The Kalighat Kali Temple Kolkata in its present form is only around 200 years old, although it has been mentioned in the Mansar Bhasan composed and in Kavi Kandan Chandi in the 15th and 17th centuries respectively. The present structure of Kalighat Kali Temple Kolkata was completed by Sabarna Roy Chowdhary's family patronage in 1809. It took 11 years for the temple to complete its construction, initiated by Santosh Roy Chowdhary in 1798.

According to the Kalighat Kali Temple history, its antiquity is evident by the discovery of the most popular Archer-type coins during the Gupta reign after Kumargupta.

The present idol of Goddess Kali, made of touchstone, was created by two saints- Atmaram Brahmachari and Brahmananda Giri. This temple is a perfect example of Bengali architecture. It is a unique idol that does not follow the other Kali images in Bengal. At present, the three huge eyes, a long protruding tongue, and four hands of the idol are made of gold. Two of these hands hold a scimitar and a severed head of the Asura king Shumbha which signifies divine knowledge and human ego respectively. The other two hands show Abhaya and varada mudras signifying her strong blessings and assurance over her true devotees.

Natmandir, a large rectangular platform has been erected adjacent to the main temple, from where you can see the face of the Kali image. The spacious veranda facing the image is known as Jor Bangla and there are two sacrificial altars known as Harkath Tala and has a temple bathing ghat known as Kundupukur.

• If you are interested in mythology, you can explore the mythical stories and history of the temple as it has so much in store.
• If you are a devotee, you can offer your prayer to the goddess Kalighat Kali Maa.
• You can watch the various rituals taking place at the temple according to the Hindu culture.
• Capture authentic Kolkata tradition in lenses.

• The best time to visit is at night as you can avoid unnecessary rush. Rush days are Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Bengali festival days.
• You can avoid paid guides.
• It is best to leave your shoes at sweet selling shops to offer to the goddess at a lower price,(you will get the sweets back). The shopkeepers will guide you to the main gate.

The best time to visit Kalighat Temple is 6 am- 7 am or at night as the temple is open till 10:30 pm. Also, you can avoid crowds by visiting on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Also, Kolkata has better weather conditions from October to March, while other times can be hotter. You can witness the Kali Pooja which takes place during the Hindu month Kartik or Lakshmi Pooja during Diwali. Diwali happens at the end of October.

• Victoria Memorial Hall
• St. Paul's Cathedral
• National Library
• Parashnath Jain Temple
• Netaji Bhawan
• Kolkata Zoo and Zoological garden
• Mother House
• Rabindra Sarovar 
• Birla Temple 

It is believed that each of Goddess Sati's body parts fell in four main temples in India known as Adi Shakti Peethas.

• Kamakhya Temple  Guwahati ( yoni - womb or vagina)
• Kalighat Temple  Kolkata (head)
• Tara Tarini Temple Berhampur (chest)
• Bimala Temple Puri (feet)