Ambika Kalna
অম্বিকা কালনা
Purba Bardhaman district · Kolkata & Around
The temple city of the Bardhaman kings.
About Ambika Kalna
On the Bhagirathi, Kalna was favoured by the Maharajas of Bardhaman, who filled it with temples in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The Nava Kailash of 1809 arranges 108 Shiva temples in two concentric circles. Across the road, the Rajbari complex holds the terracotta-covered Pratapeshwar temple, the Lalji temple and the Krishna Chandra temple with its twenty-five pinnacles.
Highlights
- The 108 Shiva temples in two rings
- Pratapeshwar Temple’s terracotta
- Lalji and Krishna Chandra temples
- Siddheshwari temple and the old town
Plan your trip
- Best time
- October to March.
- How to reach
- Ambika Kalna station is on the Howrah to Katwa line, about 2 to 2.5 hours by train; toto rickshaws run to the temples.
- Suggested stay
- Day trip
- Distance from Kolkata
- About 85 km by road
- Travel time
- 2 to 2.5 hours by train
- Nearest railway station
- Ambika Kalna
- Budget
- Budget
- Photography
- The rings of the 108 temples photograph best from the centre in the early morning.
A suggested plan
- Morning: the 108 Shiva temples
- Late morning: the Rajbari temple complex
- Afternoon: Siddheshwari temple and the riverside
Tip
The main temple complexes are protected monuments with set opening hours; start early.
Nearby and related destinations
- Guptipara: Where Bengal’s community puja began. (about 80 km from Kolkata, nearest station Guptipara)
- Bansberia: A temple with thirteen lotus-bud towers. (about 55 km from Kolkata, nearest station Bansberia)
- Purbasthali (Chupi Char): An oxbow lake full of winter birds. (about 130 km from Kolkata, nearest station Purbasthali)
- Mayapur & Nabadwip: The birthplace of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. (about 130 km from Kolkata, nearest station Nabadwip Dham or Krishnanagar City)
Part of these guides
Distances and travel times are approximate road figures from central Kolkata. Check timings, permits and road conditions before you travel.