Kalighat Kali Temple

Though the present structure dates only to 1809, Kalighat occupies a shrine site of much greater antiquity and is counted among the 51 Shakti Peethas, the spot traditionally associated with the fall of Sati's toe. The presiding image, a fierce three-eyed Kali face with a protruding golden tongue and no conventionally sculpted limbs, is worshipped in a form distinct from the more naturalistic imagery elsewhere in India, reflecting Bengal's particular Shakta iconographic tradition. The temple, from which Kolkata (originally 'Kalikata') is popularly said to take its name, sits amid a dense pilgrim bazaar and riverside ghat that has functioned continuously for centuries. It remains one of eastern India's most visited Shakti shrines and a mandatory stop on any serious Kolkata pilgrimage route.