Daityeshwari Kali Temple: A Historical Religious and Cultural Hub of Sabroom
Daityeshwari Kali Temple is one of the oldest Shakti Peethas in Sabroom under the South Tripura District. Numerous writers, including Ganesh Chakraborty, folklorist Dr. Ranjit Dey, and poet-researcher Ashok Ananda Ray, have conducted extensive research and written about the temple's history.
Located on the banks of the Feni river at the southern end of Sabroom, this temple is considered highly sacred by the local populace. It is revered as much as the Tripurasundari Devi temple, and numerous miraculous tales associated with the deity are prevalent among the people.
There are many folk tales about the temple and its origin. According to some, the worship at the temple was patronized by the prominent Banerjee family of Sabroom (ancestors of Kali Pada Banerjee, a former state education minister) from the mid-19th century. Satish Banerjee, a devout follower of Kali from this family, is credited with establishing the temple.
Others believe that the stone idol was found in Daitychhara, a riverbed near the village of Daulbari in western Sabroom. It was then brought to the current location using elephants. The idol is named Daityeshwari because it was found in Daitychhara. (Sources: Ashok Ananda Ray, Dr. Ranjit Dey) Yet another version suggests that the stone idol was originally located in a cave on a hill near a riverbank in the eastern part of Sabroom town. It was brought to the present temple by boat.
Although Sabroom is an ancient settlement, its people had closer ties with Ramgarh across the border until India's independence. The people of Sabroom used to purchase their necessities from Ramgarh market. Many Ramgarh merchants owned land here and often resided in Sabroom for business purposes. They also had a close connection with the Daityeshwari temple.
The first priest of the Daityeshwari Kali temple was Chandramadhab Chakraborty, whose grandson was Harendranath Chakraborty. According to Harendranath, Girishchandra Das, a prominent businessman from Ramgarh (and the great-grandfather of Deepak Das, a member of the Sabroom Nagar Panchayat), invited Chandramadhab Chakraborty, a Brahmin from Andharmanik village in Noakhali, to Sabroom in 1885 to perform puja at the Daityeshwari Kali temple. Since then, the puja has been carried out continuously.
According to local folklore, the idol was initially smaller and gradually grew to its present size. Many devotees, including the late Thakurdas Banik and Harlal Shil, claim to have seen the goddess in their dreams, often wandering around the temple premises at night in the form of a young girl. The temple's fame has spread far and wide, attracting devotees from various parts of the state, other states, and even Bangladesh.
Former Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb visited the Sabroom Daityeshwari Kali temple thrice and initiated a project for its development, but it is yet to be implemented.
This year, the temple committee has planned a grand Kali Puja celebration. A special committee headed by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Shib Jyoti Dutta, has been formed.
To make this ancient temple more attractive to devotees and tourists, a three-day fair and festival have been organized. The festival will begin on October 30 with a procession carrying the idol of Goddess Daityeshwari. Various cultural programs, competitions, and award ceremonies will be held over the next three days.
(Tripura, Northeast)
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