Bakreshwar Temple

Getting there

• By train

  Dubrajpur is the nearest railway station. It is on the Asansol division of Eastern Railway and links to Kolkata, Andal, Durgapur, Asansol, Sainthia, Rampurhat and Malda, and many other major stations.

• By road

  National Highway 60 passes right through Dubrajpur, the town whose station serves Bakreshwar. The highway connects Dubrajpur with North Bengal, Bankura and Paschim Bardhaman districts.

Why devotees come here

Bakreshwar Temple stands in Birbhum district, West Bengal, and is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths. The main shrine is dedicated to Adi Shakti, and the village takes its name from Shiva, who is worshipped locally. It is a major pilgrimage spot for Hindus.

Legend says the sage Ashtavakra was insulted by Indra and came here to do penance. After many years of meditation, Shiva blessed him here. A temple servitor says the sage did penance here for sixty years.

A member of the servitors' committee calls Bakreshwar an ancient pilgrimage place, thousands of years old. The gate at the entrance to the main temple was built by a brave king of that time and was recently renovated. The gate is called a nahabat gate. Figures of Nandi and Bhringi now stand on the gate beside a figure of Shiva.

Bakreshwar is a Sati Peeth in Birbhum and is listed among the 51 Shakta pithas. Local belief says Devi's third eye fell at this spot, between her eyebrows. The name comes from Shiva, who is worshipped locally. The village lies in Dubrajpur block, Suri Sadar subdivision, Birbhum district.

Festivals

• Bengali New Year's dayBengali New Year

  Puja and yagna begin early in the morning, and a lunch seva is served to devotees.

• Chaitra SankrantiChaitra Sankranti

  Nandi and Bhringi figures were set up on the gate in a homa yagna, and many devotees were fed.

Tips for your visit

• Mama Bhagne hill near Dubrajpur is a picnic and tourist spot with large rocks.
• The village also has Ma Bhavatarini Mandir, Bhairabnath Temple and a Mahisasur Mardini Temple.

Questions people ask