Location: Banshberia town near Kolkata, West Bengal
Being a devout believer of God, I have always loved visiting different religious places. And India being a massive hub of temples, I have been lucky to explore an array of some of the most beautiful and ancient temples of the country. Just as my search continued, I happened to stumble upon a very bizarre temple, something which I had not seen ever before. Located in the famous Banshberia town in the Hooghly District, is a temple so unique and royal that it leaves you completely mesmerized in a glimpse. It is the much popular Hangseswari Temple near Kolkata.
Built in the early 19th century, the temple is dedicated to Goddess Hanseswari, a manifestation of Goddess Kali. The architecture of this temple, which is truly exceptional in all forms, is the prime attraction of this place. The complex of the temple stands at a height of 27.5 meters and has a total number of 13 towers. The peak of each tower represents a lotus flower. The idol of the presiding four-armed goddess is made up of blue neem-wood. It is a six-storey shrine that follows the structure of a human body consisting of Ira, Pingala, Bajraksha, Sushumna and Chitrini.
The unusual architecture of the Hangseswari temple represents the “Tantrik Satchakrabhed”. The construction of the temple was started by Raja Nrishinghadeb Roy but was later completed by his wife Rani Shankari. Since the temple has both the deities of Shiva and Shakti, it has been named as “Hansheswari”. The temple complex houses in itself another famous attraction called the Ananta Basudeba Temple, dedicated to Lord Krishna. There is one more temple in its vicinity, called Swanbhaba Kali Temple. Both of these temple have been exquisitely embellished with terecotta carvings. A two-hour drive from Kolkata will take you to Banshberia, which is precisely an industrial town situated between Bandel and Tribeni.
Entry: Free
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