali, a form of Goddess Parvati, the wife of Lord Shiva. This is an ancient temple and it is assumed that it was established in 1731. Well, there is also an interesting story behind the construction of this temple, which we will discuss later. However, this is a magical temple not because it shows some sort of magic instead its the devotion and the true worship of the devotees which makes it a magical temple. For a normal being, it is quite difficult to understand the divine play of God.
If you are a tourist and you are on a tour to India, then you have might see many tourist attractions across the country. And more than tourist places you will witness more temples and such places where people belives in God. Similarly, the Kankali Temple is one of them, it is situated in Bhopal which lies in the centre part of the country. To reach this temple is not a big issue, one can easily visit the temple from Bhopal city, as it is just a few kilometres away. Even the transportation facility is also available for the tourist. As per the government, it is a dedicated historical place.
The Magic of The Temple
It is true that a true devotee may believe in any sort of miracle or magic, however, it is questionable. This is because a devotee may fall for it but people all around it may know the real truth. This same applies to the Kankali temple, here the magic happens on the idol of the Goddes Kali. Inside the temple, there are different idols of different Hindu Gods but the main idol is of Goddess Kali. Here the idol present is medium in height but the neck of the Goddess Kali is slightly tilted to 45 degrees. It is said that the idol was founded in its original form where the neck of Goddess was tilted.
Entire year the neck portion is tilted but during the 10th day of the Navratri festival period, the neck automatically turns straight. Now, your first question would be why during the Navratri period? Navratri is a 9-day span of devotion towards the Goddess Parvati and her nine various forms or avatars. Devotees worship the Goddess Kali and Parvati for nine straight days and on the tenth day, the festival of Dussehra is celebrated. Therefore, on the tenth day, the neck of the Goddess Kali turns to a normal state. It is also associated as one of the holiest days to worship the goddess in this temple.
Origin of the Temple
One of the most important thing that plays out during the establishment of a temple is the story behind it. There are many rumours spread out regarding the Kankali Temple. Some say that the idol of Goddess Kali emerged by its own but the real story which everyone believes is of Lal Medha. Lal Medha was a person who lived during the year 1731 in the Raisen district. One night Lal Medha had a dream where the Goddess herself appeared in his dream and told him to dig and find my idol in a particular place.
Later, Lal Medha founded the idol underneath the ground and the entire village of Raisen started to built the temple. The temple was built exactly at that place. The idol Lal Medha found was placed inside the temple and around the temple, some more temples were built. The temple of Lord Shiva and Lord Ganesha was also built. Another highlight of the main temples is the missing of pillars. The temple is spread over some thousand sq feet but there are no supporting pillars inside the temple. As soon as you enter the temple you will notice a wide-open area without any supporting pillars.
Some devotees believe that its blessing and power of Goddess Kali. However, no one knows the exact truth but to see something incredible is really impressive.
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Wish Fulfilling Ritual
Whenever you visit a historical place you will notice some sort of ritual which is performed over there. The same scenario is with the Kankali Temple, here devotees make their wish before the Goddess Kali and tie a knot in the premise of the temple. As soon as there wish is fulfilled they come back to the temple take the blessing of Goddess Kali and un note the knot. By performing this ritual the devotees fulfil their wishes.
Even married couples who are not able to conceive a child also goes to the temple. For them, the ritual is slightly different. For this, the wife has to mark the impression of their left hand by using cow dung. They have to use the left hand to make an impression on the walls of the temple. This is the ritual they have to perform and later when they conceive the child they have to again visit the temple and make the mark on the walls but this time with their right hand and take the blessing of Goddess Kali.
An Ancient Lingam
In the year 1731, when the temple was established at the same time a Lingam was also established. The Lingam is a representation of the presence of Lord Shiva. In almost every temple of Goddess Parvati, you will see an idol or statue of Lord Shiva. This Lingam is placed in a small temple which is next to the main temple. Devotees who visit the Goddess Kali temple do visit this temple also. There are some other Lingams also which are kept in the same temple with the ancient Lingam.
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In the end
It is an unbelievable experience to visit this beautiful temple, where really the magic happens. The best time to visit the temple is the period of Navratri festival. As in this festival, you can witness the magic by yourself while taking the blessing from the Goddess Kali.
