Dakshineswar Kali Temple - History, Timings & Entry Fee

At a distance of 9 km from Kolkata Railway Station, Dakshineswar Kali Temple is a famous Hindu temple located in Dakshineswar locality of Kolkata, West Bengal. Situated on the eastern bank of Hooghly River, it is one of the largest temples in Kolkata and among the must include places in Kolkata Tour Packages.

Dedicated goddess Kali, the temple was built in 1855 CE by Rani Rashmoni, a Philanthropist and a devotee of Kali. According to history, Dakshineswar was a mere village nestled along the eastern bank of the River Ganges in the early phase of the 1800s. It is said that Rani Rashmoni of Janbazar, while on her pilgrimage to Varanasi, had a dream, where she was instructed to build a Kali temple. She was intensely moved by the dream and to materialize it, she instructed her people to search for suitable plots to erect the Kali Temple. After a long hunt for land, eventually, a 20-acre plot was selected in the village of Dakshineswar. The construction of Dakshineswar temple was initiated in 1847 and it was completed in 1855. The temple is famous for its association with Ramakrishna Paramhansa, a mystic of 19th century Bengal.

Covering over an area of 25 acres of land, Dakshineswar temple was built in the traditional 'Nava-Ratna' or nine spires style of Bengal architecture. The three-storeyed south-facing temple has nine spires distributed in the upper two storeys and stands on a high platform with a flight of stairs. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple houses an idol of goddess Kali, famously known as Bhavatarini, standing on the chest of Lord Shiva, who rests in a lying posture. The two idols are placed beautifully on a thousand-petaled lotus made of silver. A huge spacious Natmandir (Dancing hall) has been erected in front of the temple.

Close to the main temple are twelve shrines dedicated to Shiva along the riverfront, a temple to Radha-Krishna, a bathing ghat on the river, a shrine dedicated to Rani Rashmoni. 'Nahabat', the chamber in the northwestern corner just beyond the last of the Shiva temples, is where Ramakrishna spent a considerable part of his life.

Dakshineswar Kali Temple is the center of attraction during the Kali Puja. The temple is decorated beautifully with flowers and amazing lighting arrangement. Besides, the temple allures a large number of devotees on Amavasya. Tuesdays and Saturdays have believed to be the auspicious days for Kali worship and the Sandhya Aarti is the prime attraction, which is truly amazing.

Timings: 6 AM - 12.30 PM & 4 PM - 8 PM