Rani Rasmani Devi.

[Guest guest]

Dear Sadhakas,

Few months ago some one enquired about Rani Rasmani Devi.

I collect some details about Rani Rasmani Devi.

The Rani ( The name Rani stands for queen) was born in Kona ,a

village located about thirty miles north of Calcutta. Her deep

devotion – from an early age –to Mother Kali sustained her and her

family for they were very poor. Although she was bourn into an

indigent farmer's family of the lowest Hindu caste. destiny had

singled out Rani Rasmani to become one of the richest ,most

influential women in Calcutta.

 

She was exceptionally beautiful. One day when she was bathing in the

Ganges a wealthy landlord from Calcutta observed her from his luxury

boat. Silently the boat passed the girl. But the rich man could not

get her out of his mind. He was so stunned by her beauty that the

thought of her remained in his heart and he returned at a later date

to ask the farmer for the hand of his daughter.

 

Rani Rasmani became the wife of Rajchandra Das and overnight the

poor girl became a multi -millionairess and lived in a mansion in

Janbazar Calcutta. But her years of marriage did not last long for

Rajchandra suddenly fell ill and died. The Rani became a widow at

age 44 and was left to manage single- handed four young daughters

and a vast estate.

 

Contrary to dire predictions by relatives the Rani managed

Rajchandradas properties with great skill. She ruled with love

intelligence and wit. Her devotion to kali made her fearless and she

became an out spoken champion of civil rights. When the British

government imposed a tax on fisherman whose livelihood depended on

fishing in the Ganges the Rani took up their cause.

 

" I want to buy the fishing rights on the Ganga from Gushuri to

Metiabruz'' said the Rani.And as soon as the British sold her the

rights for the then enormous sum of 10,000 rupees. She erected a

barricade by putting chains across the river. No ship could pass.

 

When the British demanded that she remove the barricade at once. She

replied " your ships disturb my fish which cost me 10,000 rupees. But

if you return my money and abolish the fishing tax I will be happy

to do as you want " . The British government had to abolish the tax.

 

On another occasion the Rani fought the British over the rights to

perform religious service she had started Durga worship at her

mansion in Janbazar and since the ritual calls for fresh water from

the Ganges a priest would go early in the morning to fetch the

water to the great chagrin of a certain British gentleman a

procession of musician with drums and symbols accompanied the priest

through Janbazar a noble section Calcutta where many wealthy

Europeans lived being awakened early in the morning by the religious

music he yelled threatened and finally filed a formal complaint

against the Rani at the police station the Rani was summoned by the

British and ordered to stop all devotional music in the morning

She disobeyed and was fined 50rupees.rani Rasmani paid without a

word of complaint, but on the same day she erected a bamboo

barricade across Babughat Road which she owned. No traffic could

pass from south to north Calcutta and vice versa. The British

government repeatedly asked her to remove the barricade but the rani

did not give in until the British returned her 50 rupees and allowed

her devotional procession to fetch water from the Ganges early in

the morning.

The Rani's fearlessness and the courage had a lot to do with her

total dependence on Mother Kali. My Mother Kali will protect me, and

if she doesn't, none in this world can save me " , the Rani often

said. One day a group of rowdy, drunken British soldiers forced

their way into Rani's mansion. Since all the men happened to be away

into the Rani's mansion. Since all the men happened to be away the

time time, the Rani, herself,took up arms and stood ready to

confront the soldiers. Fortunate, an officer of higher rank passed

by and stopped the soldiers from harming the Rani or her property.

Sri Ramakrishna said about the Rani that she was one the eight

companions of the divine mother. Among her many other noble

qualities was a genuine sympathy for the poor. Many times she

disturbed gifts and feed poor people. But today when people think of

her they probably remember her most for her devotion to kali.

In 1847 she decided to go on a pilgrimage to Kashi because she had

an intense desire to offer special devotions to Vishwanath Shiva and

to offer to the Divine Mother in the form of Annapurna.

In those days there was no railway station line between Calcutta and

Kashi and it was more comfortable for the rich to make the journey

by boat. So the Rani planned to travel wither encourage by boat. We

are told that her convey of boats was made with provisions for six

months. There were seven boats for food and other supplies. One for

herself , there for three daughters and their families two for the

guards , two for the servants, four for other relatives and friends,

two for her estate officials , one for the washer man, one for four

cows and one for fodder…………………..

 

The devout Rani Rasmani's mind had reached a climax of fervor and

delight at the prospect of the holy pilgrimage. But for the night

before the journey mother kali intervened. She appeared to the Rani

in a dream and said. " There is no need to to go Kashi. Install my

image in a beautiful spot on the bank of the Ganga and arrange for

my daily worship and food offering: " I shall manifest myself in the

image and accept your worship daily " the next mourning the Rani gave

orders to cancel the journey.

 

After an intensive search for a suitable place to build a Kali

temple the Rani found a 20 acre plot of land in the village of

Dakshineswar on the eastern bank of the Ganges. The ground had the

shape of the back of tortoise. Part of this land belonged to an

English man. the remaining part consisted of an abandoned Muslim

burial ground associated with the memory of a Mohammedan holy man

such a burial ground according to the Tantras is very suitable for

the installation of Shakti and her Sadhana.

 

The Rani began construction in 1847 and it took eight years at great

expense to complete the kali temple compound which also included a

Vishnu temple and 12 Shiva temples. When the temple construction

neared completion the Rani contracted a sculptor to make the kali

image. The sculptor carved a beautiful black image of kali in basalt

and used white Italian marble for the form of Shiva.

 

Since the day of the temple `s consecration was to be a big day in

the Rani's life she began to prepare herself early by practicing

severe austerities she bathed three times a day eat only simple food

and spent many hours in Japam and meditation.

 

One night she had a dream wherein Ma Kali appeared and said : " how

long will you keep me confined this way? I feel suffocated. Install

me as soon sa possible''. When the box which stored the image was

opened, workers found the statue of kale moist with perspiration.

 

The Rani quickly fixed the installation ceremony of Ma Kali on the

day of the

Snana- yatra(bathing ceremony of Sri Krishna)

………………………………..

 

The temple was consecrated in the name of Rani's guru and Ram

Kumar, officiating as priest, installed the image of kali in the new

temple with great great pomp on Thursday, may 31, 1855.

…………………….

The 19 years old sri Ramakrishna was also present at this auspicious

occasion. Noticing him as the brother of Ram Kumar, the Rani and her

son- in- law Mathur Mohan Biswas asked him to become a priest in the

Vishnu temple, later Sri Ramakrishna took over his duties to Ma kali.

The Rani fell seriously ill in 1861.rasmani knew that death was

imminent and there was one task which she had left unfinished, the

property which she had bought in Dinajput as an endowment for the

maintenance of the Dakshineswar temple was still not transferred to

the temple trust. She executed the deed of endowment on February 18,

1861 and died the next day.

 

Shortly before her passing away, she was brought to the bank of the

Ganga. Seeing some lamps lighted in front of her, she

exclaimed " Remove, remove these lights. I do not care for this

artificial illumination any more. Now my mother has come and the

brilliance of her form has illumined the whole place''. After as

short pause she passed away saying " Mother, you have come " .

 

 

The whole article is taken in the book " Kali-The Black Goddess of

Dakshineswar'' written by Elizabeth U. Harding.

 

Nayan pradeep