Hindu temple
Dakshineswar Kali Temple
Also known as Dakshineswar, Bhavatarini.
In short
The Dakshineswar Kali Temple, on the east bank of the Ganga near Kolkata, enshrines the Goddess as Bhavatarini, a form of Kali. Built in 1855, it is forever linked with the saint Sri Ramakrishna, who served here and realised the Divine Mother.
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Key facts
- Presiding deity
- Kali
- Significance
- A famed temple of the Goddess Kali (Bhavatarini) on the Ganga
- Location
- Dakshineswar (Kolkata), West Bengal
Significance
The Goddess is worshipped as Bhavatarini — 'she who liberates the world' — standing upon Shiva, in a grand nine-spired Bengal-style temple set beside the river.
Its name is inseparable from Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, who was priest here for years; his devotion to the Mother at Dakshineswar shaped the modern Hindu spiritual renaissance.
History
The temple was built in 1855 by Rani Rashmoni. Sri Ramakrishna served as its priest for decades, and Dakshineswar became a wellspring of 19th-century Hindu renewal.
How to reach
At Dakshineswar on the Ganga, in the northern reaches of Kolkata, West Bengal — reachable by road, rail, and river.
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About Dakshineswar Kali Temple
Which goddess is worshipped at Dakshineswar?
The Goddess Kali, worshipped here as Bhavatarini, 'she who liberates the world', standing upon Shiva.
Why is Dakshineswar linked to Ramakrishna?
Sri Ramakrishna served as priest at Dakshineswar for decades; his realisation of the Divine Mother there made the temple a centre of modern Hindu spirituality.
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