Dakshineswar Kali Temple complex: Detail of the nine-spired main temple

Date

Circa 1910

A Hindu temple located in Dakshineswar near Kolkata. Situated on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, the presiding deity of the temple is Bhavatarini, an aspect of Kali. The temple was built by Rani Rashmoni, a philanthropist and a devotee of Kali in 1855. The temple is famous for its association with Ramakrishna, a mystic of 19th Century Bengal. The temple compound, apart from the nine-spired ("Nava-ratna") main temple (14 m square), contains a large courtyard surrounding the temple, with rooms along the boundary walls. There are twelve shrines dedicated to Shiva, Kali's companion, along the riverfront, a temple to Radha-Krishna, a bathing ghat on the river, and a shrine dedicated to Rani Rashmoni.