Kalka Mandir or kalkaji Temple is a famous and highly respected Hindu Mandir. The temple is dedicated to Hindu goddess Kali or Kalka, an avatar of Durga and situated in South Delhi, India near Lotus Temple. The temple is one of Delhi's major tourist attraction.
The temple was built in 1764 a.d, as per the folklore, the Pandavas and Kauravas had worshipped here. Later in the mid 19th century, Raja Kadarnath, the treasurer of emperor Akbar second made certain changes in temple. In the early 20th century, the present structure was built by the contributions of devotees. The modern temple is 8 sided structure made up of marble and black pumicle stones. The black stone denotes goddess kali.
The temple is constructed in red sandstone and white marble. The main shrine of the temple is dedicated to Goddess Kali, who is depicted as a kalash (pot) of nectar. The other shrines in the temple complex are dedicated to Lord Shiva and Lord Hanuman. The temple also houses a shrine dedicated to the deity Devi Durga.
The temple complex also includes a number of smaller shrines and temples dedicated to various Hindu deities. On special occasions, the temple is decorated with lights and filled with devotees who come to offer their prayers and seek the blessings of the Goddess Kali.
It is believed that all the deities went to Brahma ji after being troubled by the demons, but Brahma ji advised all the deities to go to Mother Parvati. Then pleased with the prayers and rituals performed by the gods and Brahma ji, appeared at the site of the temple and blessed them, and settled at the site. During the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna and the Pandavas are said to have worshiped Kali in this temple during the reign of Yudhishthira. The temple is believed to have been built by Thok Brahmins and Thok Jogis on the orders of Kali.
It is also called Jayanti Peeth or Manokamna Siddha Peeth. “Manokamna” literally means desire, “Siddha” means fulfillment, and “Peetha” means pilgrimage. Hence, it is considered to be the holy temple where one gets the blessings of Maa Kalika Devi for the fulfillment of one's wishes.
Devotees attend the Kalkaji Temple throughout the year but the apex point of the celebration comes during the festival of Navratri. This is a nine day festival, during which a large fair is organized here.
The organized work of Shri Kalkaji temple is done by 'Shri Kalkaji Temple Manager Reform Committee (Reg.)'.
The Shri Kalkaji Temple is also known as a place where devotees make their children's mundan (Bal Utarna). Any devotee can make his children's mundan (hair cut) at any time between 6:00 am and 10:00pm.