Dakshineshwar Temple, Barrackpore, West Bengal (1850)

In 1847, Rani Rashmoni of Bengal began the construction of the famous Dakshineswar Kali Temple. Rani, who was a rich and pious widow of colonial Bengal had a divine revelation ordering her to construct a temple dedicated to goddess Kali. She started building the magnificent temple after this revelation. In spite of immense wealth she did not come from a very high caste being a Shudra. The Shudras, being the meanial class were not qualified to offer cooked rice to the deity as an offering. But rani out of her intense devotion didn't want her much loved Kali to go half starved by eating only fruits and uncooked rice. She called upon the Brahmins of greater Bengal to come and adjudicate on this problem. No Brahmin was liberal enough to break the unequal social evils and strictly forbade rani to offer cooked food to the goddess. Rani grew morose. At this time a learned scholar, Ramkumar Chattopadhay, who was the elder brother of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa came forward to Rani's rescue. He advised that if Rani donated the temple to a Brahmin, the Brahmin could then offer cooked rice on behalf of Rani. This would not break the traditional rules and yet help in fulfilling Rani's wish of offering cooked rice. This revolutionary suggestion created a storm in the social circles of Bengal in those days. The rani then proceeded to inaugurate the temple on an auspicious day.