In a distant land far from our motherland lies a sanctuary of devotion and reverence, the Mahashakti Temple in Skanda Valley, Carmarthenshire, Wales. This temple stands as a testament to the enduring and universal appeal of Tantra and Matri Sadhana, ancient religious traditions that celebrate the divine feminine as the supreme principle of the mind and the original cause of the world.
Mother worship has been a fundamental characteristic of many ancient civilizations, including the Sumerians, Egyptians, Harappans, Greeks, and Celts. Today, in the modern world, we are the last successors of this venerable tradition of matri puja. The fascination with Tantra in the Western world is long-standing. Maa Firingi Kali has been venerated in Kolkata since before colonial rule, with documented accounts of East India Company officials offering puja at Kalighat. Moreover, Sir John Woodroffe, a disciple of Sivachandra Vidyarnav, significantly contributed to the study and dissemination of Tantra under the pseudonym Arthur Avalon.
The Skanda Valley was founded by Swami Subrahmanyam in 1976, initially dedicated to the worship of Murugan Swamy, also known as Kartik. The Mahashakti Temple, established in 1991, features Maa Kali as the central deity, surrounded by deities such as Lakshmi, Pattini, Saraswati, Mother Mary, and various other matrikas from different religions, symbolizing the universality of mother worship.
The temple houses a six-foot-tall idol of Maa Kali, crafted in the Deccan style. It is worth noting that the Bengalis of the Pala era worshiped this form of Mother Kali, and this tradition continues here in the Deccan style. Swami Subrahmanyam, the founder of the temple, was inspired to build this sacred space after having a vision of Maa Kali in a dream. Since 1985, he has dedicated himself to establishing this temple as a beacon of devotion and spiritual practice.
Significantly, no animal sacrifices are performed in this temple, and devotees are required to abstain from consuming non-vegetarian food for three days before entering the temple. This discipline reflects the temple’s commitment to purity and reverence. The primary devotees of the temple are expatriate Bengalis and Gujaratis, who find solace and connection in this far-off land.
The Mahashakti Temple is open daily from 6:30 am to 6 pm, with regular recitations of Mother’s Aarti and Ashtotarshathanam. Devotees visit the temple, participate in prayers, and receive prasad, experiencing a deep sense of community and spiritual fulfillment.
The growing interest in mother worship across European countries and the United States is remarkable. Western universities have extensively researched the history of Tantra and Shakta Dharma. Recently, the British Museum hosted an exhibition on the history of Tantra, featuring a 19th-century miniature Kalimurti from Krishnanagar.
The history of Tantra is rooted in the Vedic tradition, a fact recognized and celebrated in the West. The scholarly discourse on the archeology of Matrika’s original religion and the evolution of Jaganmata in Puranic texts and Tantra Shastras is unparalleled.
The Mahashakti Temple in Skanda Valley exemplifies this Western fascination with Tantra and mother worship. It stands as a beacon for modern Bengalis, urging them to reclaim their lost heritage and revive the resonant sounds of their mother’s name. This temple, far from our homeland, is a commendable initiative and a powerful reminder of our enduring spiritual traditions.
