Ramna Kali Temple

The Ramna Kali Temple (Bengali: রমনা কালী মন্দির) is a temple in Dhaka that was originally built in the time of the Mughal Empire. It was also known as the “Ramna Kalibari”. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Kali.

Location
It is beside the former Dhaka Racecourse, now Suhrawardy Udyan. The entire temple complex occupies almost 2.25 acres (9,100 m2) and is on the south side of Ramna Park, opposite the Bangla Academy.

History
The original temple was destroyed on March 27, 1971 by the Pakistani Army during the Bangladesh Liberation War. It was the site of a massacre of mostly Hindu people.

Kali Temple in 1967
In Nepalese folklore, the Ramna Kali Temple was founded by the devotees of the Goddess Kali. The devotees had come to Bengal from the Himalayas.lthough the temple had stood for centuries, it was largely developed in the early 20th century. The temple was developed under the patronage of Rani Bilashmoni Debi, wife of Rajendra Narayan (1882–1913). At this time, the temple was one of Dhaka’s tallest landmarks.

Design
The architectural design of the temple changed over the centuries in which it stood. In front of the temple was a large dighi (pool) which was a popular place for worshipers and visitors to swim. The temple has a tall shikhara (tower). Next to the temple was the Ma Anandamoyee Ashram (Bengali: মা আনন্দময়ী আশ্রম), a place of worship with a residential complex and facilities for washing.

The design of the temple is documented in pictures taken at Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s address of 7 March 1971. This is likely the last time the temple was photographed by journalists or historians.