Things to do in Belur

Belur, on the Howrah bank of the Hooghly, is the site of Belur Math, the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. Swami Vivekananda established it in 1898, and the main Sri Ramakrishna Temple, consecrated in January 1938, combines features of temple, church and mosque architecture on a 40-acre riverside campus. The Math's Durga Puja, with its Kumari Puja on Ashtami morning, and the birth anniversaries of Ramakrishna, Sarada Devi and Vivekananda draw very large crowds. Entry is free, but the campus shuts for some hours in the middle of the day. Direct local trains run from Howrah, and ferries cross from Dakshineswar.