The Kalighat temple of Kolkata is one of the holy pilgrimage temples as it is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas in India. The temple deity is Goddess Kali. The idol at the temple appears incomplete.
Here comes the name Kolkata. Kali Mata temple is located on the banks of Adi Ganga, which is connected to the Hooghly River. This Adi Ganga is a canal that used to be the original course of the Hooghly River thus, the name Adi(original) Ganga appears.
The divine idol of Maa Kali has 3 Big Eyes, 4 hands and a long protruding tongue which is made of sandstone. It was crafted by the twin saints, Atmaram Giri and Brahmananda Giri. The idol has a gold-made tongue and eyes. After the Name of Goddess Kalika, The city was named Kolkata. Kalighat Mandir is also an important place of worship for the Tantrics.
Kalighat Temple Timings Kolkata
The Kalighat Temple Kolkata opening time is 5:00 AM and the Kalighat Temple Kolkata closing time is 10:30 PM.
Temple is closed from 02:00 PM to 05:00 PM for Bhog. Following is the table of Kalighat Mandir Darshan Timings.
Kalighat Temple Opening Time
| Temple opening Days | Temple Opening Time |
|---|---|
| All Days (Mon-Sun) For Mangal Aarti | 4:00 AM |
| All Days (Mon-Sun) For Public | 5:00 AM |
Kalighat Temple Closing Time
| Days | Temple Closing Time |
|---|---|
| Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday | 10:30 PM |
| Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday | 11:30 PM |
Note
- The darshan timings of the Kalighat Kali Temple might change during festivals and special days.
- Tuesdays and Saturdays are special days for worship. Ashtami days are also special.
Kalighat Temple Daily Darshan Timings
| Day | Timings |
|---|---|
| Monday | 5:00 AM – 2:00 PM & 5:00 PM – 10:30 PM |
| Tuesday | 5:00 AM – 2:00 PM & 5:00 PM – 11:30 PM |
| Wednesday | 5:00 AM – 2:00 PM & 5:00 PM – 10:30 PM |
| Thursday | 5:00 AM – 2:00 PM & 5:00 PM – 10:30 PM |
| Friday | 5:00 AM – 2:00 PM & 5:00 PM – 10:30 PM |
| Saturday | 5:00 AM – 2:00 PM & 5:00 PM – 11:30 PM |
| Sunday | 5:00 AM – 2:00 PM & 5:00 PM – 11:30 PM |
Bhog
You can purchase things to offer and Bhog to maa which are available at shops outside the temple.
Kalighat Temple Pooja Timings
| Name of the Pooja | Mon/Wed/Thurs/Friday | Sat/Sun/Tuesday |
|---|---|---|
| Nitya Puja | 5:30 AM to 7:00 AM | 5:30 AM to 7:00 AM |
| Bhog Rag | 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM | 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM |
| Sandhya Aarti | 6:30 PM to 7:00 PM | 6:30 PM to 7:00 PM |
VIP Darshan
- The ticket for darshan at the temple is free of cost.
- For VIP Darshan you have to pay some money to skip the long queue.
Places to Stay near Kalighat Temple, Kolkata
You can find many Dharamshala and hotels near the temple. For a peaceful and safe journey, you can book your stay from our site YatraDham.org.
Here are some options for your Stay in Kolkata.
- Kolkata Udupi Sri Puthige Matha
- Neeranand Bhavan (Gujarati Hotel)
- Hotel Rituraj Kolkata
- Phool Chand Mukim Jain Dharamshala
- Maharashtra Niwas Kolkata
- Sri Gaudiya Mission Math
- Kolkata Satsang Bhawan
Temple History
You can also visit Dakshineswar Kali Temple Timings(Hindu Navaratna Temple) in Kolkata.
It is said that Kalighat is where the toe of Devi Sati’s right foot fell. Later the temple was built. In its initial years, the temple was a hut. Later, King Manasingha built the temple in the 16th century. The present structure of this holy Hindu shrine was constructed under the governance of Sabarna Roy Chowdhury in 1809. There is a Swambhu Lingam of Nakuleshwar Bhairav.
