Baneswar Shiva Temple

4.5

Location: Baneswar, Cooch Behar, West Bengal 736133, India.

Estimated Visiting Time: 1-2 hours.

The calm and tranquil environs of Baneswar Shiva Temple are well-known. The entire complex of temples is separated into several smaller temples, each containing statues of different Hindu deities, such as Goddess Gouripat and Ardhanarishwar. A Shivling 10 feet below the plinth level is housed in the temple. A small lake located inside the Baneswar Temple is said to offer both spiritual and medicinal therapeutic properties. Every devotee is supposed to leave the temple complex with a dip in the historic lake, according to a well-known tradition of this temple. The statue is transported to the renowned Siddhanath Siva Temple during Madan Chaturdashi and Dol Purnima, which is why it is known as Movable Baneswar.

Attraction

The Shiva Temple needs to be updated, spotless and well-maintained. The calm and simplicity of that sacred temple can be perplexing. The temple is covered in snow-white paint, and the revered god of the mythical demon Bandev, Baneswar Shiva, graciously accepts offerings there. An additional eye-catching aspect of this location is a turtle caravan known as the Mohans—a beautiful spot to visit, pray, and gather happy memories.

History

In the year 1100, Maharaja Nripendra Narayan constructed this temple. The fabled Raja Banasura, a devoted follower of Shiva, is said to have persuaded the latter to descend to earth. Shiva was trailing Raja Banasura when the latter abruptly stopped at Baneswar (formerly Gordasandara), which was against the rules. Shiva immediately vanished, after which he built a Shiva-linga on the banks of the Bangti River. Many people think that the location’s name comes from the Raja.

Inside/Outside Views

The current building is rectangular, with a dome and a somewhat bent cornice. The east entrance and the west entrance are both present. A Shiva linga and ‘Gouripat’ are located in the temple in the garbhagriha, 3.1 meters (10 feet) below the plinth level. When an earthquake occurred in 1897, the temple was slightly tipped to the east. On the walls are a few narrow, decorative strips. The front of it has an elevated platform. On the right, there is a bull made of cement. A tin hut on the northern side houses the idols of Shiva and ‘ardhanariswar.’ Other idols are also there, including an image of Kali in another shed. There is also a caravan full of turtles known as the Mohans.