Spiritual Journey: Exploring the Temples and Ghats of Kalighat and Dakshineswar

Out of the many reasons people travel, spiritual and religious reasons rank as some of the highest. In India, there’s countless temples and sacred sites, visited daily by hundreds and thousands of devotees wishing to pay their respects and pray to their gods and goddesses.

When it comes to the state of West Bengal, one of the most visited sites is Kalighat. Home to the revered Kalighat Kali, a temple dedicated to the Goddess Kali. This temple is one of the fifty one Shakti Pithas in India, one of the sites where Sati’s body parts fell onto earth, and in fact is considered the holiest among them all. The original temple site was built by Raja Basanta Roy on the banks of the Hooghly river, although the course of the river has shifted away with the years. There are multiple shrines within the sanctum, one dedicated to Lord Shiva and one to Radha Krishna, but the main shrine is of Goddess Kali.

The morning aarti begins at five A.M., and the temple is open daily from then until two P.M., and then from five to half past ten in the night.

If there’s other temples you’d like to visit, there’s many located close by. One is the 66 Pally Durga temple in Anami Sangha, Shibmandir on Lake Temple Road, Mahanirban Math on Mahanirban Road, and Lake Kali Bari on Sarat Bose Road. All these sites hold sacred value and are made with beautiful, ancient architecture.

Another very popular destination for devotees is Dakshineswar, about an hour away from Kalighat by road. This presidency is known for the Dakshineswar Kali Temple, built in the year 1855 by Rani Rashmoni. The temple is built in the navratna style, meaning it has nine towers or sikharas. It is considered an architectural marvel for its design and ability to blend spiritual ambience with its structure. As the name suggests, this temple is also dedicated to the Goddess Kali with several smaller shrines for many other gods and goddesses.

Dakshineswar is also home to many other temples. One such is Adyapeath Kali Mandir, just ten minutes away by car. Another nearby site is the Shree Shyam Mandir on Surya Seth Road, and a little further down, about fifteen minutes by car, is the Chaitanya Ghat, and Kancher Mandir or Glass Temple. These temples are dedicated to different gods and goddesses, and are locally renowned.

Although these temples and sites are open to the public throughout the year, they are most frequently visited around the time of major festivals. The most famous ones include Kali Puja, Durga Puja, Poila Boishakh or the Bengali New Year, and Diwali. There is much to discover about the festivities, ranging from the music and dance performed during puja, to the clothing and food made in preparation for the events. All these festivals are celebrated with dedication and grandeur, to honor the gods and goddesses, and to remind ourselves of the community we belong to and the traditions we share and uphold. These sites are a preservation of religious sanctity, and a must for travellers on spiritual journeys.