Kalighat Temple - What is the belief here & Temple timings

Location: Anami Sangha, Kalighat, Kolkata, West Bengal 700026

Temple Timings: From 05:00 AM to 02:00 PM (Morning) 5:00 PM - 10:30 PM (Evening)

Note: Temple is closed from 02:00 PM to 05:00 PM for Bhog

Festivals: Durga pooja, Kali Puja, Pohela Boishakh, Navratri, and Dondi Festival are the major festivals of the temple.

Best time to Visit

From October to March is the best time to visit. During this time, Navratri is celebrated with great pomp and show, and a large number of devotees visit the temple and bow their heads in front of temple deities. Moreover, the months of October to March are considered best to travel to Kolkata.

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How to Reach

Airways

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is the nearest airport of the city, which is connected to Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and other metropolitan cities through the regular domestic flights.

Railways

Howrah railway station is the nearest railway station, which is connected to the major cities and states of the country such as Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Ajmer, and Chennai. Buses and taxis are easily accessible from the railway station.

Roadways

Buses are available from all parts of the state. The national highway two and six connect Kolkata to the other parts of the country. One can also hire cabs and private to reach the temple.

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Historical Legends of Temple

According to the legends, the right toe of the Goddess Sati fell here when Lord Vishnu cut the corpse of Goddess Sati into 51 pieces with his Sudarshan Chakra. Lord Vishnu took this step to save the Universe from the anger of Lord Shiva.

According to another popular legend, once a devotee saw a bright ray of light from the river Bhagirath. He determined the light and found a piece of stone in the form of a human toe. In the vicinity, he found a lingam of Nakuleshwar Bhairava. He kept these idols in a small temple and started worshiping them in the forest. The popularity of the temple increased over time, and thus the Kalighat temple was recognized.

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About the Temple

Dedicated to Goddess Kali, Kalighat Temple (Kali Mata Temple) is a famous Hindu temple located in Kolkata, West Bengal. Kalighat Temple is a sacred ghat on the Hooghly River in the city of Kolkata. People from all over the country come to the temple and seek the blessings of Goddess.

The statue is made up of gold, which has three eyes, four hands, and a long tongue. Moreover, the temple has a sacred pond with the name of "Kundupukur," located in the southeast corner of the temple complex. The water of this pond is considered as holy as the Ganges. It is believed that water has the power to fulfill the blessing of the child. Goddess Sati is situated as Kalika and Lord Shiva as Nakuleshwar.

Architecture and Establishment of the temple

In 1809, the Kalighat Kali Temple was built by Sabarna Roy Chaudhary in its present form. The Kalighat temple is often mentioned in texts such as Mansar Bhasan of the 15th century. The original temple was built by King Basant Rai, who was Pratapaditya's uncle and the king of Jessore (Bangladesh). It is mentioned in the various devotional literature of the 15th and 17th century of Bengal. Its existence is believed since the time of Chandragupta II.

The original temple was a small hut-shaped structure, built by King Mansingh in the 16th century. The present structure was completed in 1809 under the guidance of Sabran Roy Chaudhary. The main temple of the temple has a unique statue of Goddess Kali. The current idol of Maa Kali was created by two saints, who are Brahmananda Giri and Atmaram Giri. The statue is made up of gold, which has three eyes, four hands, and a long tongue. The temple has floral and peacock-shaped tiles to give it a Victorian look.