Dakshineswar Kali Temple

Dakshineswar Kali Temple is one of the best-known places to visit in Kolkata, a riverside temple built in 1855. This guide covers its layout, history, timings and what to expect.

Dakshineswar Kali Temple stands on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River in north Kolkata. It was built in 1855 by Rani Rashmoni, a zamindar and devotee of Kali, and its presiding deity is Bhavatarini, a form of Kali. The temple is associated with Ramakrishna and his wife Sarada Devi.

Wikipedia describes a nine-spired navaratna main temple inside a large courtyard with rooms along the boundary walls; along the riverfront are twelve Shiva shrines, a Radha–Krishna temple, a bathing ghat and a shrine to Rani Rashmoni. The Nahabat, or music tower, beyond the last Shiva temple is where Sarada Devi spent much of her life, and Ramakrishna's room is in the north-west corner of the courtyard with a semicircular verandah facing the river.

Visitors walk through the courtyard, queue for darshan at the main shrine and can sit on the ghat. Shoes are left at counters at the entrance, and the courtyard stones can be hot in summer. Weekends, Thursdays and festival days are very crowded. Opening times differ between sources, so check before travelling; Belur Math lies across the river and is often visited the same day.