Holy Pilgrimage - Hindu temples in Bangladesh -2






































Holy Pilgrimage  - Hindu temples in Bangladesh








Shri Shail Shaktipeeth, Bangladesh



Shri Shail (Bengali: শ্রীশৈল) is one of the Shakti Peeths, at Joinpur village, Dakshin Surma, near Gotatikar, 3 km north-east of Sylhet town, Bangladesh. The Hindu Goddess Sati's neck fell here. The Goddess is worshipped as Mahalakshmi and the Bhairav form is Sambaranand.

Legend

Sati, was the first wife of Shiva as the first incarnation of Parvati. She was the daughter of King Daksha and Queen (the daughter of Brahma). She committed self immolation at the sacrificial fire of a yagna performed by her father Daksha as she felt seriously distraught by her father’s insult of her husband and also to her by not inviting both of them for the yagna. Shiva was so grieved after hearing of the death of his wife that he danced around the world in a Tandav Nritya (“devastating penance” or dance of destruction) carrying Sati's dead body over his shoulders. Perturbed by this situation and in order to bring Shiv to a state of normalcy, it was then Vishnu who decided to used his Sudarshan Chakra (the rotating knife s carried on his finger tip). He dismembered Sati’s body with the chakra into several pieces and wherever her body fell on the earth, the place was consecrated as a divine shrine oo Shakthi Peeth with deities of Sati (Parvati) and Shiva. These locations have become famous pilgrimage places as Pithas or Shakthi Pithas, and are found scattered all over the subcontinent including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, apart from India. Sati is also known as Devi or Shakthi, and with blessinggs of Vishnu she was reborn as the daughter of Himavat or Himalayas and hence named as Parvati (daughter of mountains). She was born on the 14th day of the bright half of the month of Mrigashīrsha, which marks the Shivarathri (Shiva’s night) festival.


Sugandha Shaktipeeth, Bangladesh



Sugandha Shaktipeeth (Bengali: সুগন্ধা শক্তিপীঠ), a temple of the Goddess Sunanda, is located in the village of Shikarpur, 10 miles north of Barisal, in Bangladesh.  This Hindu temple is one of the Shakti Peethas. The Bhairav is Tryambak whose temple is in Ponabalia, located 5 miles south of Jhalkati rail station. Ponabalia is under the village Shamrail situated on the bank of the river Sunanda. (at present known as Soundha).
The main festival is Shiva-Chaturdashi (on the 14th moon of March).

Legend

Sati, was the first wife of Shiva as the first incarnation of Parvati. She was the daughter of King Daksha and Queen (the daughter of Brahma). She committed self immolation at the sacrificial fire of a yagna performed by her father Daksha as she felt seriously distraught by her father’s insult of her husband and also to her by not inviting both of them for the yagna. Shiva was so grieved after hearing of the death of his wife that he danced around the world in a Tandav Nritya (“devastating penance” or dance of destruction) carrying Sati's dead body over his shoulders. Perturbed by this situation and in order to bring Shiv to a state of normalcy, it was then Vishnu who decided to used his Sudarshan Chakra (the rotating knife s carried on his finger tip). He dismembered Sati’s body with the chakra into several pieces and wherever her body fell on the earth, the place was consecrated as a divine shrine oo Shakthi Peeth with deities of Sati (Parvati) and Shiva. These locations have become famous pilgrimage places as Pithas or Shakthi Pithas, and are found scattered all over the subcontinent including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, apart from India. Sati is also known as Devi or Shakthi, and with blessinggs of Vishnu she was reborn as the daughter of Himavat or Himalayas and hence named as Parvati (daughter of mountains). She was born on the 14th day of the bright half of the month of Mrigashīrsha, which marks the Shivarathri (Shiva’s night) festival.



Swami Bagh Temple, Bangladesh



Swami Bagh Temple is a prominent Hindu temple of the Vaishnav Cult in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. There are many temples and an ashram managed by ISKCON, of which Baba Loknath Mandir is prominent. Every year the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra starts from here and proceeds till the Dhakeshwari National Temple.



Temple of King Kangsa Narayan, Bangladesh



The Temple of King Kangsa Narayan (Bengali: রাজা কংস নারায়ণের মন্দির) is situated in northern Bangladesh. It is in Rajshahi's Tahirpur, where legend states that the Durga Puja of the Hindu community was performed for the first time in the Indian subcontinen


Bishyanath Temple, Bangladesh



Bishyanath Temple is a Hindu temple, dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva, in the Mymensingh district of Bangladesh. It is one of the notable temples in the district.
The temple is unique because of its pagoda-like architecture.


