Kankalitala Travel Guide

Kankalitala Travel Guide. Shaktipeeth Kankalitala Travel Guide

Kankalitala is one of the most important Shakti-peethas (or Sati-peethas) located in the Birbhum district of West Bengal. Shakti-peethas are among the most sacred pilgrimage places in Hinduism under Shakti traditions. According to popular belief, at these Shakti-peethas the various body-parts of the goddess Sati (also called Dakshayani) fell and became enshrined. Although commonly the number of Shakti-peethas is said to be 51, the count and the locations vary depending on the scripture. In the Peeth Nirnaya Tantra the number is given as 51.

In the Tantra Chudamani, in the list of 51 peethas, a place called Kanchi is mentioned as the eighteenth Sati-peeth. The present name of this place is Kankalitala. In ancient times it was called Kanchidesh. Here the goddess is called Devgarva Devi, and her Bhairav (male counterpart) is Ruru.

According to the Peeth Nirnaya Tantra, it was here that Sati’s bone or skeleton (ash­tī) fell. Hence the name “Kankalītala” (literally “the ground of the skeleton”). Furthermore, the eighteenth-century Bengali poet Ray Gunakar Bharat Chandra in his Annda Mangal wrote that Sati’s waist/hip portion fell here.

“Kanchideshe paṛil kankali abhiram
Bedagarbha devata  bhairava Ruru nam.”

The ancient name of today’s Bolpur was Kanchinagar. According to Peeth Nirnaya Tantra, this Kanchi (18th in the list) and in the Shiv­chari listed as the 33rd (satri­tṛṃśat) Shakti-peeth is this Kankalitala. The goddess’s name here is Devgarbha (or Bhedagarbha) and her Bhairav is Mahadev Ruru.

Kanchideshe cha kankal Vairaba Ruru Namak Devata Devagarvakhya।।

This Kanchi has no relationship with the Kanchipuram of south India. From historical record it is known that during the Pala period, in this region the king Rajendra Chola of Kanchi established a military camp. Since then this place has been called Kanchinagar.

Kankalitala is famed for Tantric spiritual practices. Earlier there was no proper temple here. Instead there was a water-tank or kund. Around this kund the goddess’s greatness evolves. According to local lore, in the kund are a few stone fragments, which worshippers identify as parts of the goddess’s body. Some say 20 or 12 of these fragments are taken out of the kund every twelve years and after the puja they are returned to the water.

There is no idol in the temple of this Bhairav Shakti-peeth; instead there is a large bound image of the cremation-ground goddess (Shmashan Kali). Daily worship is offered at this image in the name of Devgarbha.

In the site’s yard there is a banyan tree under whose cool shade stands the temple of Bhairavnath Ruru, guardian of the site, beside the Sati-kund where Mother rests.

Visiting the Goddess

In the Mother’s temple the offering (bhog) can be arranged. From the temple authority’s designated counter you can exchange dakshina (monetary offering) and receive a coupon. The temple’s darshan hours are from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., during which time you can participate in the puja.

Location

Kankalitala is located in Birbhum district on the Bolpur-Lavpur road (PIN 731204).

How to Reach

From Bolpur (Santiniketan) you can drive here — it is about 10 km from Bolpur bus stand. There are many trains from Howrah or Sealdah railway station to Bolpur/Prantik. From Bolpur station the distance to the Mother’s temple is 9 km, and from Prantik station it is 6 km. From the station you can hire a “toto” (electric rickshaw) or car. If you stay in a hotel or guest house, you can arrange car hire from there too. According to the map below, from Bolpur via NH-114 then via Bolpur-Lavpur road the distance to Kankalitala is 8 km and the journey takes about 22 minutes.

If you are coming from another state or from abroad, you must fly to Kolkata or the Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport. From there the distance to Kankalitala is 153 km. Then you may take a car or take a train from Howrah or Sealdah.

When to Visit

You can go all year round. But note that the most significant festivals here are Holi, Sharad Purnima, Diwali, Makar Sankranti, Shivaratri, Navratri, Dussehra. The period from October to March is the best time because the weather is favourable.

Nearby Places to See

– The Saturday Haat (market) at Sonajhuri

– Tarapith

– The Khoyai Garden

– Amar Kutir

– Visva‑Bharati University

– Shrijani Art Village

– Chatimtala

– Rabindra Bhavan

– Geetanjali Cinema Hall

– Sonajhuri Forest

– Surul Rajbari

& others.

Where to Stay

There are no lodging facilities at Kankalitala itself. It is just 10 km from Bolpur, so everyone stays in Bolpur Santiniketan where there are numerous hotels and guest houses.

Trip Plan

You can do a trip from Kolkata to Kankalitala. A 2-night / 3-day or 1-night / 2-day package tour can cover both Bolpur and Kankalitala pretty well. Alternatively, you could include Kankalitala along with other Shakti-peethas in a tour package. You could even go on a day-trip from Kolkata to Kankalitala.

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