Dakshineswar Kali Temple, Hindu temple in Dakshineswar, India.
The temple sits by the riverbank in a district north of Kolkata and follows a nine-spire design with multiple towers. The main building rises above the grounds with a white facade and dark red accents, surrounded by smaller shrines and colonnades.
A wealthy widow commissioned the construction in the mid-19th century after she was told in a dream to build a site for worship. The construction took eight years and the grounds later became a place where a well-known spiritual teacher lived and received followers.
The name Dakshineswar means Lord of the South and refers to a deity worshipped in this area. Devotees walk around the inner sanctuary during their prayers and some touch the doors with their foreheads before stepping back outside.
Access is possible in the morning and late afternoon when ceremonies take place and visitors can view the shrines. Those who arrive early find the grounds quieter and can walk through the courtyards more easily.
Twelve identical shrines stand in two rows along the riverbank and each is dedicated to a different manifestation of the same deity. They all share the same shape and size, so the row appears like a rhythmic sequence of white domes when viewed along the waterfront.
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