Boro Kali Bari Temple, Bangladesh



Boro Kali Bari is one of the oldest Hindu temples in the city of Mymensingh, Bangladesh.  The temple is dedicated to the goddess Kali.
The main festival is Kali Puja, which is celebrated every year. The temple is located 10 minute rickshaw pull from the center of the city. Hindu devotees can visit this temple during morning to night. However, the daily puja usually starts after sunset. Different types of sweets are available to purchase near the Kali temple. Other important Hindu temples in Mymensingh are the Durga Bari in the heart of the city, and the Shiva temple in Thana ghat.


Laxmi Narayan Mandir, Dhaka


Laxmi Narayan Mandir is a Hindu temple, devoted to Laxmi, the Hindu Goddess of wealth. It is situated at 31 Nawabpur Road in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The temple is about 300 years old. It was established in the Bengali year of 1056.

History

The temple was built in 1793 by Narayan Gosh and renovated by Prithvi Singh. It was named after the great temple of Birla Mandir, Delhi which was built by Baldeo Das Birla. Many other temples were built by them at that time for example - Shib, Kali, Bandurga etc. The temple is one of the major attractions of old Dhaka and attracts thousands of devotees on the Hindu festivals of Janmashtami and Diwali.basak family was the main founder of this temple

Building layout

 
The entire temple is adorned with carvings depicting the scenes from Hindu mythology. Inside the boundary of this temple there is a private house. The temple nowadays use as a private temple. It is mainly a two storied temple. There is no dome of this ancient mandir. The whole temple is made out of plaster and is visible from outside. There are pictures of Hindu Gods and Goddesses printed on the tiled walls of the temple. The icons of the temple are in marble brought from Jaipur. The entrance to the temple is welcomed by a Hindu spell which is engraved on a stone. On the other gate of the temple there is a bell. It is a ritual to ring the bell before entering the temple and before leaving.

Joy Kali Temple, Bangladesh



The Temple of Joy Kali is situated between Thathari Bazar and Wari, on a road itself named after this temple, which is called 24 Joy Kali Temple street. Joy Kali Temple is a Hindu temple devoted to Goddess Kali Ma. People of Hindu religion of every age comes to this temple to worship Goddess Kali. The statue of Goddess Kali is of great significance to the Hindus.The visitors and committee members of this temple gather money for occasions, where sweets are later distributed among them which is called 'Prasad'.


History

This temple is about 400 years old, established in the Bengali year 1001. During the reign of the Nawabs, Dewan of Nawabs Late Tulsi Narayan Ghosh and Late Nabh Narayan Ghosh established this temple with the inspection of Late Bancharam Saint. At that time they established twenty-one statues of Shib, Kali, Lakshminarayan, three Shalgram Chakra, Bandurga etc. A few beautiful monuments like Pancharatna, Nabratna, temple of Shiv, guest house, were built in the house of Joy Kali. Even market named Nawabpur Joy Kali bazar, and a market situated at the south of Kaliganj hut was dedicated to Joy Kali Devi.

Present condition

The first caretaker of this Joy Kali Devi was Late Bancharam Saint, the third caretaker was Panachenand, who got retarded afterwards, so the responsibility to serve the Devi got into the hands of Bhraman Tanyar. Later the landlords of that time seized some of the land of this temple. Starting from that time the temple started to erode, due to lack of maintenance and shortage of money. This temple was damaged during the strike of 1990’s.The temple was renovated later on by Goddess Kali’s followers. Now the temple is much smaller than it was when it was first established.The temple was burgled and valuables looted by thieves in 2010


Shree Shree Siddheswari Kalimandir, Bangladesh



The Siddheshwari Kali Mandir is a Hindu temple located at 14 Siddheshwari Lane in Dhaka, Bangladesh.


History

The Siddheshwari Temple is standing in Dhaka, and even now it is unknown how and when the temple was established. No perfect history could not be acknowledged. But at the end of 19th century and the beginning of 20th century the Siddheshwari Temple was famous.
It is known that the name of Siddheshwari has come from the temples name. Traditionally it is considered that someone who used to worship God from his heart and on behalf of his severe devotion, this temple was being established. Since then the temple was named "Siddheshwari". It is estimated that someone called Chand Rai established this temple.

Architectural significance

The Siddheshwari Temple looks very historical on the basis of its construction. The centre of the temple has valuable statue of "Kali Ma" and the temple was extended with beautiful columns.

Present condition

At present it is situated in a very congested area with narrow roads and crowded with people. Though the temple is very famous to the hearts of Hindu religious, it is presently on the way to destruction.
Beside Siddheshwari the centre of Malibug is situated. In the courtyard of the temple a “Roktochondon” tree is standing. Near the temple there was an old pond and some old temples.
In the temple, festivals are organized. At the time of “Sharodio festival” the people have placed Puja in front of the statue of “Devi Ma” for years. The people organize the grand festival of Durga Puja. On the tenth day of worshiping the Hindu people immerse the statue of Devi Ma into the pond. In this way the festivals goes on throughout the year.
If the government takes strong steps towards protecting this antique and valuable buildings and temples then the next generation will have the opportunity to know about their past and original traditions.


