Kalighat Kolkata

Located on the banks of the river Hooghly (Bhagirathi), Kalighat, Kolkata is a famous place for the pilgrims. The area is at a distance of 6 kms in the south center of the city. Kalighat bears some historical importance. It is believed that the area represents the place where the toe of Sati falls in the course of Lord Shiva's dance of cosmic destruction. The name Calcutta is said to have been derived from the word Kalighat. As a city-suburb Kalighat provides most of the facilities to its local residents.

Accessibility:

Kalighat Metro Station is the nearest place to attend & metro is the most preferred transport here. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Road passes through the city heart land. Other transports like bus, tram, taxi are also available here. The place also has a suburban railway station towards the southern end. The Behala Airport, which is the domestic airport, is about 6 kms away.

Areas Under Kalighat :
  -  Chetla
  -  Jatindas Park
  -  Rabindra Sarovar

Places to visit:

  -  Rabindra Sarovar:
You can come to the Rabindra Sarovar Lake. The place around the artificial lake offers you a pleasant walk-trip amidst the overhanging trees. There is a small island at the south of the lake. It is a nice place for visit but fishing is strictly prohibited here. There are the Rowing Club, Swimming Club, Children's park and an open air theatre Mukta Manch. A few minutes walk from here will take you to the 'Ramakrishna Mission' at Golpark. You can also visit Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Ramkrishana Mission Institute of Culture, Sarobar Stadium, Lake Market and Japanese Buddhist Temple from here.
  -  Kalighat Temple
  -  Birla Art Museum:
  -  Birla Academy of Art and Culture Museum, established in 1966, is famous for the paintings of the mediaeval period as well as modern art and some archaeological specimens which are displayed. You can attend the exhibitions which are held here at regular interval. There is a huge collection of miniature and manuscripts.

Famos Attraction –The Kalighat Temple:

Kaali is regarded as one of the principal deities of Bengal. The Kalighat Temple is about 200 years old & millions of devotees come to this holy temple every year. The temple is regarded as one of the 52 Shakti Peethams of India.
It is told that a devotee once saw a luminant ray of light coming from the Bhagirathi river bed. He also found a Syayambhu Lingam of Nakuleshwar Bhairav & started worshipping Kaali in the forest. This forest-pathway between Chitpur and Kalighat has become the Chitpur road of Calcutta. Kalighat is also associated with the worship offered to Kaali by a Dasanami Monk named Chowranga Giri, and the Chowringhee area of Calcutta is named after him.

  -  Kalighat Pats: The name "Kalighat Pata" (pata is pronounced as pot) is applied to a class of paintings and drawings on paper produced by a group of artists called patuas in the neighborhood of the famous Kali Temple at Kalighat in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
There are pictures of housewives protecting themselves with broom sticks; some are seen playing behala, bina and tabla, some are seen dressing themselves up. Historical figures like Lakshmibai, Rani of Jhansi, Shyamakanta fighting with a tiger are also present there & you also find the babus and the bibis, the ladies of the town, even the loving couples of the time.Though the mythological & religious figure predominated the pats, one can get a total cultural & social view of the time.