Khalighat Kali Mata Temple - Kolkatta

Kalighat Kali Temple is located in Kalighat in  Kolkata City of West Bengal State. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peetha temples.

Goddess Kali is this temple’s main deity, an incarnation of Goddess Parvathi.

The idol of Goddess Kali is made of black stone and decorated with gold and silver. The image of the deity appears incomplete. On the initial level, the face of the goddess was made and further tongue and hands made of gold and silver were added to the image.

 

Lord Shiva is worshipped as the husband of Goddess Kali Mata

It is believed that the toes of Sati's right foot fell at Kalighat.

The Kalighat Kali Mandir is a well-known example of Bengali architecture, which imitates the mud and thatch-roofed huts found in rural areas. The main temple in Kalighat is a four-sided structure with a short dome. This dome-shaped structure has a smaller, identically shaped projection on top. A chala is the name for each sloped roof side. Kalighat Mandir is therefore designated as a chala temple. There will be a total of eight distinct faces on the two roofs. Both roofs are covered in gleaming, metallic silver paint that is accented at the cornice, where they join the structure, with vivid bands of red, yellow, green, and blue. Three spires crown the topmost roof, the tallest central spire sporting a triangular pennant flag.

Sosthi Tala - This is a rectangular altar about three feet high bearing a small cactus plant. Beneath the tree, on an altar three stones are placed side by side - left to right representing the Goddesses "Sosthi", "Sitola", and "Mongol Chandi". This sacred spot is known as Sosthi Tala or Monosha Tala. This altar was constructed by Gobinda Das Mondal in 1880. The place of the altar is the Samadhi of Brahmananda Giri. Here all the priests are female. No daily worship or offering of Bhog (food offering) is done here. The Goddesses here are considered Maa Kali.

Natmondir - A large rectangular covered platform called Natmondir has been erected adjacent to the main temple, from where the face of the image can be seen. This was originally built by Zamindar Kasinath Roy in 1835. It has been subsequently renovated often.

Jor-Bangla - The spacious verandah of the main temple Facing the image is known as Jor Bangla. Rituals occurring inside the sanctum sanctorum are visible from the Natmondir through the Jor-Bangla.

Harkath Tala - This is the spot adjacent to the Natmondir, southwards meant for Bali (sacrifice). There are two Sacrificial altars for animal sacrifices side by side. These are known as Hari- Kath. The bigger one is for buffalo sacrifices and the smaller one is for goats and sheep. The animals are sacrificed with a single stroke of the scimitar and there is very little cruelty to animals when compared to the professional abattoirs.

Radha-Krishna Temple - This temple is known as Shamo-ray temple and is situated inside the temple on the west side of the main temple. In 1723, a settlement officer of Mushirabad district first erected a separate temple for Radha-Krishna. In 1843 a Zamindar called Udoy Narayan Mondal erected the present temple in the same spot. The Dolmancho was founded in 1858 by Madan Koley of Saha Nagar. There is a separate kitchen for the preparation of vegetarian Bhog (food offering) for Radha-Krishna. Kundupukur - This is the sacred tank situated in southeast of the temple outside the boundary walls. The present area of the tank is approximately 10 cottahs. In the past, it was bigger and called 'Kaku-Kunda'. In the 16th century, 'Sati-Ango' ( the right toe of Sati) was discovered from this tank. This tank is well known for its power to bestow the boon of a child. The water from this tank is regarded as sacred as that of the Ganges. Efforts at draining the water from the tank for cleaning have failed in the past showing the possibility of a subterranean with Adi Ganga.

 

The temple is open from 5.00 A.M. to 2.00 P.M and 5.00 P.M to 10.30 P.M.

Pooja Schedule :