Kalighat Kali Temple

Kalighat Kali Temple, in the Kalighat neighbourhood of south Kolkata, is dedicated to the goddess Kali and counts among the 51 Shakti Peethas. Devotees hold that a toe from Sati's right foot fell here when her body was scattered, and the shrine draws pilgrims from across the country. Its image of Kali, with three eyes, four arms and a golden tongue, is said to have been shaped from stone by the ascetics Atmaram Giri and Brahmananda Giri.

A shrine on this site is mentioned in Bengali works such as Manasar Bhasan and Kavi Chandi, and early accounts describe a simple hut-like structure raised by Raja Man Singh. The present temple was completed around 1809 with backing from the Sabarna Roy Chowdhurys, a family from Barisha. One story tells of a Brahmin, Atma Ram, who found a toe-shaped stone in the Bhagirathi and enshrined it along with a lingam of Nakuleshwar Bhairav.

The complex includes the Natmandir hall built for Zamindar Kashinath Roy in 1835, the Jor Bangla platform for viewing rituals, the Sosthi Tala altar to Sosti, Shitala and Mangal Chandi, the Harkath Tala sacrifice site, a Radha-Krishna shrine of 1843, the Kundupukur tank and the Nakuleshwar Mahadev temple.