8 Best Pilgrimage sites near Kolkata

At a distance of 20 km from Barrackpore, 48 km from Howrah, 50 km from Kolkata, 150 km from Haldia, 155 km from Kharagpur, 158 km from Midnapore, 177 km from Murshidabad, 469 km from Bhubaneshwar, 478 km from Tatanagar, 526 km from Puri, 531 km from Siliguri, and 589 km from Darjeeling, Hooghly is a historical city & district located in the Indian state of West Bengal. Also known as Hugli or Hooghly-Chuchura, it is one of the popular places of heritage in India and among the must include tourist destinations in West Bengal Tour Packages.

The town of Hooghly got its name from the famous river that flows through it. The name of the place is also spelt as Hugli & Hoogli. It shares its borders with Howrah in South, Bardhaman in North, River Hooghly flows in its East, and Medinipur in West. Between the 13th-15th centuries, the Hooghly town used to be an important sea route for the trade carried between India & other countries. Hooghly port was the place where the 1st cross-trade began between India & Portugal.

Dotted with several small but important towns, the district of Hooghly is among the few places in India that features remnant culture-based influences of several civilizations like Portuguese, Dutch and British. The Portuguese were the first to settle here in 1537 but were defeated by the Mughal armies in 1632. Hooghly was regarded as the first English settlement in Lower Bengal after the British East India Company set up a factory here in 1651. Later, it was abandoned ...

Distance from Kolkata: 50 Kms

Rajgir is an ancient city in the Nalanda district of Bihar. About 12 km from Nalanda, and 103 km from Patna, it is one of the popular places of pilgrimage in India and among the must include places in Bihar Tour Packages. Rajgir was the first capital of the kingdom of Magadha, until the 5th century BC when Udayin (460-440 BC), son of Ajatshatru, moved the capital to Pataliputra. Rajgir was the birthplace of the 20th Jain Tirthankara Munisuvrata and closely associated with the Arihant Mahavira and Gautama Buddha.

Set in a green valley and surrounded by rocky hills, Rajgir is a spiritual town with natural serenity in the form of dense forests, mysterious caves, and springs. Vishwa Shanti Stupa, Rajgir Hot Springs, Venu Van, Ghora Katora Lake, Veerayatan Museum, Swarna Bhandar, Bimbisar Jail, The Cyclopean Wall, Ajatshatru Fort, etc., are some of the top places to visit in Rajgir. Rajgir Dance Festival is one of the major and important events celebrated in Rajgir.

Distance from Kolkata: 470 Kms

Situated on the banks of the River Niranjana, Bodh Gaya is an important Buddhist pilgrimage site in India and among the must-visit places as part of Bihar Tour Packages. Bodh Gaya is revered by Buddhists all over the world as it is the place where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment in 534 BC under the Bodhi Tree. It is situated about 16 km from Gaya, and 113 km from Patna.

Bodhgaya is mostly known for all the places associated with Buddha's meditation and enlightenment. The Mahabodhi Temple which houses the Bodhi Tree attracts hordes of visitors across the world and is now one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Bodh Gaya is one of the four important Buddhist pilgrimage sites of India's Buddhist Circuit, the other three being Kushinagar, Lumbini, and Sarnath. Besides, Mahabodhi Temple, Great Buddha Statue, Thai Monastery, Muchalinda Lake, Wat Thai Buddhagaya, Japanese Temple, Sujatha Temple, etc., are some of the other prominent places to visit in Bodhgaya.

Buddha Jayanti is one of the biggest and main festivals celebrated in Bodhgaya. Maha Kala Chakra Puja and Buddha Mahotsava are the other important annual events celebrated with great enthusiasm.

Distance from Kolkata: 481 Kms

At a distance of 36 km from Konark, 58 km from Bhubaneswar, 82 km from Cuttack, 390 km from Rourkela, 407 km from Jamshedpur, 434 km from Vizag, 495 km from Kolkata, and 522 km from Ranchi, Puri is an ancient temple town situated along the coast of Bay of Bengal in Odisha. Puri is one of the places of original holy Char Dham Yatra of Hinduism and also one of the top places to experience Odisha Tourism.

Earlier called as ShriKhetra, Purushottama Khetra, and Jagannath Puri, Puri is home to the world famous Sri Jagannath Temple. Often referred as the spiritual capital of Odisha, Puri forms the Golden Triangle of Orissa along with Konark and Bhubaneswar. Puri became an important center of pilgrimage with the arrival of Gangas in the 12th century and emerged as one of the centers of Vaishnavism. Anantavarman Chodaganga, one of the powerful rulers of Puri, established the Purushottama Temple and later came to be known as the Jagannath Temple in the 15th century.

According to history, Puri and the Jagannath Temple were invaded 18 times by Hindu and Muslim rulers from 4th century AD till the early 19th century. Puri was declared as the capital of Odisha under the British till 1816 CE. In 1828 CE the whole territory was separated into three regions, Katak, Balasore, and Jagannath Puri. In 1936 CE Odisha was divided from the state of Bihar and Puri was formed in 1948 CE.

Dedicated Lord Vishnu, Lord Jagannath Temple is one of the prime places to visit in Puri and is a ...

