Brief
Dhakeshwari National Temple is a Hindu temple in Dhaka city. It is state-owned, giving it the distinction of being Bangladesh’s ‘National Temple’. The name “Dhakeshwari” means “Goddess of Dhaka”. Since the destruction of Ramna Kali Mandir in 1971 by the Pakistan Army during the Bangladesh Liberation War, the Dhakeshwari Temple has assumed status as the most important Hindu place of worship in Bangladesh.
The Dhakeshwari temple was built in the 12th century by Ballal Sen, a king of the Sena dynasty, and many say the city was named after this temple. The current architectural style of the temple cannot be dated to that period because of the numerous repairs, renovations and rebuilding which have taken place over time. It is considered an essential part of Dhaka’s cultural heritage. Many researchers said that the temple is also one of the Shakti Peethas, where the jewel from the crown of the Goddess Satihad fallen. Although there is not enough historical context to establish this as a fact, researchers were directed to this site while trying to locate the particular Shakti Peetha. Since ages, the temple has been held in great importance. The original 800-year old statue was taken to Kumartuli, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. There remains the replica of original idol in Dhaka. The temple was further damaged during the Muslim mob attacks of 1989–90.
It is widely believed that the Queen, wife of King Bijoy Sen, went to Langolbond for bathing. While coming back, she gave birth to a son, known to historians as Ballal Sen. After ascending to the throne, Ballal Sen built this temple to glorify his birthplace. Legends say that Ballal Sen once dreamt of the deity covered under the jungle. Ballal Sen uncovered the deity from there and built a temple, named for Dhakeswari. Whatever the legends describe, Hindu religious consider Dhakeswari to be the presiding deity of Dhaka, which is an incarnation or form of Goddess Durga the Adi Shakti . The idol of Durga is called Dhakeswari.
Within the premises of the Dhakeswari there are temples of two types of architecture. The ancient one is of the Poncharotna Goddess Durga’s which lost its actual look after the renovation work. Bradly Bird wrote this at the beginning of this century. The present temple is two hundred years old which was built by an agent of East India Company. Most probably he had renovated the temple. Other than this there are four Shib Temples. According to hearsay, in the 16th century King Mansing built these temples by laying four Shib Lingas there. But this information seems to be unreliable. The fusion of Bangla chowchala and shikor temple is notice in the architecture of Dhakeshawri. Ratan Lal Chakraborti in an article mentioned that “ the structure and architecture of it is like a BuddhistPagoda”. He opined that it was probably a Boddist pagoda which was turned into a Hindu temple later. From this, he assumed that the temple was probably built in the 10th century.
How did Dhakeshari temple look like in the 19th century? Ridoynath Majumder described about the temple. At that time the temple was covered by jungle and in its north the Urdu road went westward towards Pilkhana and at its south west was Mirpur road. At its south there was a wood and Urdu bazaar was at the east.
Where to Stay
There are more than 71 quality hotel in Dhaka. Some are listed below…
1. Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka
107 , Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Tel: +880 2 811 1005
Website : Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka
2. Ruposhi Bangla Hotel
1 Minto Road, Shahbagh, Dhaka,
Bangladesh.
Phone : 88-02-8330001
Fax : 88-02-8312975
Email : sales@ruposhibanglahotel.com
Website : Ruposhi Bangla Hotel
3. Radisson Water Garden Hotel, Dhaka
Airport Road, Dhaka Cantonment,
Dhaka 1206 Bangladesh.
Telephone: + 88 02 8754555
Fax: + 88 02 8754554 , + 88 02 8754504
Email : reservations.dhaka[at]radisson.com
Website : Radisson Water Garden Hotel
Dhaka Bangladesh
4. Dhaka Regency Hotel & Resort
Airport Road, Nikunja 2
Dhaka 1229, Bangladesh.
Phone : +88-02-8913912, +880 2 8900250-9
Fax : +88-02-8911479
Email : info@dhakaregency.com
Website : www.dhakaregency.com
5. Best Western La Vinci Hotel, Dhaka
54, Kawran Bazar,
Dhaka-1215, Bangladesh
Phone No : 880-2-9119352
Fax No : 880-2-9131218
E-mail : lavinci[at]bol-online.com ,
reservation[at]lavincihotel.com
Web : www.lavincihotel.com
6. The Westin Hotel
Main Gulshan Avenue,
Plot-01, Road 45, Gulshan-2
Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
Phone : 88-02-9891988
7. Royal Park Residence Hotel
House no. 85, Road no. 25A
Block – A, Banani,
Dhaka 1213 Bangladesh.
