Kamarpukur

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Kamarpukur is a village in the Goghat II community development block, Arambag subdivision, Hooghly district, West Bengal, India. It is famous as the birthplace of Sri Ramakrishna and today attracts many pilgrims each year.

Kamarpukur lies at about 22.91°N, 87.65°E. The area around Arambagh subdivision is mostly rural. Kamarpukur is connected by State Highway 7. The village is near Jayrambati, three miles to the west, the birthplace of Sri Sarada Devi. A canal called Bhutir-Khal runs along the western edge of the village and joins the Amodar River. There are two cremation grounds nearby, and old ponds and temples show the village’s long history.

In the past, Kamarpukur was surrounded by fields and supported cottage industries. People made sweets like jilapi and nabat, ebony hookah pipes, yarns, towels, and cloth, which they sold in Kolkata and nearby markets. The village has many signs of ancient prosperity, including old tanks and temples.

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was born here in 1836 in a poor Brahmin family. Because of his visits and the devotion of many followers, Kamarpukur became a place of pilgrimage. A temple with his marble statue was built in 1951, and there are now guest houses, a library, a dispensary, schools, and the re-excavation of the Haldarpukur tank.

Nearby Anur, about 2 km from Kamarpukur, is the Vishalakshi Temple. The goddess Vishalakshi is a popular deity there, and the village holds a traditional fair around the time of Makar Sankranti.

According to the 2011 census, Kamarpukur had a population of 3,121, with 1,592 males and 1,529 females. There were 285 children aged 0–6. A high number of people, 2,530, could read and write, giving an literacy rate of about 89% for those over six years old. Kamarpukur is the headquarters of Goghat II block. State Highway 7 passes through the village, and from Howrah you can take a train to Goghat (the stop after Arambagh). Buses run to Tarakeswar, Ghatal, Chandrakona, Bishnupur, and other places, and local vehicles are available to reach Kamarpukur.