Ambika Kalna

Ambika Kalna or Kalna is a city in West Bengal, India.

Understand
Krishna Chandraji Temple

Ambika Kalna or simply Kalna is the headquarter of Kalna Subdivision of Bardhaman district, in West Bengal, India. Situated on the western bank of Bhagirathi, it is also called the Temple City for the number of old temples found here. The town got its name from the deity Ma Ambika (Goddess Kali) of Siddheswari Temple.

Talk

Bengali is the native language here. Hindi can also be used for communication.

Get in

By road

By road, Kalna can be accessed from Krishnanagar, Katwa, Bandel, Pandua, Bainchi, Memari and Bardhaman.

By rail

The railway station is Ambika Kalna and it is connected to the loop line route from Howrah to Katwa. 81 km from Howrah, it can be reached by several local as well as express trains which travel in that route.

By air

The nearest airport is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata.

Get around
Lalji Temple

Toto and auto rickshaws are the only mode of transport within the town.

See
Giri Gobardhan Temple

The city is known for the various old temples with terracotta works. A toto can be hired to visit all the attractions. Most will guide you to all the places.

  • Siddheswari Kali mandir (The temple of Ma Ambika). This is from where Ambika Kalna got its name. 
  • Nava Kailasha (108 Shiva temples). (updated Oct 2016)
  • Kalna temple complex. (updated Oct 2016)
  • Rameswar temple. (updated Oct 2016)
  • Gopalji temple. (updated Oct 2016)

Do
Radha Krishna idol at Lalji Temple

Apart from the temples, Kalna is famous for its Saraswati Puja and draws huge crowd from other parts of the state. Large decorated pandals, beautiful lighting and artistic idols are the reason people visit Kalna during this festival.

Another important festival of Kalna is the Mahishmardini Puja. The festival is observed for 4 days and a huge fair takes place.

Eat

Unfortunately there are not too many places for a proper meal in the city.

For snacks there are sweet shops all over the city, where one can have sweets as well as snacks like kochuri, singara, paratha or petai paratha.

For lunch or dinner there are few small shops and roadside stalls around Chowk Bazar near the Kalna temple complex. There you can have rice, vegetables, meat or fish. None are hygienic, so if you are concerned, avoiding this places will be better. Bringing your own food is a good option.

For a more hygienic and proper meal, Hotel Priyadarshini near the bus stand is a good option for Bengali lunch and dinner.

Sleep
  • Hotel Priyadarshini. Situated near the bus stand, this is a standard hotel. Tasty Bengali food is served. (updated Oct 2016)
  • Shiboramokrishno Lodge. This lodge is situated beside the 108 Shiva temple complex. If you want to stay near the main attractions, this is a good place. The lodge provides clean rooms and shared washrooms. Food is not available, but with prior order they can arrange home delivery. (updated Oct 2016)

Go next
  • Baidyapur
  • Guptipara

gollark: I hope Ligtown will be a demonstration of the wonderful concrete cube style.
gollark: I'm questioning its republicitude.
gollark: I'm not questioning its sovereignty.
gollark: No it's not.
gollark: No it's not.
This article is issued from Wikivoyage. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.