Telephone: + 88 02 8815945/46
Fax: + 88 02 8815299
Email : hotelinfo[at]royalparkbd.com
Website : Royal Park Residence Hotel
8. Bengal Inn
House # 07, Road # 16,
Gulshan – 01
Dhaka 1212 Bangladesh.
Tel: +880 2 98880236, 9880610
Fax: +880 2 9880274
Email : info[at]bengalinn.com
Website : www.bengalinn.com
9. Hotel Sarina Dhaka
Plot #27, Road #17
Banani C/A,
Dhaka 1213 Bangladesh.
Tel: +880 2 8859604 -10, 8851040 -2, 8851011-4
Fax: +880 2 988-9989
Email : sales[at]sarinahotel.com, reservations[at]sarinahotel.com
Website : www.sarinahotel.com
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[name] => Jagannath Dev Mandir
[post_id] => 1380
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/bn/places/jagannath-dev-mandir/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Jogonnath-Temple-comilla-1-300x225.jpg
[post_content] =>
Jagannath Dev Mandir is one of the ancient temples in Comilla district. King of Tripura built it. It was named 'Moharaja Radha Kishor Manikuo Bahadur' during the 16th century. The gods Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra were worshiped here. Initially, the statue of gods were at Tripura temple but later it was been shifted here. Wikipedia mentioned this as Saptratna Mandir, where as the travel book writer Mustafiz Mamun has introduced this as Sotero Rotno Mandir (সতের রত্নের মন্দির). There might be a state of confusion regarding the name, but this temple is unique considering the other temples from Bangladesh.
The deities of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra were originally installed in a temple in Tripura from where they were subsequently shifted to this temple. The terracotta brick work of the temple is in the typical Bengal style of temple architecture. Jagannath Temple is one of the oldest temples of Comilla district. It is located two km East from Comilla town, on East Bibirbazar Road, Comilla. (5km east from Comilla dist.)
This four storied, conical shaped temple is a brick built structure, constructed on a concrete octagonal base-stone. This is the only octagonal based and shaped temple of Bangladesh, and one of its type. External wall of every floor looks like octagons and were ascended like inverted Cone. It is a single spire Temple. I believe there were so many artistic terracotta all over this Mandir , from Top to bottom. I find some of the traditional Bengal design on the outside wall of third floor- a terracotta of flower, leaves and petals. Department of Archaeology renovated outside portions of Ground and first floor. Terracotta of these two floors was ruined.
There is a rumor about this ordinary looking spiritual place. Some believes there are two more floors underground, which is filled by sedimentation from Gumti River over the years. I feel this is a weak and bogus point.
This 16th Century edifice is almost 60 feet tall. There is a tank to the West of Temple premises. That Tank could be as old as the temple. The tank is also sketched in 1863 drawing [a British Library Collecton].
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[name] => {:en}Kodla Math Temple{:}{:bn}কোদলা মাঠ মন্দির{:}
[post_id] => 4583
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/bn/places/kodla-math-temple/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Ayudha-Math-Pagoda-zbasher1-300x225.jpg
[post_content] => {:en}
Kodla Math Temple was built by a Brahman in the 17th century, but is not standing the test of time very well. It's near a village named Ayodhya, about 10 km or so north of Bagerhat. This is a Hindu Moth (though it doesn't look like a regular Hindu temple) locally known as Kodla Moth as it is located at the village Kodola. It has another name, which is Ojodhdhar Moth. May be the correct spelling can be Ayodhyar Moth. It is a tall structure that has a square shaped base. Approximate height of the Moth is slightly above the 18 meters.
It has three gates at the three sides. Outer wall is totally covered with the burnt soils (or bricks) and designed as horizontal parallel lines. Each of such horizontal lines are having a foot distance in between and those are found from top to the bottom of the structure. I have found 2/3 very small terracotta on the outer side of the walls. One was probably a shape of an elephant.
It is totally unknown these days about the builder of this Moth. It had a nearly destroyed inscription around it whose meaning is still unsolved these days. Scholar people are guessing this as an edifice of 16th or 17th century.
