User:Akib Stranger 92/sandbox

Introduction

Dhakeshwari Temple  is  a  Hindu  temple  in  the  capital  of  Bangladesh. It was  built  in  the  12th  century  by  a  king  named  “ Ballal  Sen”.It  is  a  state  owned  temple  and  also  the  national  temple  of   Bangladesh. It is  the  most  important  place  to  worship  for  the   Hindus  in  Bangladesh. For many  Hindus  it   is  a  pious  place. In 1996  it  was  declared  the  national  temple  of  Bangladesh. Today it  is  a  part  Dhaka’s  cultural  heritage. Many believe  that  the  city  of  Dhaka  was  named  after  the  temple.

Dhakeshwari temple  is  a  cultural  hub  and  it  is  also  known  for  its  religious  activities. Every year  the  largest  “Durga  Puja”  in  Dhaka  is  held  in  the  temple. People from  all  walks  of  life  whole  heartedly  attend  the  puja. Even people  from  other  religions  also  celebrate  this  festival  inside  the  temple. During this  time  the  temple  premises  is  filled  with  thousands  of  worshippers  and  visitors. Everyone is  offered  a  “Prasad”  which  is  usually  rice  and  lentils. Also the  temple  is  a  major  tourist  attraction  these  days.

Another important  event  held  in  dhakeshwari  temple  is  “Janmashthami”  puja. On that  day  a  procession  starts  from  dhakeshwari  temple  and  then  proceeds through the  streets  of  Old   Dhaka.

Also concerts  and  charity  programs  are  a  regular  thing  and  happens  throughout  the  year. Other than  these  small fairs  also  took  place  at  the  temple.

Historical Background

Dhakeshwari Temple  was  built  in  the  12th  century  by  Ballal  Sen  who  was  a  king  of  the  Sena  dynasty.He  was  the  son  of  Vijay  Sen. The Sena  dynasty  were  well known  for  building  hindu  temple  and  monasteries  including  the  famous  Dhakeshwari  Temple. He built  this  temple  to  remark  his  birthplace. Many even  say  the  city  Dhaka  was  named  after  the  temple. According to  some  temple  the  temple  is  one  of  the  Shakti  Peethas,  where  the  jewel  from  the  crown  of  the  Goddess  had  fallen. There is  also  a  saying  that  Ballal  Sen  built  this  temple  after  being  rejected  by  the  Arakans.

The original  800  old  statue  was  destroyed  during  the  war  of  1971. 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. After the  destruction  of  “Ramna  Kalli  Mandir”,  dhakeshwari  temple  became   the  most  important  and  national  temple  of  Bangladesh.

Location

Dhakeshwari Temple  is  located  at  the  heart  of  Dhaka city,  the  capital  of  Bangladesh. It is  located  at  Dhakeshwari  road. Unlike the  city,  the  road  is  also  named  after  the  temple. It is  on  the  South-West  side  of  Dhaka  University’s  Salim-Ullah  hall. It is  near  polashi  bazaar. On its  one  side  is  BUET   campus  and  on  the  other  side  is  Lalbagh,  part  of  old  Dhaka. It can  be  easily  said  as  the  connecting  point  of  old  and  new  Dhaka.

Stories

Many say  that   Ballal  Sen  once  say  it  in  a  dream  that  Devi  was  buried  in  the  jungle  and  he  rescued   and  he  monumentalized  an  idol  and  from  there  became  todays  Dhakeshwari  Temple. Back in  the  old  days  there  used  to  be  a  “Choitro  Mela”. Many colourful stalls used  to  be  in  the  mela.

On 8th  March  2011,  there  was  a  robbery  inside  the  temple. Around 200  tolas  of  gold  and  silver  ornaments  and  cash  of    450,000  taka  were  stolen  from  the  temple. During that  time,  Tapan  Bhattacharya,  keeper  of  the  temple,  said  priest  Ratan  Chajraborty  and  Nitya  Gopal  locked  the  temple  on  9pm  in  the  night. When they  came  to  reopen  the  temple  in  the  morning  they  found   three  of  four  locks  were  missing. The police  suspected  it  was  stolen  after  midnight.

Present Day

At present  day  a  lot  of  things  have  changed. The structural  monuments  have  undergone  numerous  amount  of  renovations  and  modifications  at  different  times. But still  it  is  holding  its  glory  just  like  before. Hundreds of  visitors,  worshippers  and  tourists   visit  the  temple  every  day. It is  a  great  tourist  attraction  spot  in  Dhaka. It is  now  the  chief  temple  of  the  city.

Outside the  temple  are  hundreds  of  shops. There is  also  a  field  outside  the  temple  where  children’s  play  on  every  evening. There are  a  number  of  motor  workshops  lined  up  in  a  row  just  opposite  the  temple.

Beside the  main  gate  there  are  four  to  five  shops  selling  religious  items  like  agarbatti,  sweets  for  Prasad,  flowers,  dhup  etc. Throughout the  day  the  shops  remain  busy. Mela’s took  place  at  different  occasions  all over  the  year. Where one  can  find  many  different  things  for  house  hold  purpose,  religious  purpose  etc.