Places of worship to visit

Kolkata’s temples, churches, mosques, synagogues, Jain and Buddhist shrines that welcome respectful visitors. Each keeps its own rules on dress, photography and timings.

Bagbazar

Mayer Bari (Udbodhan House): The house where Sarada Devi lived, kept as a shrine.
Balaram Mandir: The house where the Ramakrishna Mission was founded in 1897.

Maniktala

Pareshnath Jain Temple: A garden of four Jain temples glittering with mirror-work and coloured glass.

Belgachia

Belgachia Digambar Jain Temple: A red-and-white Jain temple in a quiet garden near the metro.

Jorasanko & Chitpur

Nakhoda Masjid: The city’s principal mosque, in red sandstone.

College Street

Thanthania Kalibari: A small, very old Kali temple on Bidhan Sarani.
Maha Bodhi Society Temple: A Buddhist vihara on College Square, built in 1920.

Bowbazar & Old Chinatown

Sea Ip Church: A Chinese clan temple from 1905, called a church.
Bauddha Dharmankur Sabha: The 1892 monastery that gave Buddhist Temple Street its name.
Firingi Kalibari: The Kali temple linked to a Portuguese-descended poet of Bengali song.

Burrabazar

Armenian Church of the Holy Nazareth: The oldest church in the city, built by Armenian merchants in 1724.
Magen David Synagogue: A red-brick synagogue of 1884 with a tall clock spire.
Beth El Synagogue: An 1856 synagogue on Pollock Street.
Portuguese Church: The Catholic cathedral, founded in 1799 for the Portuguese community.

Entally

St James’ Church (Jora Girja): The twin-spired Gothic church that Kolkata calls Jora Girja.

BBD Bagh (Dalhousie)

St John’s Church: A 1787 church whose garden holds the tomb of Job Charnock.
St Andrew’s Church: The 1818 Scottish church with a tall white spire.
Old Mission Church: The oldest Protestant church in the city, founded in 1770.

Esplanade & New Market

Tipu Sultan Mosque: A many-domed mosque built by Tipu Sultan’s son in the 1840s.

Maidan & Chowringhee

St Paul’s Cathedral: The Gothic Revival cathedral beside the Maidan, consecrated in 1847.

Kalighat

Kalighat Kali Temple: One of the 51 Shakti Peeths, and the shrine the city is said to be named after.
Greek Orthodox Church: A Doric temple-fronted church of the 1920s, beside the Kalighat tram depot.

Kidderpore

Bhukailash Temples: Twin Shiva temples of 1781 beside a tank, hidden in Kidderpore.

Garden Reach & Metiabruz

Sibtainabad Imambara: The tomb of Wajid Ali Shah, the exiled last Nawab of Awadh.

Ballygunge & Gariahat

Birla Mandir: A white-marble temple on Ashutosh Chowdhury Avenue, lit at night.

Dhakuria

Japanese Buddhist Temple: A small white temple by the lake where a drum is beaten at dawn and dusk.

Lake Gardens & Southern Avenue

Lake Kalibari: A much-loved Kali temple on Southern Avenue, founded in 1949.

Tollygunge

Karunamoyee Kali Temple, Tollygunge: A 1760 temple of the Sabarna Roy Choudhury family beside Tolly’s Nullah.

Garia

Boral & Tripura Sundari Temple: The village of Pather Panchali, with an old goddess temple.

Barisha

Dwadash Shiva Temples, Barisha: Twelve Shiva temples in two rows beside a tank.

Thakurpukur & Joka

BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir: A large carved-stone temple on Diamond Harbour Road beyond Joka.

Budge Budge & Achipur

Achipur Chinese Temple: Where India’s Chinese community began, on the river near Budge Budge.

Tangra (Chinatown)

Chinese Kali Temple: A Kali temple run by Tangra’s Chinese community, with noodles as prasad.

Dakshineswar

Dakshineswar Kali Temple: Rani Rashmoni’s nine-spired temple on the Hooghly, where Sri Ramakrishna lived.
Adyapeath: A white temple of Adya Ma with three images set one above another.

Baranagar & Cossipore

Cossipore Udyanbati: The garden house where Sri Ramakrishna spent his last months.
Baranagar Math: The site of the first monastery of the Ramakrishna Order.
Kripamayee Kali Temple: A nine-spired riverside Kali temple of 1848, older than Dakshineswar.

Panihati

Mahotsavtala Ghat, Panihati: The riverside banyan where the Chida-Dahi festival has been held for five centuries.

Khardah

Shyamsundar Temple, Khardah: The Vaishnav heart of Khardah, the town of Nityananda.
Twenty-six Shiva Temples, Khardah: Twenty-six aatchala temples round one courtyard near the river.

Titagarh

Annapurna Temple, Chanak: Dakshineswar’s near-twin, built in 1875 by Rani Rashmoni’s daughter.

Howrah & the West Bank

Belur Math: The headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, on the west bank.

More ways to explore Kolkata

Last checked on 2026-10-02. Each place was checked to exist and its position confirmed. Timings, closing days and ticket prices are shown only where known and can change: confirm before you travel.