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Hindu Temples :-
Goddess Durga Temples
Kalkaji Temple, Delhi
Kalkaji Temple
situated at Just opposite to the Bahai House of Worship (Lotus
Temple), East of Nehru Place in South Delhi,
kalkaji temple popularly known as Kalkaji Mandir is a renowned temple
dedicated to Kalka Devi or Kali, one of the incarnations of Goddess Durga.
Just a kilometer away from Nehru Place, Okhla Industrial Estate and the new
developed Kalkaji colony, the temple is thronged by thousands of pilgrims
every year during the festival of Navratri. This is a nine-day festival,
during which a large fair is organized here and the place takes on a real
carnival atmosphere, complete with the vibrant commotion of hawkers.
Said to be located on a hill, the temple was built in the middle of 18th
century and the oldest portion of the existing temple dates back to 1764.
However, according to Laura Sykes 'Marathas plundered the fair at Kalka Devi,
near Okhla' during the battle of 1738 with the Mughals in Talkatora. In the
middle of the 19th century, Raja Kedarnath, Peshkar of Emperor Akbar II made
certain changes and additions to the temple. The stone, which represents the
goddess Kali, is housed in a twelve-sided structure. The whole temple is
made up of white marble and granite tiles and is visited by a few hundred
worshippers every day. In the vicinity of the temple are the Mandir's
dharamshalas, the rest houses for pilgrims, which were built by the
donations of many devotees in the early 20th century.
Bathing the Goddess Kali with pure milk is a major part of the puja ceremony
performed here. According to legend, every day a cow gave all her milk to
Goddess Kalkaji. The owner of the cow was a farmer, who built a temple in
her honour.
Visitors should be alert in the area as the place is very crowded and there
can be few anti-social elements (pickpockets) after your wallet or precious
possessions. Offerings can be purchased just before the entrance of the
temple.
Special Attraction/ Annual Event:
There are four Prayer Sessions everyday. These Prayer Sessions are
unique, as prayers from all religions are recited during these Prayer
Sessions.
Prayer Session Timings: 1000 hrs - 1015 hrs (15 minutes)
1200 hrs - 1215 hrs (15 minutes)
1500 hrs - 1515 hrs (15 minutes)
1700 hrs - 1715 hrs (15 minutes).