Kali Temple - Kalighat

Location: Kalighat.

Time to Visit: 8 A.M. - 9 P.M.

Preferred Timings: Early in the morning and late afternoon between 3 P.M. - 5 P.M.

Admission Fee: Nil.

How to Reach:Local buses, minibuses and metered taxis are readily available from various parts of Kolkata. One can also hop into the charming Kolkata tramcars. Another great option is the Metro Underground Railway which has a station at Kalighat.

Photography / Video charges:Strictly prohibited.

Nearest Railway Station: Howrah.

Nearest Metro Station: Kalighat.

Nearest Functional Metro Station: Kalighat.

Nearest International Airport: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Intrnational Airport.

Time required for sightseeing: About 1 hour.

Goddess Kali is the guardian deity of Kolkata and Bengali's worship this goddess with such frenzied passion and devotion that for a first time visitor, it makes for a heady spiritual concoction. Of the many Kali temples that abound in Kolkata and Bengal, Kalighat is one of the most sacred Kali temples.

The popularity of Kalighat as a place of worship of the all powerful Mother goddess Kali stems from the fact that according to Hindu mythology and ancient Hindu scriptures like "Chandi," Kalighat in Bengal is a place where the toe of the right foot of Sati fell and as such it is regarded as one of the 52 Shakti Peethas that exist in India.

As far as the cult of Tantra is concerned, Kalighat is regarded as the ultimate. At any given day, a visit to Kalighat will reveal thousands of pilgrims literally barging at this sacred shrine for a glimpse of the presiding deity. Being the ultimate Tantrik temple, Kalighat does pack a punch and no wonder it is much preferred by ash-smeared sadhus, occults and fakirs.

In its present avatar, Kalighat temple is a mere 200-year-old temple. But that doesn't mean it being less holy. Legend has it that a lay devotee by the name of Attaram was blessed with a vision wherein he saw a translucent beam of light emanating from the bank of the holy river Ganges. Attaram felt a spiritual energy leading him to the source of the "translucent light". Upon careful excavation of the site, he found the present deity which was submerged waist down on the river bed. This incident must have occurred two centuries back and from the day the deity was discovered, this dark and fearful deity with an enormously elongated tongue has been worshipped by not only the people of Kolkata but by devotees all across the globe.

If you intend to visit Kalighat, be mentally prepared for chaos of the highest magnitude. As you approach Kalighat Temple, be aware of the lurking touts, popularly referred to as the "Pandas". It is always advisable to visit Kalighat with an experienced local guide.

Today, being Tantrik is hip. This cult of militant Hinduism or Tantra is growing in popularity even in the affluent countries of the West. Just like Buddhism, which is being patronized by Hollywood stars, the ancient Indian cult of Tantrik Hinduism is gaining in popularity in the Western world. Of course one has to admit that Tantra as it is practiced in the West is a distortion of the original cult. Nonetheless, one does come across Western tourists, probably with a passion for Tantra offering prayers at Kalighat.

In the past, wealthy Bengali merchants and landlords (Zamindars) were great patrons of the Kalighat temple and folklore has it that the noble Roy Chowdhury family of Bengal were instrumental in constructing the present edifice.

Just as in the past the rich and the wealthy patronized Kalighat temple, that legacy is still alive today. But that doesn't mean Kalighat is an exclusive rich man's temple. Call it divine play or whatever, Kalighat temple is surrounded by the ugly specter of poverty from all sides.

Dominique Lapperie, the internationally best selling author of "City of Joy" depicts the Kalighat area thus - " Kalighat is one of the most congested places in the overpopulated city. Hundreds of shops surround the temple with a string of multi colored stalls. Above the antlike activity hovers the bluish mist of funeral pyres and the smell of incense mingled with burning flesh. Numerous funeral corteges wend their way between cows, the dogs, the children playing in the streets and the flock of faithful worshippers. At the temple of Kali, the most vibrant life goes hand in hand with death". This aptly sums up Kalighat of today.

Special Event / Annual Event

Diwali or Kali Puja.

Nearby Tourist Attractions

Rabindra Sarovar.