Kiriteshwari Shaktipeeth or Kirit Shaktipeeth is situated in Kiritkona town under Nabagram in the Murshidabad area of Kolkata (West Bengal) of India. Kiriteswari Shaktipeeth, one of the 51 Shakti Peeth, is also known as Mukteshwari Temple because this is where Mother Sati’s crown fell.

At Kiriteshwari Shaktipeeth, the goddess is referred to as Vimala, and Lord Shiva is referred to as Sambart. Maa Kiriteswari Shaktipeeth is regarded as a Uuppeeth, implying that her ornament did feel here but no limb or body did. It is one of only a few exceptional temples in Bengal where there is no divinity, but a dark stone is placed to pray.

Story Behind Kiriteshwari Shaktipeeth

The goddess of Dakshayani, Sati, Parvati, or Durga—Hinduism’s most important woman and most powerful deity—is called Shakti. Durga Devi, Mahakali, and Gowri are the three main manifestations of Shakti, the power goddess. She is Adi Shakti’s avatar.

Sati was the Prajapati Daksha’s daughter, and she married Lord Shiva despite Her father’s wishes. Prajapati Daksha once put together a massive yagya, but he didn’t call his daughter and son-in-law. Sati was very saddened by Her father’s actions. When she got there, her father ignored the Sati and insulted her. She could not bear the insult of his husband (Lord Shiva) and she jumped into the fire of Yagya and committed suicide. She passed away, but her body didn’t burn. Lord Shiva had taken His Virabhadra Rupa out of rage. Daksha’s head was cut off by him, but in the end, He forgave him by bringing him back to life.

Lord Shiva, devastated, had taken Sati’s body and wandered the universe. Finally, Lord Vishnu used His Chakra to break Sati’s body into pieces. Each body part transformed into Shakti Pitha. The temple had emerged where the body part had fallen to the ground. In order to safeguard the Shakti Pitha, Lord Shiva created 51 Bhairava for each one.

According to the Puranas or Hindu sacred, this place was named Kiriteshwari. The Kiriteswari Temple is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas. Out of those 51 parts, from which the crown of Sati fell to this place. Here the Shakti Vimla or Bhubaneswari and Bhairav is Samvarta. The construction of this temple is more than 1,000 years old.

History of Kiriteshwari Shaktipeeth

Over a thousand years old, the Kiriteshwari Shaktipeeth Murshidabad is also known as “Mahamaya’s sleeping place. The neighbourhood legends show this spot to be the most senior characteristic of engineering around here. The temple was built in the 19th century by King Darpanarayana. A significant fire resulted in the devastation of the original temple, which was constructed in 1405. In the golden age of Murshidabad, Maa Kiriteswari was the presiding deity of the ruling house.

The architecture of Kiriteshwari Shaktipeeth

At one time, the temple complex contained sixteen temples dedicated to various gods. Bhairava, the everlasting gatekeeper of any Shakti Peeth, is additionally arranged here. The Vabisyapuran and Adi Shankaracharya’s teachings serve as inspiration for the temple.

In this temple, there is neither an image nor a deity; rather, the only deity is a red stone that devotees worship. Maa Kiriteswari, or Mukuteshwari, is worshipped here. The Red-shaded stone is covered with a cloak and is changed exclusively on the Ashtami of every Durga Puja and given a sacrosanct shower. The headdress is currently kept in Rani Bhabani’s Guptamath, which is next to the temple. Maa Kiriteshwari’s face is indexed here.

Facts about Kiriteshwari Shaktipeeth

• Kiriteshwari Shaktipeeth, one of the Murshidabad region’s oldest and aloof temples, is a major Shakti Peeth. The Kiriteswari Shakti Peeth is situated in Kiritkona village near Lalbagh.
• In the Kiritkona village, Sati was blessed by placing her crown at Kirit Shakti Peeth.
• The previous name of Kiriteswari was Kireetkana. Kireet means the crown. Kireetkana or Kiriteswari is mentioned in the Vabisyapuran. It is also heard that in the time of Shankaracharya and the Gupta age the Kiriteswari had the existence.
• The construction of the temple is more than 1000 years old and this place was considered to be the sleeping place of Mahamaya.
• When the ruling families of Murshidabad’s capital were at the height of glory, Kiriteshwari Devi was worshipped by hundreds of devotees every day.
• There used to be 16 temples of different deities in the temple complex at one point in time. Bhairava, the eternal guardian of any Shakti Peeth, is also situated here.
• There is a myth that Nawab Mir Jafar (Muslim Ruler) on his death bed had requested for the holy Charanamrito (the holy water) of Maa Kiriteswari while suffering from leprosy.

Festivals In Kiriteshwari Shaktipeeth

• Durga Puja. (Winter) – Devotees celebrate Navaratri at this temple in the month of Ashwin (Sep-Oct).
• Navaratri. (Summer) – They celebrate other Navaratri in the fortnight of the Chaitra (March-April). Every nine days they worship Navadurga (nine Durgas).
• Diwali – Diwali is one of the most admired and auspicious festivals in the town.
• Mahashivratri– A grand fair is organized at the temple during the occasion of Maha Shivratri.

How to Reach Kiriteshwari Shaktipeeth

Kiriteshwari Shaktipeeth is Located in Kireetkona village which is five kilometres from Dahapara rail station. It is the oldest temple in the Murshidabad district.

By Air: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at a distance of nearly 239 kilometres from Kiriteswari Temple.

By Railway: Dahapara rail station at a distance of nearly 3.2 kilometres from Kiriteswari Temple.

Nearest Bus Station/Cabs: Nearest Bus Stand: Dahapara at a Distance of 5 Km.