Dakshina Kali Temple also known as Dakshina Kaliyamman Temple is dedicated to Hindu Goddess Kali located in Senthamangalam Village in Thiruvarur District of Tamil Nadu. The presiding Deity is called as Dakshina Kali and gracing the devotees here since 1983. The Goddess is also named and revered as Bhavatharini (literally ‘redeemer of Universe’) and Devi (Literally “Feminine form of Lord Shiva’).
The temple’s Goddess, Sri Dakshina Kali, faces west, unlike the Dakshineshwar temple in Kolkata. The main idol, made of mirror-polished pancha-loham (an alloy of gold, silver, brass, copper, and tin), depicts the Goddess with a beautiful face rather than a fierce one.
Late Shri A.M. Ramamoorthy Swamigal once during a visit to the Dakshineshwar Kali Temple in Kolkata, he was deeply impressed by the temple’s architecture and the depiction of Goddess Kali as a protector, contrary to the common association of Kali as a destroyer.
After returning home, Swamigal had a divine vision one night in which Goddess Dakshina Kali appeared in his dream. She instructed him to build a temple for her devotees in South India. Inspired by this vision, Swamigal made it his life’s mission to construct a temple for Goddess Sri Dakshina Kali.
He chose his paddy field in Senthamangalam, Thiruvarur, a then-undeveloped area, as the site for the temple. With unwavering dedication, he completed the construction of the temple in 1983.
The Goddess stands, with her right foot forward (the meaning of “dakshina”), upon the corpselike body of her husband.
According to the legend Kali Mata in her fierce form, becomes uncontrollable during a battle with demons. In her rage, she starts destroying everything in her path. Lord Shiva lies among the corpses on the battlefield to calm her down. Without realizing it, Kali steps on Shiva. The moment she recognizes her mistake, she feels ashamed and sorrowful. She sticks out her tongue to show her humility, and her anger is pacified.
The Goddess holds a blood-stained sword in her upper left hand and a severed head in her lower left, symbolizing her destructive power. Her upper right-hand shows abhaya mudra (“fear not”), and her lower right-hand shows Dakshina mudra, symbolizing her role as a giver of blessings. This balance reflects her dual nature as both fierce and compassionate.
Shivarathri, Aadi Pooram, and Navarathri are the main festivals being celebrated in a grand manner in this temple.