108 Shiva Temples, Ambika Kalna – A Circle of Shrines

Ambika Kalna, usually called simply Kalna, is a small heritage town in the Purba Bardhaman district of West Bengal. Located around 80 kilometres from Kolkata, the town has an extraordinary collection of terracotta temples, Vaishnavite shrines and monuments associated with the rulers of Bardhaman.

Among them, the 108 Shiva Temples stand apart.

A single Shiva temple is familiar. A row of Shiva temples is not unusual either. But here, 108 nearly identical shrines have been arranged in two perfect concentric circles. The moment one steps into the complex, the repetition, symmetry and sheer number of temples create an impression that is difficult to convey through photographs alone.

The complex is also known as the Nava Kailash Temple or Naba Kailash, referring to Kailash, the sacred abode of Lord Shiva.

A Temple Complex Built in 1809

The 108 Shiva Temples were built in 1809 by Maharaja Teja Chandra Bahadur, the ruler of Bardhaman.

The construction is generally associated with an important period in the history of the Bardhaman royal family and its connection with the former Bishnupur estate. Whatever the immediate political occasion, the result was not an ordinary commemorative monument. The Maharaja created an entire sacred landscape centred on the worship of Lord Shiva.

The number 108 itself carries great religious significance in Hindu tradition. A japa mala usually contains 108 beads, and many deities are worshipped through 108 names. Here, that sacred number has been translated into architecture.

Two Concentric Circles

The most remarkable feature of the complex is its plan.

The temples are arranged in two concentric circles, with an open lawn separating them. The outer ring contains 74 shrines, while the inner ring contains 34. Together, they complete the sacred number of 108.

The circular arrangement becomes clear only after entering the complex. From outside, one may notice a long sequence of small temple towers. Inside, however, the full pattern unfolds.

One ring surrounds another.

Each temple faces the passage between the two circles, creating a continuous sacred corridor. As one walks along it, shrine after shrine appears with almost the same proportions, doorway and roof form. Yet the changing angle of light, the sequence of Shiva Lingas and the curved movement of the path prevent the repetition from becoming monotonous.

There is no towering central temple dominating the complex. In fact, there is no principal shrine at the centre at all. The open central space allows the two rings themselves to become the focus.

Every shrine is part of the whole.

Black and White Shiva Lingas

Each of the 108 temples houses a Shiva Linga.

The temples in the outer circle contain Shiva Lingas that alternate between black and white. As one moves from one shrine to the next, the changing colour creates a deliberate rhythm.

The 34 temples of the inner circle, however, contain only white Shiva Lingas.

This arrangement is among the most distinctive features of the complex. The alternating Shiva Lingas in the outer ring and the uniform white Lingas within the inner ring appear to have been carefully planned rather than placed randomly.

Looking through one doorway, it is often possible to see another shrine directly across the circular passage. The repeated frames, dark interiors and Shiva Lingas create unusual visual alignments throughout the complex.

Bengal’s Chala Architecture

The shrines follow the chala style associated with Bengal’s temple architecture.

The word chala refers to a sloping roof form derived from the traditional thatched houses of Bengal. Heavy monsoon rainfall encouraged the development of curved and sloping roofs that allowed water to drain quickly. Temple builders later translated this familiar domestic form into brick architecture.

Broadly, Bengal temples are often discussed under two major forms:

• Chala, distinguished by curved or sloping roofs
• Ratna, distinguished by one or more towers rising above the roof

Many Bengal temples combine aspects of both traditions. At Kalna, however, the repeated chala-roofed shrines create a clear and unified architectural identity.

The individual temples are small and comparatively simple. Their beauty does not come from a profusion of sculpture or elaborate terracotta panels. It comes from their proportions, curved rooflines and repetition across the circular plan.

One shrine by itself may appear modest.

One hundred and eight of them together become monumental.

A Different Temple Experience

Most large temple complexes lead visitors towards a dominant central shrine. The movement is linear: entrance, courtyard, mandapa and sanctum.

Kalna offers something different.

There is no single visual destination. The experience lies in walking around the circles, entering individual shrines, observing the Lingas and gradually understanding how the entire complex has been arranged.

The curve of the path also means that one can never see every temple at once. New shrines continuously appear ahead, while those already visited disappear behind the arc.

That slow revelation is part of the architecture.

The well-kept lawn between the two rings provides a strong contrast to the white temple walls and dark openings of the sanctums. The open sky above the circular complex adds to the sense of space.

Despite the large number of shrines, the place does not feel crowded architecturally.

More Than a Collection of 108 Temples

It would be easy to treat the site merely as a curiosity, a place with 108 small Shiva temples standing beside one another.

But the real interest lies in how the number has been organised.

The builders did not simply place 108 shrines in rows. They created two sacred circles, used alternating colours for the Shiva Lingas and maintained a striking uniformity in the architecture.

The result is devotional, mathematical and visual at the same time.

The complex also offers an important contrast to the richly ornamented terracotta temples found elsewhere in Kalna. Those temples attract attention through sculpture and narrative panels. Nava Kailash works through geometry, repetition and rhythm.

Visiting the 108 Shiva Temples

The 108 Shiva Temples can be visited along with the other monuments of Ambika Kalna, particularly the historic temples around the Rajbari complex.

Walk slowly through both circles rather than viewing the complex only from the entrance. The inner and outer rings provide different perspectives, and the alternating black and white Shiva Lingas become more noticeable while moving from shrine to shrine.

Photography is particularly rewarding from the curved passage between the two rings, where the repeated doorways and sloping roofs create a strong sense of depth.

Kalna may not receive the attention given to some of West Bengal’s more famous heritage destinations. Yet for anyone interested in temple architecture, the town is remarkable.

And among all its monuments, the sight of 108 Shiva temples standing in two perfect circles is likely to remain the most memorable.

Happy travelling.