Calcutta Travel Guide

Kalighat Temple

This 350-year-old temple dedicated to Kali is Kolkata's holiest site, attracting a throng of excited pilgrims every day. You'll need to tip one of the priests in order to get inside through the mêlée of devotees. Goats are ritually slaughtered inside the temple perimeter, and the meat is used to feed the poor. Stalls selling votive items and various artifacts surround the temple. If you want to avoid the worst crowds, then the best days to visit Kalighat Temple are Wednesdays and Thursdays. You are advised to take ample change (in Rs 10 denominations) to tip the various priests and ushers.