Dakshineswar Kali Temple

Dakshineswar Kali Temple is a prominent Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess Bhavatarini, a form of Kali, located on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River at Dakshineswar near Kolkata, West Bengal. Built in 1855 by Rani Rashmoni, the temple complex features the nine-spired main shrine, twelve Shiva temples and a large courtyard. It is renowned for its association with mystic Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and its traditional Bengali Navaratna architecture.

Visitors enter a large walled courtyard with the nine-spired (navaratna) main Kali temple at the centre facing south, flanked by twelve identical Shiva temples along the riverfront, a Natmandir (congregation hall) and the Hooghly River ghats. The complex includes shrines to Radha-Krishna, bathing ghats, offering shops and the room associated with Sri Ramakrishna. Expect queues for darshan, devotional activity, views of the river and Vivekananda Setu, and a busy but orderly pilgrimage atmosphere.

Built between 1847 and 1855 by philanthropist and zamindar Rani Rashmoni of Janbazar and formally inaugurated on 31 May 1855. The temple was designed in the Bengali Navaratna style. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa served as its head priest from 1855, making it a pivotal site in modern Bengali religious history.

Major centre of Shakti worship dedicated to Bhavatarini Kali and an important pilgrimage site in Bengal. Noted as an exemplar of 19th-century Bengali temple architecture and as the spiritual centre associated with Sri Ramakrishna and the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda movement, attracting devotees from across India.