In the year 1760AD on a new moon night of autumn the sacred premises of Sri Sri Karunamoyee Kali Temple were lit up by the lamps of her first Diwali.
Almost 190 years prior to that, the wicks of those lamps had been twisted round when the history began its course of journey. In the 10 th century AD the Lord of Bengal, Maharaja Adisur invited five Brahmans from faraway Kanyakuvja (Kanauj) to perform Yajna (Vedic Sacrifice). Among those five Brahmans, all learned scholars and conversant with the Vedas and scriptures, Vedagarbha was one who belonged to the Sabarna clan disciples of the great sage Sabarna, the son of the Sun God. Vedagarbha had fathered twelve son disciples in Bengal. Among them, the Hal was the luckiest to obtain for himself a village called “Gango” and, in this way, his generation earned the title “Gangopadhyay” or “Ganguly”. Kamdev Gangopadhyay was the fourteenth man of this generation.
Maharaja Pratapaditya, through goodwill and effiency in state affair earned from the Mughal Emperor, Jahangir, the title “Majumdar”. Thereafter, Keshab Ram Majumdar, a great grandson of Lakshmikanta Majumdar, earned from the Nawab of Bengal Murshid Quli Khan, the title “ROY CHOWDHURY”. As the family tree had gradually evolved from the Sabarna root, hence its lineage and title are jointly termed as “Sabarna Roy Chowdhury” family.
One of the earliest landlords of the land of Bengal, the Sabarna Roy Chowdhuries were the worshippers of the Mother Goddess Kali. Nandadulal Roy Chowdhury, the 27 th man of Sabarna Roy Chowdhury family, was the only son of Krishnadev Roy Chowdhury. Nandadulal Roy Chowdhury had his place of worship located in “Borshe” village (now Barisha, Haridevpur) where we now have the temple of Maa Karunamoyee. Resplendent with the divine glory this place was the sanctum of preachment of Adi Kali and there itself existed a most powerful Panchamundi Asan i.e. seat of five sacred heads (since pre-historic times, a central altar embedded with one human skull along with skulls of four other animals – dag, snake, bull and fox). So, this holy place standing on the bank of the Adi Ganga is now considered as one of the oldest shrines in Bengal. It was founded in 1722 AD, co-incidentally that was the very year in which Nandadulal Roy Chowdhury was born. Nandadulal was apparently a devoutfrom the Sabarna Roy Chowdhury family, later on emerged as an ascetic or yogi.
Nandadulal Roy Chowdhury had three sons namely, Raghavendra, Ramcharan and Jagannath. However, since a very long time, Nandadulal had nurtured within himself his ardent desire for a virtuous girl child. His demand was answered mercifully as in due course of time his heart was filled with joy at the arrival of an auspicious baby girl. He believed that it was the ample mercy of his Mother Goddess Kali which had been bestowed upon him in the form of a girl and so, she was named “KARUNA” (mercy). Abound with beauty and good qualities, the baby gradually grew to a seven year old girl. But then, a terrible blow struck Nandadulal as the girl died suddenly. The poor father found himself beset with tear and pain. Finding no other way he decided to go on pilgrimage.
That very night he had a vision in his dream. His lost daughter was asking him no to cry, she was with him always. Karuna told him to go to the bank of the Adi Ganga at the break of dawn. There underneath an ancient banyan tree he would find a black touchstone. She told him to make an idol of his cherished Mother Goddess Kali out of that stone and promised that she would reside therein forever. No sooner had the words died out than did he view before himself nobody else other than a picture of his worshipped Mother Goddess, smiling sweetly in her eternal loving posture. Nandadulal got up and hurried to the banks of the Adi Ganga.
Before the dawn, Nandadulal approached that banyan tree as he had been instructed to find the black touchstone underneath. Being able to murmur a single word, the single yet the oldest and the sweetest of all sounds – “MAA” - he bounded upon the stone slab. With the greatest care and devotion he grabbed it and clasped it against his chest. As he had vowed to sculpt an idol; of his Mother Goddess Kali out of that black touchstone so, it was owing to the bountiful kindness of the almighty that everything went on well. He came across a devoted and sincere sculptor whose expert hands turned the stone slab into a beautiful statue of Mother Kali. She was standing graciously with both of her dancing feet touching the chest of Mahakal or Lord Shiva relaxingly lying on his back with half-closed meditating eyes. Gradually, along with progress of work, there came upon the face of the idol a delicacy and a cordial divine smile belonging that of a seven year old year.
And finally, 6 th November, 1760, Thursday, on dew clad new moon night of the Kali Puja festival, the stone statue was enshrined and brought to life by Sri Nandadulal Roy Chowdhury. He also arranged for construction of a Navaratna (nine pinnacles) temple and twelve numbers of Shiva temples in accordance with the traditional art and architecture of Bengal.
Unfortunately, the Navaratna temple of Maa Karunamoyee has failed to withstand the tidal wave of time owing to lack of maintenance. Within 150 years of its constructin, the entire temple was destroyed. Hence, other than hearsay, we do not have any evidence of that temple. Sometime, in the latter half of the 19 th century or in the first half of the 20 th century, someone, a descendent of Nandadulal Roy Chowdhury’s later generation, built a Nat Mandir with twelve Shiva temples in Atchala style (an open temple having eight roofs divided into two storied of four each) wherein, the deity of Maa Kaunamoyee along with the twelve Shiva lingas was being worshipped regularly.
Later on, Late Asit Roy Chowdhury, the 34 th descendent of Nandadulal Roy Chowdhury, was in-charge of the temple. He decided to renovate the Nat mandir which will have a pinnacle. For renovation of the temple, huge financial aid was offered by some devotees. It’s a fact that in spite of all ebb, the idol of Maa Karunamoyee along with twelve Shiva lingas has remained unaffected and un-profaned through ages. The newly built temple of Sri Sri Maa Karunamoyee was inaugurated in an auspicious moment on the 17 th of October, 1985 by the Revered Swami Shivarupananda Maharaj of Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Golpark.
Therein, “inside that black touchstone, I will reside forever”. This eternal truth is revealed repeatedly through numerous incidents and miracles which logic fails to explain.