Kankalitala Temple

Getting there

• By road

  The temple is about 9 km from Bolpur, on the Bolpur to Labhpur road. A national highway through Bolpur runs to Burdwan, 60 km away, and Kolkata, 160 km away.

• By train

  Bolpur Shantiniketan station (BHP) is in Bolpur town. Prantik station (PNE) is the next stop after it.

• By air

  Bolpur has no airport of its own. The nearest is Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport, in Andal, Durgapur.

Why devotees come here

Kankalitala is a temple town near Bolpur in Birbhum district, West Bengal, on the bank of the Kopai River. It is one of the 51 Shakti Pithas, and tradition says Sati's bones, called kankal, fell here.

Kankalitala is one of the Shakta pithas, where tradition says Sati's waist fell. It is counted among the 51 Shakti Pithas. It is a major pilgrimage spot for Hindus, and a popular one in West Bengal.

The legend centres on kankal, which is the Bengali word for the waist. Accounts differ on the detail. Some say Sati's waist fell here. Others say her bones, called kankal, or her skeleton were left here. Both are told as tradition, not as settled history.

Kankalitala is a temple town in Bolpur Sriniketan block, Bolpur subdivision, Birbhum district, West Bengal. There are several temples in the town. The temple stands on the bank of the Kopai River, about 9 km from Bolpur. The Shakti here is addressed as Devgarbha, and the Bhairava as Ruru.

Tips for your visit

• Kanchishwar Temple, another shrine, stands in the same Kankalitala Temple complex.
• Birbhum district issued a notification dated 04/11/2025 on restrictions on the Bolpur-Kankalitala Road.

Questions people ask