Boro Maa Kali Temple, Naihati

Getting there

• By train

  Naihati Junction railway station is 38 km from Sealdah and 16 km from Barrackpore.

Why devotees come here

Boro Maa Kali Temple stands in Naihati, a city in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. It is dedicated to Kali, one of the 10 Mahavidyas, and its main idol is a permanent image made of kasthi pathar. Devotees widely believe she fulfils the wishes of everyone who comes, whatever their caste or means.

The temple is one of the 52 Shakta pithas in India. Its story starts in 1923, when Bhavesh Chakraborty, a young man, dreamt after a visit to Nabadwip. Local legend says that in the dream Kali told him to mould her into a giant idol like the ones in Nabadwip.

The main idol is a permanent image made of kasthi pathar. It has a dark complexion, four hands, and a crimson-red tongue edged with gold, with lotus eyes. Several other shrines to different deities stand inside the temple complex.

Special poojas are held on every amavasya. Kali Puja and Baisakhi Amavasya draw lakhs of devotees. After the puja each year, hundreds of followers carry the idol on a trolley to the nearby Ganges river for immersion.

Festivals

• Every yearKali Puja

  Draws large crowds of devotees, and the idol is taken to the Ganges for immersion afterwards.

• On an amavasya dayBaisakhi Amavasya

  One of the two festival days that draw lakhs of devotees.

• Every amavasyaAmavasya poojas

  Special poojas are held on each amavasya through the year.

Tips for your visit

• Kali Puja and Baisakhi Amavasya draw lakhs of devotees, so expect large crowds on those days.
• In one year the idol immersion took place three days after Kali Puja, so check the dates locally before you visit.

Questions people ask