It is believed that a Brahmin named Atma Ram found a human-toe-shaped stone structure in the Bhagirathi River. He was guided by a ray of light which was coming through the river. So he prayed to the stone and on that night he dreamed about Sati’s right toe and was asked to set up a temple and search for Swayambhu lingam of Nakulesh Bhairav. Which he actually found and he started worshipping both the Toe shaped stone and the Swayambhu lingam.
Architecture of The Temple
Kalighat temple of Kali has a sanctum sanctorum with a huge hall called Nat Mandir. It is a large rectangular platform near the temple by Zamindar Kashinath around 1835. There is a verandah which is called Jor Bangla between Natmandir and the Sanctorium.
In the northeast of this hall, A Shiva Temple and A shrine dedicated to Radha Krishna(Shyama-Raya) are there. There are Sosthi Tala, Harkath Tala and Kundupukar inside the temple.
Sosthi Tala or Monosha Tala is an altar about 3 feet high and has a small cactus plant. The altar is beneath the tree, where 3 stones are placed. Which are dedicated to Goddess Sosthi, Shitola(Shitala) and Chandi Mongol(Mangala Chandi).
On the western side of the temple, Radha Krishna temple is situated. A Separate kitchen is used to make a Vegetarian Bhog for Radha-Krishna. The lord here is known as Shyama-Raya.
Two sacrificial altars named Hari-kath Tala are here where Animal Sacrifice is performed. Kundupukur is a holy water tank, where it is believed that the water is as holy as the Ganga River. From this kund, the ‘Sati Anga’ was originally discovered.
Divine Idol of Goddess
The divine idol of Maa Kali has 3 Big Eyes, 4 hands and a long protruding tongue which is made of sandstone. Two of Maa Kali’s hands hold a scimitar, which signifies divine knowledge and a severed head of the demon king ‘Shumbha‘ signifies the human ego that is supposed to be slayed and removed from our behaviors, while the other two hands are in the Varada and Abhaya mudras. This is how a person can gain Moksha.
In the beginning, the face of the goddess Kali was made and then tongue and hands made of gold and silver were added to the idol. On The ‘Snan Yatra‘ (i.e. Bathing Ceremony) while giving the ceremonial bath to the Goddess, the priests cover Devi’s eyes with a piece of cloth.
Festivals
Navratri, Durga pooja, Pohela Boishakh, Kali Puja and Dondi Festival are the major festivals celebrated at the temple. At that time a huge number of devotees are here with offerings.
Places to Visit Near Kolkata Kalighat Temple
- Victoria Memorial
- Kolkata Zoo
- Birla Mandir
- Science City
- Nehru Planetarium
Dress Code
For men, the dress code is Dhoti or Pyjamas with upper cloth, shirt & trousers. The preferred dress code for women is a saree or half-saree with a blouse or any descent clothing like churidar with pajama and upper cloth. Shorts, sleeveless tops, mini-skirts, low-waist jeans, middies and short-length T-shirts are not allowed.
Best time to Visit
The best time to visit the temple is from October to March. During this time, Navratri is celebrated with great radiance and show and many devotees visit the temple and worship Maa Kali. In addition, the time from October to March is considered the best to travel to Kolkata.
How to Reach Kalighat Temple, Kolkata?
By Road
Kolkata has many Facilities. It has good connectivity of roads. Any buses towards south Kolkata will lead you to your destination, Kalighat Bus Station. You can hire cabs, auto or use buses to reach this place.
By Rail
Howrah Junction is the nearest one, from where you can get trains to most of the metro cities and is around 12km from the temple. The other is Sealdah Railway Station which is 7.2km from the temple.
By Air
The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is the nearest airport to the temple. From here you can board your international as well as domestic flights. The frequency of other metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad is regular.
