108 Shiva Temples Ambika Kalna

Getting there

• By train

  Ambika Kalna is the main railway station, 81 km from Howrah. Many local EMU trains and a few express and passenger trains run from Howrah and Sealdah.

• By road

  The town can be reached by road from Krishnanagar, Katwa, Bandel, Pandua, Boinchi, Memari and Barddhaman. A government bus depot run by SBSTC has express buses to cities across South Bengal.

Why devotees come here

The 108 Shiva temples of Ambika Kalna are a major attraction in Kalna town, on the west bank of the Bhagirathi in West Bengal. They are also known as Nava Kailash. Their plan is the main draw: every linga can be seen from the centre of the complex.

Ambika Kalna, usually called Kalna, is a sub-divisional town on the west bank of the Bhagirathi. Its first known mention comes in the Kubjika Tantra, a 6th-century text. In the 7th century, General Alexander Cunningham wrote, it was a frontier city of the Tamralipta kingdom. It grew most under the Maharajas of Bardhaman in the late 18th century.

The Maharajas built several temples here decorated with intricate terracotta. The town's monuments include the Rajbari palace and the 108 Shiva temples, also called Nava Kailash.

The 108 temples are arranged in two circles. One has 74 temples with white marble and black stone lingas, and the other has 34 with white marble lingas. Because of this planning, all of the lingas can be seen from the centre of the complex.

Festivals

• 2nd Week of January, every winterKalna Porjoton Utsab

  A winter festival held across Kalna town, not only at these temples.

Tips for your visit

• Nabadwip and Mayapur, known for the ISKCON centre, are close to Kalna if you want to plan a wider trip.
• Krishna Chandra Mandir, also in Kalna town, has 25 steeples and terracotta walls showing scenes from the epics.

Questions people ask