CELEBRATING A RICH CULTURE. TEMPLES AND SHRINE OF EASTERN INDIA

The land of Rabindra Sangeet of poetry and Philosophy, of lusb green tea plantations and picturesque bill stations of bistoric monuments and rich traditions. West Bengal is also home to some very unique temples Resembling mud plastered thatched buts, with layers of slanting roofs, these temples are simple yet elegant. Temple bordering the state of Orissa show a distinct influence of the temple culture of Orissa, both in architecture and in tradition.

In the capital city of Kolkata, is the kalighat temple, on the banks of River Hooghly, regarded as a shakti Peetham, the Kalighat Temple draws numerous devotees all through the year. Nearby is the Dakshineshwar Kali Temple, in Hooghly District , bearing an image of Kali worshipped by the spiritual leader Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Guru of Swami Vivekananda. The temple was built in 1847 and is surrounded by 12 other temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Sagar Island, at the mouth of River Hooghly, where River Ganges breaks up into hundreds of Streams and merges with the sea is a venerated pilgrim centre. There is a Kapila Muni Temple here. A dip in the ocean where the Ganga flows into the sea, is considered to be of greet religious significance, especially on Makara Sankranti day. 25 km north of Kolkata is Serampore. 3 km from here is Mahesh, which has an ancient Jagannanth Temple. Also near Serampore is Tarakeshwar, an important pilgrim centre in West Bengal. This 18th century temple is typical of Bengali temple, with a sanctum and a porch in front of it. The town of terracotta temples, Vishnupur, in Bankura District has a dozen or so temple. The facades of these temple are covered with ornate terracotta tiles, depicting scenes from the Hindu epics. The main temple are the highly decorated Jor Bangla, the large Madan Mohan, the pyramidal Ras Mancha and the Shyam Rai. Near Bankura is the village of Ekateshwara. The temple here enshrines Lord Shiva in the form of Ekapaadamurthi, with one foot and two hands. The Shyamaleshwar Temple, is located in Dantan, south of Kharagpur, near West Bengal’s border with Orissa. Its close proximity to Orissa has led to a noticeable profound Oriyan influence on the temple culture. About 114 km from Kolkata is Nabadwip, an important pilgrim centre dedicated to Lord Krishna. It attracts of devotees to its many temple. It is also an ancient centre of Sanskrit culture. Across the river in Mayapur is a large ISKCON Temple. The northern Eastern region of India is the most varied parts of India. Rolling forested hills, lush green fields a rich flora and fauna and a unique culture makes this region a traveler’s delight. The largest and most accessible of North eastern states is Assam. The Kamakhya Temple on the Neelachala Parvat, near Guwahati, in Assam, is one of the most revered Shakti Shrines in the country and is regarded as one of the Shakti Peethams. Other temple on the Neelachala Hill include those of Tara, Bhairavi, Bhuvaneshwari and Ghantakarna. Atop the Bhasmachala Hill in an island on River Brahmaputra is the Umananda Shiva Temple, built in the late 17th century and renovated in the 20th century. The Hastagiri Hill in Guwahati houses a temple to Shukreshwara Shiva believed to have to have been worshipped by sage Shukra. Another ancient temple in Guwahati is the Ashvakranta temple, associated with the legend of Krishna slaying the demon Narakasura. On the south eastern part of Guwahati is the Navagraha temple, or the Temple of nine shrine. Also near Guwahati is the Surya mandir, on the Surya Pahar Hill.

Enshrined in this temple are nine shivalignas, representing the nine celestial bodies. The ancient Hayagriva Temple at Hajo, near Guwahati, enshrines Vishnu as Hayagriva. Hajo is held in great reverence by both Hindus and Buddhists. The exterior walls of the stone temple built on a hillock, bear life size sculptures of the 10 avatars of Vishnu. About 20 km from Golaghat is the historic Negriting Shiva Temple. The Bana Linga enshrine in the sanctum of the temple is embedded in the centre of a large slab on which are carved a number of Shiva Lingas. On the banks of the Shiva Sagar Lake is the Shiva Dol Temple, possibly the tallest Shiva Temple in the country. Nearby in Gaurisagar is a temple dedicated to Devi.