Ambika Kalna is a town in the Purba Bardhaman district of West Bengal. The first reference to Ambika Kalna is found in a 6th-century text known as the Kubjika Tantra.
According to General Alexander Cunningham, the founder of the Archaeological Survey of India, Ambika Kalna was a frontier city of the Tamralipta kingdom during the 7th century A.D. At that time, a naval base was founded in the city during the reign of Shashanka. Kalna houses the only Chaitanya temple built in Sri Chaitanya’s lifetime. It is the abode of pilgrimage for the Barnabites. It was a celebrated place during Mohammedan rule in the 15th century.
Ambika Kalna is a town on the west bank of River Bhagirati. It reached its pinnacle of glory during the late 18th century under the patronage of the Maharajas of Bardhaman, who built several magnificent temples with intricate terracotta ornamentation. The maritime trade has long stopped and Kalna has lost the status of a flourishing port city, but many of the temples have survived the test of time and stands to this day. Most of this temples have intricate terracotta ornamentation along with detailed stucco work. The temples still reminds one of Kalna’s glorious past. Kalna houses three of the five 25 pinnacled temples of West Bengal.
A major attraction is the Nava Kailash or 108 Shiv Mandirs. Built-in 1809, the temples were constructed in two circles. One consists of 74 temples, whilst the other has 34. The former has white marble and black stone shiva lingas, whilst the latter comprises white marble shivling. Due to its ingenious planning, all of the shiva lingas can be seen from the center of the temple complex.
The Krishna Chandra Mandir (1751–1752), with its 25 steeples, depicts several scenes from the epics upon its terracotta walls. Doors remain closed from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. Also worthy of note are Lalji Mandir (1739) with 25 steeples, and Pratapeshvara Mandir (1849) of the Rekha style; this temple has magnificent terracotta designs.
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