Kalighat Kali Temple, Kolkata

The Kalighat Kali Temple in southern Kolkata is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas — sacred sites where, in Hindu mythology, parts of Sati's body fell after Vishnu's intervention with his Sudarshana Chakra. Tradition holds that her right toes fell at Kalighat, making it especially holy to Bengal's strong tradition of Kali worship. The present temple was built in 1809 by the Sabarna Roy Chowdhury family, though the site has been a Kali shrine for at least 500 years; the name 'Kalighat' is also the etymology of 'Calcutta' itself. The inner sanctum holds an unusual three-eyed Kali idol with a long protruding gold tongue — the deity is depicted in her ferocious form as the destroyer of evil. The temple is busy year-round and especially on the Kali Puja festival (Diwali, October-November), Mahalaya (the start of Durga Puja), and on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The Hooghly river (a Ganga branch) is 2 km away — pilgrims traditionally bathe in the river at the Adi Ganga and then walk to the temple. The Mother Teresa-founded Nirmal Hriday hospice sits adjacent.