Laxmi Narayan Mandir, Dhaka
Laxmi Narayan Mandir is a Hindu temple, devoted to Laxmi, the Hindu Goddess of wealth. It is situated at 31 Nawabpur Road in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in Kotwali Thana.[1]
The temple is about 300 years old. It was established in the Bengali year of 1056.
History
The temple was built in 1793 by Narayan Gosh and renovated by Prithvi Singh. It was named after the great temple of Birla Mandir, Delhi which was built by Baldeo Das Birla. Many other temples were built by them at that time for example - Shib, Kali, Bandurga etc. The temple is one of the major attractions of old Dhaka and attracts thousands of devotees on the Hindu festivals of Janmashtami and Diwali.basak family was the main founder of this temple
Building layout
The entire temple is adorned with carvings depicting the scenes from Hindu mythology. Inside the boundary of this temple there is a private house. The temple nowadays use as a private temple. It is mainly a two storied temple. There is no dome of this ancient mandir. The whole temple is made out of plaster and is visible from outside. There are pictures of Hindu Gods and Goddesses printed on the tiled walls of the temple. The icons of the temple are in marble brought from Jaipur. The entrance to the temple is welcomed by a Hindu spell which is engraved on a stone. On the other gate of the temple there is a bell. It is a ritual to ring the bell before entering the temple and before leaving.
References
- ↑ Syed Marufuzzaman (2012). "Kotwali Thana (Dhaka Metropolitan)". In Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A. Jamal. Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
- Sirajul Islam, Banglapedia(2009), Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, Pg 254.
- Muntasir Mamun, Dhaka Sriti Bishmritir Nagori Ananna Publication, pg 146.
