Hanseswari Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata is the nearest airport.

• By train

  Bansberia station, on the Bandel to Katwa main line, is the nearest railway station.

• By road

  From Bansberia station it is about five minutes by rickshaw, and from Bandel station about 20 minutes by auto or local transport.

Why devotees come here

Hanseswari Temple stands in the town of Bansberia, Hooghly district, West Bengal. Its 13 towers are each built as a blooming lotus bud, a style that differs from the usual pattern in the area. The district administration counts it among the very important temples of Hooghly.

The presiding deity is worshipped as Maa Hanseswari, a form of Dakshina Kali. The temple is also spelled Hangseswari, so try either name when you search for it. Local legend says the deity takes her name from Rani Hanseswari, mother of Raja Nrisingha Deb Roy.

Raja Nrisinhadeb Roy Mahasay laid the foundation stone in December 1799, but he died before the work was finished. His second wife, Rani Sankari, completed the rest in 1814.

The style differs from the usual pattern in the area. Its 13 ratnas, or towers, are each built as a blooming lotus bud. The five-storey structure is said to match the human body, with five named parts: Bajraksha, Ira, Chitrini, Pingala and Sushumna. The inner structure is also said to resemble human anatomy. Bansberia itself is an industrial town, lying between Bandel and Tribeni.

Tips for your visit

• Get down at Bansberia station rather than Bandel for the shorter rickshaw ride.
• The Ananta Basudeba temple stands in the same complex, beside the main temple.
• The Swanbhaba Kali temple nearby was built in 1788 by Raja Nrisinha Deb Roy Mahasay.

Questions people ask