Bhabanipur Shaktipeeth
Encyclopedia
latd = 24.5497
°N longd = 89.4326
°W
Bhabanipur is a sacred site around Karatoyatat
located at 24.5497°N 89.4326°E. It is about 28 km distance from Sherpur Upazila
of Bogra District
, Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh
. It is one of the Shakti Peethas
.
” Ma Tara
’s body fell at Bhabanipur, there is a dispute. It could be left anklet (ornament), ribs of left chest, right eye, or bedding (according to various sources).
. There are numerous temples at this Shakti-peeth premises which are visited by pilgrims from all over the country and abroad, irrespective of sectarian differences.
from a basket kept in the Rajbari at a specified place. Her appearance and polite words overwhelmed the conch-dealer. The Maharani (Queen) rushed to the place/site with her men and the conch-dealer as soon as she heard this from him. On the earnest prayer by the conch-dealer, Ma Bhabani raised from that pond showing her two wrists with the conch-bangles worn. The Maharani and the men present there were surprised, and the divinity of Mother Bhabani spread throughout this subcontinent. This is that sacred "Shakha-Pukur" (conch-bangles pond) where the devotees take their holy bath when they go there.
” (Ma Bhabani) every day and take Prasad later.
Every year, festivals take place at the Bhabanipur Temple premises on auspicious occasions. They are:
from Dhaka
via Jamuna Bridge
and after passing Chandaikona in Sirajganj
District, they can reach Ghoga Bot-tola bus stoppage on the same highway from where they can reach the Bhabanipur Temple premises by availing themselves of van or scooter. Pilgrims from the districts located to the North of Bogra
can reach the Bhabanipur
Temple premises by passing through Sherpur
, Mirzapur and Ghoga Bot-tola (bus stoppage) of Bogra
district.
illegally destroyed the Guest House which was under construction by the committee for the devotees.
°N longd = 89.4326
°W
Bhabanipur is a sacred site around Karatoyatat
Karatoya River
Karatoya River , a small stream in Rajshahi Division of Bangladesh, was once a large and sacred river. A channel of it presently flows by the ancient ruins of Mahasthangarh in Bogra District. The Karatoya mahatmya bears testimony to its past greatness...
located at 24.5497°N 89.4326°E. It is about 28 km distance from Sherpur Upazila
Sherpur Upazila
Sherpur is an Upazila of Bogra District in the Division of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Sherpur has 12 Unions/Wards, 240 Mauzas/Mahallas, and 313 villages.It has 45,258 households and a total area of 296.27 km².-Demographics:...
of Bogra District
Bogra District
Bogra is a northern district of Bangladesh, in the Rajshahi Division. It is called the gateway to the north Bengal. It is an industrial city where many small and mid sized industries are housed. Bogra district was a part of the ancient Pundravardhana territory and Bogra was the capital of...
, Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. It is one of the Shakti Peethas
Shakti Peethas
The Shakti Pithas are places of worship consecrated to the goddess Shakti or Parvati or Sati or Durga, the female principal of Hinduism and the main deity of the Shakta sect...
.
Deity
The Bhabanipur Shaktipeeth is a place of worship consecrated to the Goddess Ma Bhabani. The Shakti devi here is called Arpana and the Bhairava is Vaman. As to which part of “SatiDakshayani
Dākshāyani or Satī is a Hindu Goddess of marital felicity and longevity. She is worshipped particularly by Hindu women to seek the long life of their husbands...
” Ma Tara
Kali
' , also known as ' , is the Hindu goddess associated with power, shakti. The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means "the black one". Since Shiva is called Kāla - the eternal time, Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" . Hence, Kāli is...
’s body fell at Bhabanipur, there is a dispute. It could be left anklet (ornament), ribs of left chest, right eye, or bedding (according to various sources).
Significance
Being a Shakti Peetha, it is a historic place of pilgrimage for the followers of HinduismHinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
. There are numerous temples at this Shakti-peeth premises which are visited by pilgrims from all over the country and abroad, irrespective of sectarian differences.
Legend
There is a legend saying that while once a conch-bangles dealer was passing by the side of a lonely pond in a dense jungle near the then Bhabanipur temple, a little girl with a tip of vermilion on her forehead approached him and told him that she was the daughter of the Natore Rajbari (Palace). She bought a pair of conch-bangles from him and requested him to collect the price of that bangles from the then Maharani BhabaniRani Bhabani
Rani Bhabani was a zamindar of Rajshahi, in Bangladesh during the British colonial era.-Life:Born in Chhatin gram,Thana: Adamdighi, Bogra District, Bhabani was married off to Raja Ramkanta, the then zamindar of Rajshahi. After his death, Bhabani became the de jure zamindar, and started being...
from a basket kept in the Rajbari at a specified place. Her appearance and polite words overwhelmed the conch-dealer. The Maharani (Queen) rushed to the place/site with her men and the conch-dealer as soon as she heard this from him. On the earnest prayer by the conch-dealer, Ma Bhabani raised from that pond showing her two wrists with the conch-bangles worn. The Maharani and the men present there were surprised, and the divinity of Mother Bhabani spread throughout this subcontinent. This is that sacred "Shakha-Pukur" (conch-bangles pond) where the devotees take their holy bath when they go there.
