Is this the lone Saraswati temple in Bengal? TNN | Feb 14, 2016, 01.12 PM IST
KOLKATA:
A walk down a narrow bylane in Howrah's Panchanantala leads to a
crumbling two-storey building that houses a Saraswati temple - a rarity
across the country and perhaps the only one in Bengal dedicated to the
goddess of learning.
A few steps away from the house was once the residence of Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay. Locals take pride in the fact that Tagore too had come there once to meet Bankimchandra. The Das household has properties spread over 20 cottah of land in the vicinity. Way back in 1923, Biresh Chandra Das, who was an engineer by profession, had gone to Jaipur on work. When he returned home, he brought along a marble idol of Saraswati. "My great grandfather - Umesh Chandra Das - had insisted that a temple be constructed at home where the idol could be worshipped," said Amalendu Sekhar Das, a descendant.
Since June 28, 1923, not a day has passed when the idol hasn't been worshipped. Marble plaques on the temple walls briefly illustrate when the temple was established. A modest room on the rear-end of the building houses a temple. A two-tier gate in front opens into the Umesh Chandra Das lane. The gates are left open for public viewing as well. In the afternoon they remain bolted. But if one is lucky enough to meet a descendant, there are chances of being allowed entry through the side gate if the regular temple gate is locked.
Yellow paint on the temple walls finds an association with the 'basanti' colour that has traditionally been linked to the goddess. A small chandelier hangs from the ceiling. Colourful paper rings in red and pink are pasted on the yellow walls. Rings of marigold garlands in bright chrome and lemon yellow form circular decorations on the gate that guards the sanctum sanctorum.
Entry into this space guarded is restricted only to the purohit who comes to offer prayers twice daily. Two ornate pillars on the sides keep vigil on the sanctum sanctorum. Some ten steps away from the gate, is the place for keeping the deity.
The idol, resplendent in gold ornaments, gets decked in a sari only on the Saraswati Puja day. This year, it is a pink sari that adorns the goddess. Come Sunday evening, the purohit will take the sari back home. For the rest of the year, this three-foot tall milk-white marble deity with a veena sits pretty on a snow-white swan.
But why have others not shown a similar interest in building Saraswati temples? Why has the enthusiasm shown in worshipping the goddess at pandals not translated into building temples as well? Incidentally, other Indian states that house Saraswati temples are Andhra Prdesh (Saraswathi temple in Basara, Maha Saraswathi temple in Kaleswaram and Vidya Saraswathi in Wargal), Karnataka (Sarada Devi in Sringeri), Kashmir (Prouda Saraswathi) and Tamil Nadu (Saraswati in Kuthanur).
Scholar Nrisingha Prasad Bhaduri said that in the olden days, Pujas were usually household activities that were organised by individuals. "Unlike churches and mosques, early forms of Hinduism didn't have this trend of having sites where mass worship was encouraged," Bhaduri said.
But once the trend caught on, Saraswati temples didn't find favour in Bengal primarily because of the late impact of Aryanisation. "Aryanisation means a sort of intellectualisation. The first wave came from Afghanistan to Kashmir. Then, it came to Rajasthan and Gujarat. The third wave reached the Gangetic valley and subsequently, Bengal. Even when it reached Bengal, intellectual matters belonged to the elite class who weren't that keen on building temples," Bhaduri said.
In contemporary times, those who build temples are keener on dedicating them to Lord Rama or the various forms of Shakti.
Author Sanjib Chattopadhyay said Shastras have never given a lot of importance to Saraswati. "In the Vedas, there is almost no mention of goddesses. Ma Saraswati finds reference in the form of a river. Puranas have a lot of debates over the relationship between Brahma and Saraswati. Identity crisis regarding Saraswati ensured that her space couldn't be defined properly. So, instead of building temples in her name, we turned her into domestic deity who neither had the stature of Ma Kali nor the mass popularity of Shoni," Chattopadhyay said.
According to author Shankar, perhaps the absence of other temples hasn't been felt since the needs have been fulfilled by worshipping the deity at home or at pandals. "Besides, there hasn't been any compelling need to offer prayers daily to Saraswati. So, temples weren't required," he said.
