Himu's Window

Devotees of Rajshahi and beyond will be in presence of magnificent idols of deities made of Ashtadhatu this Durga Puja, as the Taherpur temple of the district has commissioned idols made of the metal alloy considered sacred by Hindus. A total of seven idols of Hindu deities, including Durga and her four children, have been crafted for the temple using around a tonne of Ashtadhatu at a cost of around Tk 22 lakh, said Anil Kumar Sarker, general secretary of Rajshahi District Puja Udjapan Parishad. Lawmaker Enamul Haque from Rajshahi-4 constituency (Bagmara) sponsored the initiative, he added. Ashtadhatu is made of eight metals – bronze (which is an alloy of copper, tin and zinc) along with gold, silver, lead, iron and antimony. “We believe that Ashtadhatu brings health benefits and mental peace,” Sarkar said. Long ago, only wealthy and higher-caste Hindus celebrated Durga Puja at their households. In 1480, King Kangsa Narayan of Taherpur first organised Durga Puja for all castes in the

This old temple has now become a breeding ground for weeds and has been reportedly encroached by Taherpur College authorities(left); The peak of the Shiv Temple in Taherpur (right) The tourism prospect of Taherpur was focused on while observing the greatest Bengali Hindu festival Durga Puja at the remote town under Bagmara upazila where the festivities were introduced 528 years ago. Durga Puja in this region was initiated by Raja Kangsa Narayan Roy Bahadur in 1480 (Bengali year 887). Folklore researchers believe that the Durga Puja celebration started widely in this sub-continent since its observance by Raja Kangsa Narayan. “Durga Puja used to be celebrated within the family parameters before the Taherpur dynasty started observing it as a universal celebration,” said folklore researcher Dr. Saifuddin Chowdhury of Rajshahi University. In the old days, Durga Puja was celebrated with fitting grandeur in the area. People of all religions used to enjoy local operas, dramas and fairs on the

The "Durga Temple" in Taherpur of Rajshahi's Bagmara upazila.  The last generation of King Kansa Narayan Roy built the temple in the 18th century, in memory of the late king who first introduced the festival of Durga Puja in a universal manner ensuring participation of all castes of the Hindus, as the saying goes.  The temple's cleric Gopal Chandra Chakrawarty said the idol of Durga is available in the temple throughout the year. “After holding a Durga Puja, we keep idols until the next year for visitors. We immerse the old idols when new idols arrive,” he said.  These days, the temple has already lost much of its grandeur in the absence of much-needed renovation work.  In this regard, Kartik Saha, general secretary of the temple committee, said, “We maintain it [temple] with our limited resources. Therefore, the authorities concerned have to come forward to preserve the heritage site." https://www.thedailystar.net/city/glimpse-history-1470346