Distance from Kolkata: 499 Kms

At a distance of 41 km from Bishnupur and 75 km from Bankura, Jayrambati is a religious and tourist destination located in Bankura district of West Bengal. It is one of the best places in West Bengal and among the important tourist places to visit near Bishnupur.

Jayrambati is the birthplace of Ma Sarada Devi, wife of Ramakrishna Paramhansa. She is worshipped as the Holy Mother by the followers of Sri Ramakrishna. Surrounded by lush green trees and shrubs, it is an offbeat but stunning tourist destination.

Jayrambati Math is the main attraction and a must-visit place, especially for the people who seek spirituality and wish to offer their prayers to Goddess. The other major attraction here is Matri Mandir, dedicated to Ma Sarada Devi. Built-in 1923, the temple houses a marble image of Sarada Devi along with the holy relics of Sarada Devi in the sanctum sanctorum.

The place has few other attractions such as Dharma Thakur Temple dedicated to Sundara Narayana Dharma Thakur and Singhabahini Temple, where Sarada Devi has taken on fasting in order to get healing from an acute disease. One can also visit Puratan Bari, the house of Ma Sarada Devi.

Distance from Kolkata: 113 Kms

At a distance of 49 km from Hooghly, Taraknath Temple is a famous Hindu shrine situated at Tarkeshwar in the Hooghly district of West Bengal. It is one of the popular places of pilgrimage in West Bengal and among the must-include places in Hooghly Tour Packages.

Also known as Tarakeshwar Temple, the Taraknath Temple is dedicated to Lord Taraknath, a violent (Ugra) form of Lord Shiva who drank venom (Vish) during Samudra-Manthan. According to the legend, the temple was built after a dream which led the mendicant brother of Raja Vishnu Das to discover a Linga in the jungles near Tarakeswar. Later, a small temple was built around the swayambhu linga (self-manifested) by the villagers. The present structure of the temple was built in 1729 by Raja Bharamalla.

The temple is built in central West Bengal style of temple architecture with features such as 'atchala' and 'natmandir'. The temple has four roofs above the sanctum sanctorum and extended galleries for the congregation of the devotees. This temple also has minor shrines dedicated to Goddess Kali and Lord Lakshmi-Narayan. Dudhpukur, a tank to the north of the Shiva temple is believed to fulfill the prayers of the devotees those taking a dip in it.

Pilgrims visit the temple throughout the year, especially on Mondays. But thousands of pilgrims visit Tarakeswar on the occasions of 'Shivaratri' in Phalgun month and Gajan Mela in Chaitra (mid-April). Also, the month of Sravana (mid-July to mid-August) is auspicious ...

Distance from Kolkata: 62 Kms

At a distance of 22 km from Tarakeshwar, and 50 km from Hooghly, Radha-Govind-Jiu Mandir is an ancient temple located at Antpur in Hooghly district of West Bengal. It is one of the beautiful terracotta temples in West Bengal and among the well-known Hooghly Tourist Places.

Sri Radhagovindjiu Temple is one of the Terracotta Temple in West Bengal and the most famous temple in Antpur. The temple was constructed in 1786 by Shri Krishna Ram Mitra, the Diwan of Bardhaman Raj. It has Chandi Mandap and Dol Mancha and both are beautifully crafted wood carvings and terracotta. The main sanctum sanctorum of the temple houses a black stone idol of Lord Krishna.

This 100 feet high temple has exquisite terracotta carvings depicting stories from all the 18 Puranas. While Radha and Krishna are predominant in the carvings, there is also the goddess Durga, whose worship had been revived in a big way by Nabakrishna Deb of Shovabazar Rajbari in 1757. Besides the main temple of Radhagovindjiu are the temples of Gangadhara, Fuleswara, Rameswara, Jaleswara, and Baneswara.

Antpur was the village home of Baburam Ghosh (later Swami Premananda). The Ramakrishna-Premananda Ashram of Antpur has built a temple on the birthplace of Swami Pramananda.
Antpur is also the place where Swami Vivekananda and eight other disciples of Sri Ramakrishna took their vow of 'sannyasa' on 24 December 1886.

Timings: 6 AM - 8 PM

Entry: Free

Distance from Kolkata: 55 Kms

At a distance of 49 km from Bishnupur, and 90 km from Hooghly, Kamarpukur is a small hamlet in the Hooghly district of West Bengal. It is one of the popular religious places in West Bengal and among the prominent places to visit near Hooghly.

Kamarpukur is the birthplace of the great 19th-century Indian philosopher Sri Ramakrishna. He was born in 1836 in a poor Brahmin family. The holy hamlet attracts a massive number of devotees of Sri Ramakrishnan across the year and thus, over a period of time has become a site of pilgrimage. Kamarpukur Ramakrishna Math and temple was built in 1951 by the monks of Ramakrishna Mission and Ramakrishna Math. Designed by Nandala Basu, the opulent temple houses a marble statue of Sri Ramakrishna.

Apart from being a pilgrimage, the natural beauty and calmness of Kamarpukur attract thousands of solitude seeking tourists to this place round the year. Besides Ramakrishna Math, there are also many attractions in this place including the ancestral home of Sri Ramakrishna, and Gopeshwar Temple. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Shri Gopeshwar temple is an ancient temple located towards the east of the ancestral house of Sri Ramakrishna.

Distance from Kolkata: 97 Kms