A few steps away from the house was once the residence of Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay. Locals take pride in the fact that Tagore too had come there once to meet Bankimchandra. The Das household has properties spread over 20 cottah of land in the vicinity. Way back in 1923, Biresh Chandra Das, who was an engineer by profession, had gone to Jaipur on work. When he returned home, he brought along a marble idol of Saraswati. "My great grandfather - Umesh Chandra Das - had insisted that a temple be constructed at home where the idol could be worshipped," said Amalendu Sekhar Das, a descendant.
Since June 28, 1923, not a day has passed when the idol hasn't been worshipped. Marble plaques on the temple walls briefly illustrate when the temple was established. A modest room on the rear-end of the building houses a temple. A two-tier gate in front opens into the Umesh Chandra Das lane. The gates are left open for public viewing as well. In the afternoon they remain bolted. But if one is lucky enough to meet a descendant, there are chances of being allowed entry through the side gate if the regular temple gate is locked.
Yellow paint on the temple walls finds an association with the 'basanti' colour that has traditionally been linked to the goddess. A small chandelier hangs from the ceiling. Colourful paper rings in red and pink are pasted on the yellow walls. Rings of marigold garlands in bright chrome and lemon yellow form circular decorations on the gate that guards the sanctum sanctorum.
Entry into this space guarded is restricted only to the purohit who comes to offer prayers twice daily. Two ornate pillars on the sides keep vigil on the sanctum sanctorum. Some ten steps away from the gate, is the place for keeping the deity.
The idol, resplendent in gold ornaments, gets decked in a sari only on the Saraswati Puja day. This year, it is a pink sari that adorns the goddess. Come Sunday evening, the purohit will take the sari back home. For the rest of the year, this three-foot tall milk-white marble deity with a veena sits pretty on a snow-white swan.
But why have others not shown a similar interest in building Saraswati temples? Why has the enthusiasm shown in worshipping the goddess at pandals not translated into building temples as well? Incidentally, other Indian states that house Saraswati temples are Andhra Prdesh (Saraswathi temple in Basara, Maha Saraswathi temple in Kaleswaram and Vidya Saraswathi in Wargal), Karnataka (Sarada Devi in Sringeri), Kashmir (Prouda Saraswathi) and Tamil Nadu (Saraswati in Kuthanur).
Scholar Nrisingha Prasad Bhaduri said that in the olden days, Pujas were usually household activities that were organised by individuals. "Unlike churches and mosques, early forms of Hinduism didn't have this trend of having sites where mass worship was encouraged," Bhaduri said.
But once the trend caught on, Saraswati temples didn't find favour in Bengal primarily because of the late impact of Aryanisation. "Aryanisation means a sort of intellectualisation. The first wave came from Afghanistan to Kashmir. Then, it came to Rajasthan and Gujarat. The third wave reached the Gangetic valley and subsequently, Bengal. Even when it reached Bengal, intellectual matters belonged to the elite class who weren't that keen on building temples," Bhaduri said.
In contemporary times, those who build temples are keener on dedicating them to Lord Rama or the various forms of Shakti.
Author Sanjib Chattopadhyay said Shastras have never given a lot of importance to Saraswati. "In the Vedas, there is almost no mention of goddesses. Ma Saraswati finds reference in the form of a river. Puranas have a lot of debates over the relationship between Brahma and Saraswati. Identity crisis regarding Saraswati ensured that her space couldn't be defined properly. So, instead of building temples in her name, we turned her into domestic deity who neither had the stature of Ma Kali nor the mass popularity of Shoni," Chattopadhyay said.
According to author Shankar, perhaps the absence of other temples hasn't been felt since the needs have been fulfilled by worshipping the deity at home or at pandals. "Besides, there hasn't been any compelling need to offer prayers daily to Saraswati. So, temples weren't required," he said.
http://bhargavasarma.blogspot.in/2010/01/basar-rare-temple-of-goddess-saraswathi.html
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