Break From Tradition: Kalidas Deified At Temple In Odisha's Kendrapara

Kendrapara: Temples are Lord's abode but there are a few which are dedicated to historical figures. In one such temple in Babakarpur village of Mahakalapada block of Kendrapara district, great poet Kalidas is being worshipped for the last over 200 years.

Instead of Vedic mantras, Sanskrit poems, penned by Kalidas, considered the greatest poet of ancient India, are recited at the shrine where devotees pray before embarking on a new venture.

Poems from Kalidas' 'Ritusamraham', 'Meghdoot', 'Kumarasambhavam', 'Malavikagnimitram', and 'Abhijana Shakuntala' are recited at the temple where knowledge of Sanskrit is mandatory to become a priest. Ranjan Tripathi, a local said, back in 1802, a landowner Balaram Bhramarvar Ray was cultivating his land when he stumbled upon a stone.

Children praying at the temple (ETV Bharat)

Ray returned to his house and went to sleep only to have a dream where Kalidas instructed him to sculpt a statue from the stone and install it in the village. Ray did so, under a tree and people started worshipping the idol. After Ray's death in 1832, the villagers constructed a temple at the spot where the idol was installed.

The temple has a library where books on and by Kalidas and those for competitive exams are kept for the benefit of youth. Alok Nayak, a youth said if a youngster from the village cracks a competitive exam and gets a job, then he/she donates a book to the library. It has been a norm since ages, he said.

A temple priest praying at the shrine (ETV Bharat)

"It is believed that whatever one makes a wish here before an exam or before embarking on any auspicious work, it is fulfilled," said locals. Malliprabha Mishra, another local said, "I have been married for 56 years. Every evening we come here to chant hymns. We have deep faith in Kalidas. Whenever anyone starts studying, they come to the temple . Before any job or going abroad, we inform our God first," she said.

The library in the temple (ETV Bharat)

Even as the temple is rare and anything but usual, locals believe little has been done by the government to renovate it. Locals have been demanding to make the shrine a tourist destination for quite some time, said Priyabrat Mishra, a local.

The Kalidas temple (ETV Bharat)

Kalidas (4th–5th century CE) was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered ancient India's greatest poet and playwright. His plays and poetry are primarily based on Hindu Puranas and philosophy. His surviving works consist of three plays, two epic poems and two shorter poems.

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