Muktagachha Shiva temple, Bangladesh



The Muktagachha Shiva temple is a twin temple located outside the Rajbari of Muktagachha, located in the Mymensingh District of Bangladesh. The temple was constructed in 1820 by Rani Bimola Devi, the mother of Maharaja Shashikantha Acharya Choudhary, the Zamindar of Muktagachha.  The twin temples consist of the Shree Shree Anandamoyi Shiva and Kali Mata Mandir. The Hindu Rabidas community perform a two-day-long Kattyani Puja, locally known as the 'Shat' Puja, in the Bengali month of Kartik. The temple is in dilapidated condition due to lack of repairs.



Kaliya jue Temple, Bangladesh



Kaliya jue Temple (Bangla: কালিয়া জীউ মন্দির) dedicated to the Hindu God Krishna is located in the town of Dinajpur, Bangladesh.  The temple is situated to the west side of the Dinajpur Rajbari.

 

Chatteshwari Temple, Bangladesh


Located in the centre of Chittagong city in Bangladesh, this Hindu temple is dedicated to the Goddess Kali. It was built in the 18th Century.  The goddess of the temple is considered the guardian deity of the town Chittagong, according to Hindu belief. This temple was damaged by Pakistani soldiers during the Bangladesh liberation war


Lalmai Chandi Temple, Bangladesh



Lalmai Chandi Temple, also called Chandimata Mandir is an ancient Hindu temple located on the summit of the Lalmai hill in Barura Upazila of Comilla District, Bangladesh.  The temple is dedicated to the Goddess Kali. There is a temple dedicated to the God Shiva nearby.


Sonarang Twin Temples, Bangladesh



Sonarang Twin Temples are two Hindu temples located in Sonarang village under Tongibari Upazila of Munshiganj district, Bangladesh. These two temples stand side by side on a single masonry platform surrounded by a moat on three sides and an access path on the eastern side. Of the two, the western one is a Kaali temple and the eastern one is a Shiva temple. The western temple, loftier than the eastern one, is about 15m high over the square sanctum. It measures 5.35m x 5.35m and has a 1.90m wide veranda. A low hemispherical dome covers the square sanctuary, over which rises an octagonal sikhara crowned by the usual pinnacle with kalsa finials. This terminates in a trident fixed with an iron rod.
The outer surface of the sikhara is decorated with a semi-circular arched pattern in plaster, which is repeated on all sides. The entire shikhara is dotted with three pigeonholes under each arch pattern.


The Kaali Temple

The temple, being the main sanctuary has two archways, one each on the south and west sides, flanked by arched panels on both sides, and a pattern of three arches on the other two sides. The western entrance consists of a two-centred arch. The top of the archway is decorated with a frieze of blind merlons. In front of the sanctum, the veranda is covered with a flat roof supported on columns, It has three arched openings on the south, one each on its east and west side.
The octagonal surface between the sanctuary and lofty shikhara is divided into two areas. The lower stage is relieved with small rectangular panels in plaster while the upper stage is decorated with a window pattern within large rectangular panels in plaster that is topped with semi-circular arches. At the top of the middle octagonal area there are two moulded bands. The shikhara is decorated with reiterated curvilinear panels rising upward vertically. There are four miniature shikharas ([ratna]) on four corners of the square sanctum around the lofty central shikhara, and another four on the veranda, two of which have now disappeared, thus making it a navaratna.

The Shiva Temple

The Shiva (eastern) temple is more elegant in appearance. A square building, the sanctum measures 4m a side; A 1.5m wide veranda runs around the sanctum. The sanctuary is covered with a low dome which rests directly on the four walls and squinches in the upper angles. The surrounding veranda is covered with four chau-chala vaults and four small vaults on their four corners. There are five arched-openings in each side of the veranda; the tri-foiled arches spring from columns. The main sanctuary has a four-centred archway on its south side and a two-centred archway on the east side. Inside the western wall is an altar and there are three alcoves in the north wall. It is also a navaratna consisting of four small ratnas over the square sanctum around the lofty shikhara and four others over the four corners of the veranda.
Other features and decoration of the eastern temple bear close similarity to the western one. But there is a difference; each plastered arch pattern on the surface of the entire sikhara is crowned with a frieze of expanded serpent hood motif. From stone inscriptions fixed over the temples, it appears that one Rupchandra of nebulous identity had built the large Kali temple in 1843 AD and the smaller one in 1886 AD.

Temples and Ashrams In Bangladesh

  • [Purvavanga Saraswat Samaj]
  • [Adinath Temple]
  • [Shyamsiddhi Math]
  • [Anandamayi] (Ma)
  • [Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine]
  • [Angkorvat Temple]
  • [Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams-Sri Venkateswara Temple]
 




Om Tat Sat
                                                        
(Continued...)                                                                                                                              



(My humble  salutations to the great devotees ,  wikisources  and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection )

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