Top 20 Must-Visit Temples In Kolkata

Kolkata, affectionately called ‘Tillottoma’ is the house of one of India’s best cultures. Religious places, skyscrapers, old monuments, marvelous bridges – Kolkata offers everything for everyone to visit. It is especially famous for being the land of so many famous temples of Hindu temples in India. Come on, let’s give into a divine experience with us in this post as you explore the top 20 must-visit temples in Kolkata.

Kalighat Kali Temple

One among the 51 Sati Pithas, the Kalighat Kali Temple is one of the most important Kali temples of West Bengal. As of 2024, the Kalighat Kali Temple is about two centuries old. However, there are ancient writers of the 15th century where the Kalighat Kali Temple was mentioned. The Goddess Kali is worshiped daily here. The main festivals celebrated in this temple include Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Poila (or Pohela) Boishakh, etc.

Dakshineswar Temple

It is situated on the bank of Hoogly River (or Ganga). The Dakshineswar temple is one of the top 20 must-visit temples in Kolkata. It boasts an important historical significance. Rani Rashmoni built the temple. Legends have it that Rani Rashmoni got the ‘order from the Goddess Kali’ to build her temple.

It took 8 years to complete the temple’s works, spread over 30,000 acres. The construction work was finished in 1855. Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansha (whom Swami Vivekananda was a disciple of) was appointed as the priest of the temple. The idol of Kali in Dakshineswar temple is built with black stone.

• READ ALSO: Ram Mandir: 5 Must Visit Ram Mandir In India

Parashnath Jain Temple

Parashnath Jain Temple is one of the prominent temples for the people following the Jain religion. It is also called Calcutta Jain Temple and was inaugurated in the late 19th century. The temple consists of 4 different temples, namely – Mahavir Temple, Shitalnath Temple, Chandraprabhu Temple, and Parshvanath Temple. The ‘Shitalnath temple’ is the main temple which is dedicated to the tenth Tirthankar. The ‘Mahavir temple’ is dedicated to Lord Mahavir – who is the last Tirthankar of the Jain religion and one of the most important figures of the religion.

The temple has fine architecture which will interest any architecture enthusiast. The mirror works at Shitalnath Temple are a spectacular sight to see. If you are looking for a quiet temple where you can practice deep meditation or find inner peace, this is an important destination to look for.

Shyam Mandir, Alambazar

Shyam Mandir of Alambazar is an important Hindu temple that is situated on Surya Sen Street in Kolkata. Aarti (a method of worshiping God) and Prarthana (prayer) are an important part of the daily rituals of the temple. It is a few minutes walk from the Dakshineswar Metro Station. The opening time of the temple is from 6 AM morning – 1 PM afternoon and 4 PM to 10 PM. The temple is built with beautiful white marble and inside the temple there are beautiful glassworks. The sculptures and the designs on the white marble were done by artists from Rajasthan.

Thanthania Kali Bari

A landmark of its own, the Thanthania Kali Bari demands itself to be included in the list of the top 20 must-visit temples in Kolkata. It is a Hindu temple which is situated on Bidhan Sarani. The temple is over 220 years old, although some believe it to be around another hundred years old. Goddess ‘Siddheshwari’ (another name for Goddess Kali) is worshiped here. During Kali Puja and new-moon nights, a living being is sacrificed as per the rituals.

The temple also has two more divisions, in one division, Goddess Siddheshwari is worshiped while in the other division, Lord Shiva is worshiped. The temple remains open every day. One of the most interesting facts about the idol of the goddess is that it is not made using any stone, rather is made using clay. The idol gets repaired once every year.

Baba Bhoothnath Temple

The Baba Bhoothnath Temple of Kolkata is a Hindu temple that is dedicated to the worship of lord Shiva. The term ‘Bhoot’ means Ghost and ‘Nath’ means God. The Baba Bhoothnath Temple is about 300 years old. The ‘Nimtala Mahasamshan’ is located very close to this temple. The process of worshipping Lord Shiva in this temple is unique. Here, the Lord is brought and offered ashes from the cremation ground, particularly from ‘Nimtala’.

Hanuman Mandir, New Town

The 151-foot giant statue of Lord Hanuman is a wonderful piece of statute. To experience the thing with your eye, you need to come to Hanuman Mandir, New Town, near Eco Park. Though the 151-foot statue is the main attraction of the temple, there are other 2 temples too. Beside the statue of Lord Hanuman, there is a pond that has a big statue of Lord Shiva in it. The glassworks inside the temple are fascinating. Inside the main entrance to the temple, there are some mythological sculptures which are also beautiful to look at.

Lake Kali Bari

As you are searching for the top 20 must-visit temples in Kolkata, don’t forget to include the name of Lake Kali Bari in this list. Though it is not as old as most of the temples mentioned earlier in this list still, the temple sees many devotees upturn daily. Haripada Chakraborty founded this temple in 1949, just two years after independence.

It was originally named Shree 108 Karunamoyee Kali temple but due to its location beside ‘Rabindra Sarovar’, it was named after the lake as ‘Lake Kali Bari.’ The Goddess Kali here, being worshipped as ‘Karunamoyee’ (one who does well) – the sacrifice of any animal is prohibited here. In the next room to the idol, you can find the idol of Shri Ramakrishna.

Belur Math

Belur Math should be the ultimate top of your list of top 20 must-visit temples in Kolkata. However, this is not situated in the district of Kolkata, but in Howrah. One needs to cross the river Ganga from Kolkata to reach Belur Math. Belur Math is the headquarters of all ‘Ramakrishna Math’ and ‘Ramakrishna Mission spread across the world. The place was founded by Swami Vivekananda in 1897 and he named it after his Guru Shree Ramakrishna Paramhamsa.

