The temple was originally located closer to the sea shore and was relocated to the current site at 1640 CE. It was then built in 1678.[1]Shivaji, the Maratha warrior and the founder of the Hindawi-Swarajya in the 17th century, had worshiped in this temple incognito on 3 October 1667.[2][3] It is believed that a fierce form of Goddess was held in worship earlier and that this form was replaced with the shanta swaroopa (calm posture) form of Goddess Kamakshi. Tamil poet Subramaniya Bharathi was a regular visitor of the temple in the early 20th century.[3]
The main Gopuram (tower) of Kālikāmbāl Temple
In the 1980s, a new 10-metre-high tower (rajagopuram) was added to the existing structure.[3] Another major expansion was made in 2014.[citation needed]