Kolkata, in West Bengal, India, is one of the loudest and most chaotic cities I've ever visited-but it's also one of the most exciting! After visiting Mother Teresa's Home, Victoria Memorial, and several other famous places in Kolkata, I was ready to go on a more extended excursion to see Belur Math and the Dakshineswar Kali Temple.
Belur Math
These are two famous 19th-century temples north of the city, and one day during my visit, I decided to go to both of them on a little day trip. The first stop was Belur Math, a temple dedicated to Ramakrishna Math and Mission, a branch of Hinduism.
We took a taxi from the Howrah station to the temple gate to get there. Unlike a few other Kolkata attractions, Belur Math was quiet and peaceful.
After entering the gates, I was relieved to find no touts hanging around and no one trying to sell me anything. Unfortunately, they had a very strict no-photo policy, and if anyone tried to snap a photo, a guard would immediately run up and enforce the rule. So, the only picture I captured was this glimpse from the river.
The architecture of Belur Math in Kolkata is mainly Hindu and Buddhist in design, but it also uses Islamic (Mughal) and Christian ideas and decorations in the construction. There's a place to remove your shoes and safely store them as you walk around the interior.
Boat Ride
After walking around Belur Math for about an hour, I proceeded to the banks of the Hooghly River to catch a boat to the Dakshineswar Kali Temple.
You can either take a private boat (for which you'll have to pay the entire fee) or wait until enough people have gathered to take a shared boat. I waited about 15 minutes until enough people could share a boat.
After we were jam-packed onto a tiny boat, the ride took about 20 minutes and cost just 10 Rupees per person.
On the boat ride, it was nice to see the life on each side of the river while the small engine of the boat slowly battled its way upstream.
The Hooghly River is a distributary (meaning it's an offshoot) of the sacred Ganges River, which Hindus also consider holy water. Along its banks, many people bathe, wash their clothes, and splash in the water.
Dakshineswar Temple
We finally arrived at Dakshineswar, a much larger temple than Belur Math. Since I went on a weekend, many people were at the temple complex, most of them waiting in line to enter the central part of the temple and pay respect to the Kali Goddess. There's no entry fee. However, donations are accepted.
Surrounding the temple were many Hindu religious items, such as statues of Lord Shiva, for purchase, and plenty of snacks and beverages. The line to enter the main temple stretched for miles as Hindus waited for their turn.
Not having the time to wait hours to get in, I mostly explored the surrounding area, observed the river, and walked around for different views of the temple. The Dakshineswar Kali Temple almost didn't look real; it looked like a painting!
After a few hours of exploration, I jumped in a yellow Kolkata taxi and returned to the city center. It was another wild ride through the narrow and always teeming streets of Kolkata, a city where everything you do is an adventure!