Temples
Surrounded by a boundary wall, the Temple comprises about an area of four acres (12 bighas) - Main Temple, Belbaran Tala, 4 Shiva Temples, Patal Bhairava Shiva Temple, Gopal Temple, Bashudev Temple and Nat Mandir. On the north side, there is a Sheba Angan, Holy Shakha-Pukur (conch-bangles pond), 2 bathing ghats, 4 Shiva Temples outside the boundary wall and a Panchamunda Asana.Worship, rituals and festivals
Pravati and Balya Bhog worship and Anna Bhog at noon, and Arati and Bhog at evening. Devotees can offer Bhog to the divine mother “TaraKali
' , also known as ' , is the Hindu goddess associated with power, shakti. The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means "the black one". Since Shiva is called Kāla - the eternal time, Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" . Hence, Kāli is...
” (Ma Bhabani) every day and take Prasad later.
Every year, festivals take place at the Bhabanipur Temple premises on auspicious occasions. They are:
- Maghi Purnima in the BengaliBengali languageBengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
month of Magh/Falgun - Ram Nabomi in the month of Chaitra/Baishakh
- Durgotshov in autumn
- Dipannita Shyama Puja
- Nabanna in the month of Aghrahoyon
Location and Communication
Devotees can go to BhabanipurBhabanipur, Rajshahi Division
Bhabanipur is a union under Sherpur Upazila in Bogra of Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh. It is the sacred site around Karatoyatat, one of the Shakti Peethas. The Bhabanipur Shaktipeeth is a place of worship consecrated to the Goddess Ma Bhabani...
from Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
via Jamuna Bridge
Jamuna Bridge
Bangabandhu Bridge, also called the Jamuna Multi-purpose Bridge , is a bridge opened in Bangladesh in June 1998. It connects Bhuapur on the Jamuna River's east bank to Sirajganj on its west bank. It was the 11th longest bridge in the world when constructed in 1998 and currently the 6th longest...
and after passing Chandaikona in Sirajganj
Sirajganj
Sirajganj is a town in central Bangladesh, lying just west of the Brahmaputra River and about 70 mi. northwest of Dhaka.- Overview :...
District, they can reach Ghoga Bot-tola bus stoppage on the same highway from where they can reach the Bhabanipur Temple premises by availing themselves of van or scooter. Pilgrims from the districts located to the North of Bogra
Bogra District
Bogra is a northern district of Bangladesh, in the Rajshahi Division. It is called the gateway to the north Bengal. It is an industrial city where many small and mid sized industries are housed. Bogra district was a part of the ancient Pundravardhana territory and Bogra was the capital of...
can reach the Bhabanipur
Bhabanipur, Rajshahi Division
Bhabanipur is a union under Sherpur Upazila in Bogra of Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh. It is the sacred site around Karatoyatat, one of the Shakti Peethas. The Bhabanipur Shaktipeeth is a place of worship consecrated to the Goddess Ma Bhabani...
Temple premises by passing through Sherpur
Sherpur Upazila
Sherpur is an Upazila of Bogra District in the Division of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Sherpur has 12 Unions/Wards, 240 Mauzas/Mahallas, and 313 villages.It has 45,258 households and a total area of 296.27 km².-Demographics:...
, Mirzapur and Ghoga Bot-tola (bus stoppage) of Bogra
Bogra District
Bogra is a northern district of Bangladesh, in the Rajshahi Division. It is called the gateway to the north Bengal. It is an industrial city where many small and mid sized industries are housed. Bogra district was a part of the ancient Pundravardhana territory and Bogra was the capital of...
district.
Temple management
The Bhabanipur Temple Development, Renovation, and Management Committee had been supervising the temple activities and Ma Bhabani's properties from 1991 up until 2010. But because of misuse of "Debottor/Arpito Sampotty Ain" (Vested Property Act), a large portion of Ma Bhabani's properties are being illegally occupied by miscreants. Besides a former publicity and publication editor of the committee, journalist Dipankar Chakrobarty, was murdered in 2004, but his murderers have not yet been brought to justice. Moreover In 2007, some officers of Bangladesh ArmyBangladesh Army
The Bangladesh Army is the land forces branch and the largest of the three uniformed service of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to provide necessary forces and capabilities in support of Bangladesh's security and defense strategies including defense of the nation's...
illegally destroyed the Guest House which was under construction by the committee for the devotees.