Kalighat Kali Temple Kolkata

Kalighat Kali Temple, one of the most famous Hindu sacred sites in Kolkata, is counted among the 51 Shakti Peethas in India. Kalighat Kali Temple is dedicated to Goddess Kali, and is visited by thousands of devotees every year. It is located against the backdrop of Adi Ganga, which was once the main tributary of the Hooghly River, but exists as a creek today. In its initial years, the temple was just a hut. Later, in the 16th century, King Manasingha built the temple. The present structure of this highly revered Hindu shrine in Kolkata was constructed under the administration of Sabarna Roy Chowdhury in 1809. One of the key highlights of this place is the idol of the presiding deity which is characterized by three eyes, a protruding tongue and four hands.

Other attractions inside the temple include Sosthi Tala, Radha Krishna Temple, Harkath Tala and Kundupukar. Sosthi Tala is an altar about 3 feet high and houses a small cactus plant. Beneath the tree there is an altar, on which are placed three stones. These are dedicated to Goddess Sosthi, Chandi Mongol and Sitola. Radha Krishna Temple is known as Shyama-rana temple and is situated on the western side of the Kalighat Kali Temple. The temple, as it stands today, was built in 1843 by Udoy Narayan Mondal, a zamindar. Harkath Tala is the spot where animal sacrifice is performed whereas Kundupukur is a holy water tank. It is believed that the water of this tank is as holy as that of River Ganga.

Legend

As per the folklore, Kalighat Kali Temple in Kolkata is the place where one of Sati's body parts is believed to have fallen. The temple is said to stand at the very spot where the toes of the right foot of Goddess Sati fell, when Lord Vishnu dissevered her body into 51 pieces. This entire incident took place in order to stop Lord Shiva’s dance of destruction (Tanda Nritya).

Location

Anami Sangha, Kalighat, Kolkata, West Bengal 700026, India.

Opening & Closing Timings

Being one of the major tourist attractions in Kolkata, Kalighat Kali Temple stays open all days a week. The temple opens at 5:00 AM and then closes for some time at 2:00 PM. It reopens at 5:00 PM and closes at 10:30 PM.