Shakti Peeth
Kalighat Shakti Peeth
Kolkata, West Bengal
The ancient Kali shrine that gave Kolkata its name
At a glance
- Location
- Kolkata, West Bengal
- Presiding deity
- Goddess Kali
- Temple type
- Shakti Peeth
- Tradition
- Shakta
- Nearest railway station
- Kolkata's Sealdah/Howrah stations (~8-13 km); Kalighat Metro station is right by the temple
- Nearest airport
- Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata (~20 km)
- Best time to visit
- October to March; Durga Puja and Kali Puja (Diwali) are especially festive times to visit.
History
The Kalighat temple — said to be the origin of the name "Kolkata" — stands beside an old channel of the Hooghly river, now called the Adi Ganga. Tradition holds that four toes of Sati's right foot fell here. The present structure was built in 1809 by the Sabarna Roy Choudhury family, though worship at the site is believed to predate that by several centuries.
Spiritual significance
Kalighat is the heart of Bengal's Kali devotion and is deeply linked to saints like Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, whose spiritual life was centred at nearby Dakshineswar.
Plan your visit
Darshan timings
5:00 AM to 10:30 PM, with a brief midday break for bhog offerings.
Timings change on festivals and special occasions. Confirm with the temple's official source before you travel.
From Howrah or Sealdah station, the Kalighat Metro (Blue Line) runs directly to the temple — the easiest way to get there within Kolkata.
Continue your Durga bhakti
Devotional texts for this deity, already on the site.