The Kalyaneswari Temple, Lepodi

Most of the time when I visit ancient temples, I explore darkness. Rarely, I found radiant glow or heavenly light, like at Khero Pahar. Except that one I always entered into a domain of darkness, whenever I visited old temples and found myself dissolved in those black-holes. The Kalyaneswari Temple of Lepodi is no exception. We decided to visit the temple, as soon as we heard about it. We knew about the Kalyaneswari temple of Mython. We visited the place, searched its history and concluded for the time. But we didn’t know that there are more in the chain. So we set our path towards Lepodi village. It was not too far from my hometown Purulia. We had to move towards the road to Maanbazar. As we had been to the Mython Kalyaneswari Temple, in sub-conscious we expected some resemblance. But when we finally visited, we were like, ‘huh ? ! ! !’.

the Shadowy Temple

It was really a typical Purulia day for all of us. The Sun was showing no mercy on us and in that mid-monsoon day, not a slight sight of clouds was there in the sky. Finally we stopped in the middle of a field, where a little house like temple stood surrounded by big old trees. Even in that sunny day, the Vanaspatis provided a shadowy shelter for the devotees. It was almost 11am and the temple premise was almost vacant. An old man smiled at us and said, see what you need to, because after some moments it’ll become a festive ground. Right he was. Within fifteen minutes or so people from nearby villages gathered in a large mass and the place became too much crowded. Some of them were carrying a goat for the ‘Validaan’ purpose. They all carried various fruits, sweets, ghee, pradeepam etc. but none of them was arranged. But what they did next was amazing. People started plucking banyan leaves to make small bowls and placed the fruits and sweets they brought in it. In no time the vacant temple ‘Garbhagriha’ was flooding with Bhog-thalis. The temple, which was smelling musty and dirty, was covered with heavenly fragrance of the essence sticks. We saw before our eyes an abandoned temple to transform into a festive spot. 

yea! thats it

It is always something more than we see. Even more than we get. We realized some vibration, which drove those people there. That energy secretly hidden in those shadowy trees made those people prepare the place for Her daily Puja. The local people told us, it happens here daily. Daily such number of people gather, perform the puja, offer the Validaan and leave. After they leave the place again becomes the same. We knew that the Puja of Maa Kalyaneswari starts after 12 o’clock. When the puja ground was completely prepared it was 12:15. The preparation was not at all intentional. People came there on their own, according to their convenient time, but the timing was just perfect.

Everyday hundreds of people gather in that place. A temple that rests in the shadows; a temple where the Goddess doesn’t face Her devotees. We never knew how and when this temple was built. But what we felt there was unusual. Something, out of the world. Something, so Kalyaneswari . . . .