MAA APARAJITA TEMPLE, Kolkata

According to the temple's priest and MAA's ardent devotee, Sri Ram Chandra Dey, this is the only temple of MAA APARAJITA in the whole world.

MAA's temple is being reconstructed and any donations or financial contributions are welcome.

LOCATION:
The temple is a private temple located at the home of the ardent devotee Sri Ram Chandra Dey. It is not very well known to even people in the locality.

If you have a smart-phone, search for 'Maa Aparajita Temple Kolkata' and use Google Maps to navigate to the place.

Alternatively,the route is: Reach Kaikhali crossing on V.I.P. leading to/from Calcutta Airport. From there, take the lane towards Kali Park.

Once there, ask for the home of Shri Ram Chandra Dey or for a Mandir nearby.

Message or send an email for any questions or clarifications.

If nothing works for you, please contact his son, Sanjib, on his mobile no. +919831304267, for directions.

BACKGROUND:

Whenever we talk of Devi Shakti, the names that come to mind are those of MAA DURGA and MAA KALI, since they are the more popular forms of Maa Shakti that are worshipped.

Reference to MAA APARAJITA is found in the Durga Saptashati, a collection of 700 verses in honour of Maa Durga, mentioned in the Markandeya Purana. The Durga Saptashati talks of three forms of the Devi which manifested itself to help the Gods at different times. In the first chapter, She appears as Maa Mahamaya, to vanquish Madhu and Kaitav, two demons who were out to kill Lord Brahma and later Lord Vishnu.

In the second manifestation (Chs 2 to 4), she appears as Maa Durga, to vanquish Mahishasur. Maa Durga, came into being as the collective energy force of all the Gods and was given all her ornaments and weapons by the respective Gods. After vanquishing Mahisasur, as the Gods sang verses in her praise (Ch 4), she assured them that she would appear to help and save them whenever needed in future.

Thus, when the demon-king Shumbha and his brother Nishumbha started disturbing the Gods, so far as to take away the energy from fire, making rivers flow backwards, stopping rain; they prayed to Devi Shakti (Ch 5), singing Her glory, a part of these verses make up the Aparajita Strotra, the Devi appeared before them and from the hair of Her body, created another form, which would fight and vanquish the demons (Ch 6 to 10). In fighting the demons and their army, Devi Parvati, manifested a new form from the hairs of her body known as Kaushiki or Ambika, who fought the demons led by Shumbh and Nishumbh.

Ambika, first fought and vanquished Dhumralochan. Subsequently manifested herself as Kalika Devi and vanquished Chand and Mund. Kalika Devi is also known as Chamunda. She also became Vijayini, Brahmini, and many other forms, each representing the various Gods from whom she derived Her energy, to vanquish Raktabeej and his entire army. This way, She fought and killed Nishumbh too. Finally Shumbh, the Demon king challenged her to fight him one-on-one and stop using these manifested forms. At that point, Devi Ambika, collected all these energies into Her own self, and vanquished Shumbha. Hence, she became known as APARAJITA or Narayani., being the combined energies of all the Devis who had manifested themselves from Ambika’s body or the enregies of the different Gods.