Boro Maa Kali Temple, Naihati

The Boro Maa Kali Temple in Naihati, North 24 Parganas, is dedicated to Kali, worshipped here as the fierce Raksha Kali or Shamshan Kali. Its story begins in 1923 with Bhavesh Chakraborty, a jute mill worker, who was so struck by the giant idols he saw at Nabadwip that, after a dream in which the goddess asked to be made in such a form, he built a Kali idol 22 feet tall. The puja was at first a family affair, but as its fame spread it was opened to all, and 'Bhavesh Kali' became Boro Maa, mother of all. Lakhs now visit each year.

The great idol, sculpted each year since 2014 by Shubhendu Sarkar, is immersed in the Ganges after the festival. Near the pandal, a pink and yellow temple opened in 2014 keeps a smaller form of Boro Maa all year, with a courtyard for worshippers. Since 1970 the huge idol has gone to the river on a wheeled trolley guided by thousands of townspeople.