Sri Gauranga Mandir (Chaitanya Temple)

One of the most historically significant temples in the entire Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, and almost entirely unknown outside specialist circles. This is the only Gaudiya Vaishnavite temple built during the lifetime of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself (1486-1534), the ecstatic saint and reformer who founded Gaudiya Vaishnavism, the tradition from which ISKCON ultimately descends. The Sri Gauranga Mandir’s age and the intimacy of its connection to Chaitanya give it an importance to Vaishnava pilgrims comparable to what Kalighat represents to Shakta devotees.
The temple houses Sri Chaitanya’s personal manuscripts and belongings. This site holds profound pilgrimage significance, featuring the famous old tamarind tree, under which Chaitanya is believed to have encountered Nityananda during one of his two visits to Kalna. Nearby, the Debi Bhabani Temple was established by the saint Bhaba Pagla; a special puja is held here on the last Saturday of the Bengali month of Baisakh.