{:}{:bn}বাগেরহাট জেলা থেকে প্রায় ১০ কিলোমিটার পূর্বে বারুইপাড়া উপজেলার অযোদ্ধা মাঠ সড়কের কাছে কোদলা মাঠ মন্দির অবস্থিত। এই হিন্দু মন্দিরটি দেখতে আসার জন্য খুব একটা আকর্ষণীয় না হলেও এই পথে যাওয়ার সময় আপনি এখানে এসে কিছুটা সময় কাটাতে পারেন। ১৭শ শতাব্দীতে জনৈক ব্রাহ্মণ এই মন্দিরটি নির্মাণ করলেও সময়ের সাথে সাথে এই মন্দিরটির জরাজীর্ণ অবস্থা হয়েছে।{:}
)
[2] => Array
(
[name] => Ghoshal Bari Radha Krishna Temple
[post_id] => 11789
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/bn/places/ghoshal-bari-radha-krishna-temple/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/IMG_20150527_142310676_HDR1-300x169.jpg
[post_content] =>
Ghoshal Bari Radha Krishna Temple, About 100 years old (now rebuilt) Radha-Krisna temple with its outstanding view standing at Atpara village. The temple is situated at Atpara under Vajrayoguni Union Parisad of Munshiganj district by the road side leading to Tangibari at a distance of 7.2 km from Munshiganj town. Adjacent to this temple there are two more temples which appear to have been erected recently. It is a ‘Pancha ratna’ temple resting on a square sanctum. Its south-east corner ratna along with large portion of the body is missing. The four turrets are set on the roof top corners while the large fifth central sikhara rises above them the wall of the temple is 63 cm thick. The temple has sharply curved cornices and an arched entrance on the south but its lower portion is in a dilapidated condition. The char Chala central ratna rests upon its rectangular base which has an arched entrance and panel decoration. The south and other sides are relieved with imitation doorway design and paneled bands. The central tapering tower rises above and terminates in an iron shike. The four miniature corner turrets are similar to the central one and have four openings each.This variety is the most popular type of temples that flourished in Bengal in the 19th century A.D.
)
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[name] => {:en}Raja Ram Temple{:}{:bn}রাজারাম মন্দির{:}
[post_id] => 6197
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/bn/places/raja-ram-temple/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Raja-Ram-Temple-Mandir-11-300x240.jpg
[post_content] => {:en}
The great "Rajaram Mandir" which is located at the Khalia village from Tekerhat, Madaripur. If you are from Dhaka, then Tekerhat will be before the Madaripur town. Or if you are Madaripur, then it will be beside the Dhaka highway. Tekerhat is a landmark from Madaripur, actually this is under the Rajoir Upazila. Also for your information, the temple is near the "Peace Center" of Khalia. If you find it’s hard to locate the temple, then just ask people nearby about the Old Temple around. They can show you the path.
This is a two stored temple, and Bangladesh government taken control of this and promulgate this as the Archaeological heritage of the country. It’s not known when the temple was built. From the name, its easily guess that, it was built by someone rich person Rajaram. This lovely temple has noticeable number of terracotta on the wall and the pillar. The experts used to say the images from the temple actually depict some portion of the Mahabharat and Ramayan. If you are an archaeological heritage lover, then it’s a must visit place for you.
{:}{:bn}
দোতলা এই মন্দিরটির নিয়ন্ত্রন বাংলাদেশ সরকার গ্রহন করে এটিকে পুরাকীর্তি নিদর্শন হিসেবে ঘোষণা করেছে। কবে মন্দিরটি নির্মিত হয়েছিল তা জানা না গেলেও এটির নাম থেকে প্রতীয়মান হয় যে রাজারাম নামে কোন এক ধনাঢ্য ব্যাক্তি মন্দিরটি নির্মাণ করেছিলেন। মন্দিরটির দেয়াল এবং পিলারে টেরাকোটার কাজ পরিলক্ষিত হয়। বিশেষজ্ঞদের মতে মন্দিরে অঙ্কিত চিত্রগুলো মহাভারত এবং রামায়নের কিছু অংশকে বর্ণনা করছে। আপনি যদি পুরাকীর্তি নিদর্শন পছন্দ করেন তবে এই মন্দিরে আপনাকে আসতেই হবে।
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