Kripamoyee Kali Mandir of Baranagar, popularly known as Joy Mitra Kali Bari, this Temple is situated on the bank of river Hooghly at Baranagar of Kolkata.
Baranagar is a very old place, more than 500 years ago this place was existed.
Famous zaminder Joyram Mitra of Sovabazar established this temple in mid-April of the year 1851. He bought about 3 bighas land at Baranagar from some James saheb and established the temple there similar to Brahmamoyee Kali temple of Mulajor of Shyamnagar.The goddess here is Dakshina Kali (দক্ষিণা কালী).
If you walk from 'Kuthi ghat' of Baranagar river bank a few steps ahead, you'll reach to the temple - 171 years old this temple is situated by the side of Hara Kumar Thakur Strand. Twelve temples of lord Shiva are there beside the main temple. The array and formation of these Shiva mandirs are very innovative here.
Ramakrishna Paramahansa dev used to visit this temple frequently. This temple was erected as 'Navratna' art. But it is not the formal sloping roof temple but two-storyed 'dalan' temple. On the four corners of ground floor flat roof there are four 'ratna' installed. On the first floor flat roof there are four 'ratna' installed on the four corners and one 'ratna' on the middle of roof.
It says, This temple was built four years before Dakshineswar temple. Nabin Chandra Pal - the famous sculptor of Dainhat near Katwa of Burdwan district made the idol of Kripamoyee Kali in this Joy Mitra's temple. Rani Rasmani visited this temple and liked the temple including the idol. She requsted sculptor Nabin to make idol of Ma Bhabatarini. And appointed an English architect to built 'Nabaratna' temple at Dakshineswar, influenced by this Kripamoyee Kali temple of Joy Mitra.
'Sinhaduar' (সিংহদুয়ার) or main gate is there at entry point. Then a big ground, twelve Shiva temples are there on both sides of the ground, six each side. These temples are built influenced by Bengali 'Aat Chala' (আট চালা) form. All the Shiva Lingas have different names. Array of 'Tulsi Mancha' (তুলসী মঞ্চ) straight. Naat Mandir (নাট মন্দির) is there on the middle of ground. This নাট মন্দির is very wide. On the north side of this Naat Mandir, the main temple of goddess Kali is there. Eyepleasing 'Choon Pankho' (চুনপঙখ) art is there on the outer wall of temple.
It says that Thakur Sri Sri Ramkrishna Dev often visited this temple. He also visited Brahmamoyee Kali Temple of Pramanick Ghat Road, Baranagar. Those three idols - Kripamoyee, Brahmamoyee and Bhabatarini made by Nabin Chandra Pal of Dainhat. So, some resemblence is there in three idol. Therefore, Ramkrishna Dev used to say Ma Bhabatarini of his Dakshineswar temple and Kripamoyee Kali and Brahmamoyee Kali as Ma Bhabatarini's two sisters - and therefore called both as 'Masi'.
Once upon a time, this Joy Mitra's Kali Temple used to witness many sacrifices - buffaloe, goat etc. But, in the year 2000 Balananda Brahmachari came to this Kali Temple and urged to stop animal sacrifices as it is cruelty to animals. Since then, animal sacrifice is totally stopped.
As per the belief of people, the idol of goddess Kali was made by the 'shila' found on river Hooghly.There are no watchman or night guard in this temple. But, the rituals or puja of goddess Kali is perform here with full devotion, dedication and sincerety. Zaminder Joyram Mitra too loved to perform puja with full devotion and thus this temple and its deity got the fame of 'jagrat devi' amongst devotees.
Below are the pictures of Joy Mitra's Kripamoyee Kali Temple's 1) Naat Mandir, 2) Main Temple and 3) Kripamoyee Kali - idol.
