Bhabanipur Shaktipeeth Temple

Description:
Bhabanipur Shaktipeeth is located in Bogra in the Rajshahi Division of Bangladesh at about 28 kilometres distance from the town of Sherpur. The temple complex comprises an area of around four acres. It has the Main Temple, four temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and a Patal Bhairav temple dedicated to Vaman. It also has a Belbaran Tala, the famous Shakha Pukur, a Sevangan, a Gopal temple, a Vasudev Temple, a Nat Mandir and on the extreme north, a Panchamunda Asana idol.

History and Significance:
After Sati’s self-immolation, when Shiva began the dance of destruction across the universe, Lord Vishnu had hurled his Sudarshan Chakra at the burnt corpse. Various parts of Sati’s body had fallen in different parts of the Indian subcontinent. It is said that Sati’s left anklet had fallen in Bhabanipur, although there are various conflicting theories and sources which say that it wasn’t her left anklet but her right eye or the ribs of the left side of her chest. Because of its status as a Shakti Peeth, Bhabanipur has been an important site for Hindu pilgrims, irrespective of the sect.

Nowadays, the Bhabanipur Temple Development, Renovation and Management Committee looks after the temple. This committee facilitates tourists and pilgrims on every step of the day. It provides buses and cars for travelling, hotels to spend the night and is, at present, determined to renovate the temple walls. This peetha had also come under the spotlight of late when the Bangladesh armed military forces had destroyed a guesthouse built by the abovementioned committee.