Kalka Devi Temple is a popular and highly revered
shrine of Delhi, the capital city of India. Located at Kalkaji in
southern part of Delhi, Kalkaji Temple is close to the famous Lotus
Temple. One can easily reach Kalkaji Mandir by taking local buses,
auto-rickshaws or by hiring taxis from the city. The temple is dedicated
to Kalka Devi, a form of Shakti (Power). Kalka Devi Mandir is very
famous and receives plenty of devotees each and every day.
Kalka Devi is known to be one of the incarnations of Goddess Shakti
(Durga). Due to this renowned temple, the area came to be called as
Kalkaji. The image of the Goddess Kalka is believed to a self-manifested
one. The main shrine has twelve sides, made in white marble and granite
tiles. In the early 20th century, the present structure was erected by
the contributions and donations made by the devotees.
On religious occasions, Kalka Devi temple is thronged by innumerable
devotees that come to have a glimpse of the Goddess. It is regarded that
Kalka Devi fulfills all the legible wishes of her true devotees. During
the time of 'Navratris' (Mar-Apr / Sep-Oct), thousands of devotees come
for the 'darshan' of the deity. For the period of nine days, a huge fair
is organized in the vicinity of the temple.
Origin
Existent from past 3,000 years, Kalkaji Temple traces many legends
regarding its origin. However, the oldest part of the shrine dates back
to the 1764 A.D. Kalka Temple is said to have been constructed by the
Maratha Rulers in the late 18th century. Kalkaji Mandir is believed to
have been survived from the times of Mahabharata.
As per the folklore, the Pandavas and Kauravas had worshipped Kalka Devi
during the reign of Yudhisthir. In the words of Laura Sykes, "Marathas
plundered the fair at Kalka Devi, near Okhla" at some stage in the
battle of 1738 with the Mughals at Talkatora. Raja Kedarnath (Peshkar of
Emperor Akbar II) made some changes and additions to the original
structure of Kalkaji Temple.