Belur Math contains 4 temples in total – the first one being the main temple and the other three dedicated to Sri Ramakrishna Deb, Sarada Devi, and Swami Vivekananda. There’s also a museum that offers us the opportunity to witness things used by Swami Vivekananda. If you are looking for a quiet, serene place to spend a couple of hours, Belur Math is the perfect choice.

Adhya Pith Temple

Adhya Pith Temple which is situated near Dakshineswar Kali Temple was established by Annada Charan Bhatyacharya. The temple is about a kilometer away from Dakshineswar Metro Station, however, there are transportation facilities available from the metro station to the temple. The main temple was built around 1967. The three-tiered house of the temple hosts Radha-Krisha on the top tier, the main idol on the middle tier, and the stature of Sri Ramakrishna in the bottom tier.

Shibani Pith Temple

One year before the establishment of Adhya Pith, Sri Durgadab Bhattacharya founded the Shibani Pith in 1966. The temple does not worship the fierce Kali, but rather a serene form of the Goddess. The temple is situated in the southern part of greater Kolkata. As a devotee, you can talk to the persist of the temple (Kinkar Kalikananda Maharaj) to discuss spirituality and religion.

Barokachari Temple

If you are ready for long-distance travel in the search of top 20 must-visit temples in Kolkata, you can keep Barokachari Temple on your list. It’s about 30 kilometers away from Kolkata. Here also Lord Shiva is worshipped as ‘Baba Bhootnath’. Legends have it that this place was once covered with dense forest which Lord Shiva used to visit. It is also said that the temple was built for a saint who lived inside the forestry and whom local people went to seek resolutions to the problems in their lives.

Shyam Sundari Kali Mandir

The Shyam Sundari Kali Mandir is not just another temple in our collection of the top 20 must-visit temples in Kolkata. The temple is quite famous for the legends associated with it and it is also believed by the people that the goddess worshipped here fulfills your dreams due to the extraordinary life force in the idol. The temple is a two-minute walk from ‘The Calcutta Homeopathic College and Hospital’. The goddess gets worshipped in the ‘Tantik’ way during Diwali.

Pailan Swami Narayan Mandir

A fascinating temple awaits you just 25 kilometers away from Kolkata. The Pailan Swami Narayan Mandir also known as BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Kolkata was founded 10 years back in 2024. Akshar Dham of Delhi inspires the structure of the temple. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Temple is situated at Diamond Harbor Road. It is open from 7.30 AM to 12.00 PM and 4 PM to 8.00 PM. The premises are well decorated and maintained.

Kolkata ISKON Temple

Kolkata ISKON Temple is made into the list of the top 20 must-visit temples in Kolkata due to its widespread popularity. In this temple, Lord Krisha-Radha, Jagannath, Baram, and Subhadra are worshipped altogether – this is what makes the temple unique. If you want a mini-Mayapur experience within Kolkata, this is the ideal destination for it. The temple is also famous for its 11 types of ‘blogs’. The evening worship (‘Shandhya Aarati’) is enthralling to watch.

Birla Mandir

Want to experience the architecture of the Ligaraj Temple of Bhubaneswar in Kolkata? Misla Mandir has it. The temple is created of white stone of marble. Its construction works began in 1970 and it took 26 years to build the temple. The Birla Mandir is located in the Ballygunge area. The main deities worshipped here are Goddess Laxmi and Lord Narayan. Radha-Krisha and lord Shiva are also worshipped here. The atmosphere here is peaceful.

Bhowanipore Gol Mandir

In the list of top 20 must-visit temples in Kolkata, we have Bhowanipore Gol Mandir coming up next in this list. The temple, which is believed to be over 2 centuries old is dedicated to Lord Hanuman. The temple holds a unique place due to its circular structure. For being situated at the heart of Kolkata, many people visit the temple every day. You can visit the temple anytime as it remains open 7 days a week.

Naihati Baro Ma Mandir

The Naihati Baro Ma Mandir is in Naihati of North 24 Pgs. The craze among devotees of ‘Boro Ma’ is evident during the time of Diwali. The river Hoogly flows at a distance from the temple. A resident of Naihati ‘Bhawesh Chakraborty’ set up this temple with the desire to worship Goddess Kali in Naihati after he went to visit ‘Ras’ in Shantipur.

Agni Mandir Kolkata

A temple where the fire is said to be burning from the establishment of the temple. We are talking about Agni Mandir, which is situated in the Metcalfe Lane of Kolkata. But, according to the rules of the temple, if you are not from the Parisian community, you won’t be allowed to visit that floor of the temple where the eternal fire glows. However, as a visitor, you can witness the picture of the fire. The temple was established in 1912.

Bhukailash Rajbari Shiv Mandir

As the last temple on the list of top 20 must-visit temples in Kolkata, we have Bhukailash Rajbari Shiv Mandir – a temple for worshipping Lord Shiva. The ancient temple was built around 244 years back in 1780. A wealthy merchant named Joynarayn Ghoshal, who was given the title of ‘Rija’ (king) built the temple. Though in the initial days, the temple consisted of insanely big premises, over time the premises have shrunk.

Conclusion:

We hope that this list of the top 20 must-visit temples in Kolkata will be a prominent guide for you for the upcoming temple hopping in Kolkata. The list contains some popular names as well as some not-so-popular names too. The temples are not only for a specific religious group, rather we have made the list diverse so that you’ll find religious places of various religions in this list. So, it’s time to pick a traditional attire and head straight to your favorite temple.