Adyapith Temple, Dolpiri, Dakshineswar
Location: -
Just approximate 2 km from Dakshineswar Kali Temple Complex.
The Temple: -
Dream visitations from Sri Ramakrishna also continued. He offered Annadamoksha, but Annada, confronted by a vision of thousands of his suffering fellow humans, responded, "I do not care for liberation. I would rather go through a hundred thousand hells doing well to others: This is my religion." In 1919, Sri Ramakrishna revealed what Annada's life's work was to be: the establishment of a temple to the Divine Mother Adya Ma. The temple was to be in reality three temples enveloping one another: the first to Sri Ramakrishna, the second to Adya Ma, and the third to Krishna and Radha. The altar was to be three altars built like large stair steps: Ramakrishna on the bottom, Adya Ma in the middle, and Radha-Krishna on the top, encircled by the sacred syllable “OM”. In conjunction with the temple, there were to be separate ashrams for men and women, boys' and girls' orphanages and schools, a free clinic to prevent the spread of contagious disease, and distribution of food and clothing to the poor. At Sri Ramakrishna's behest, Annada Thakur spent a year with his parents in Raujan, in what is now Bangladesh, and then returned to Calcutta and carried out spiritual practices for a year on the bank of the Ganges. Then, on January 14, 1921, a celebration was held, which is still celebrated at the temple asSiddhotsab. The same year a committee was formed for the establishment of the Dakshineswar Ramakrishna Sangha. In early 1927, the organisation acquired a piece of land with some adjoining old Shiva temples, and on January 31, 1928, Annada Thakur broke ground for the temple on a compound of nearly 14 acres.
Architecture and Symbolism: -
The main temple of Adyapeath is unique in both its architecture and its symbolism. Made of immaculate white marble, it is really three temples nestled inside one another.
The temple's symbolism denotes not only the unity of all aspects of the Hindu faith, but the unity of all religions toward a common goal: humanity's realization of God. Its spire combines Shiva's Trident, the Moon and Star, the Cross, and the Hand Fan--the symbols of Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, and Buddhism respectively.
The Main Altar: -
Like the temple itself, the main altar also takes a very unusual configuration: three altars, one atop the other, like stair steps. On the bottom altar is an image of Sri Ramakrishna, with the word "Guru" inscribed nearby. On the middle altar is a replica of the image of Adya Ma found by Annada Thakur in the Eden Garden. This image is made of eight metals. Nearby is inscribed "Knowledge and Work."
The topmost altar is adorned by the images of Radha and Krishna, known all over world as the divine couple. They are encircled by the sacred syllable “OM”, and at their feet is inscribed the word "Love." Thus love is the foremost virtue and the clearest path to God.
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