Naba Kailash Mandir Explained

Naba Kailash Mandir
Native Name:নব কৈলাশ মন্দির
Native Name Lang:bn
Religious Affiliation:Hinduism
Deity:Shiva
Festival:Maha Shivaratri
Location:Kalna City
District:Purba Bardhaman
State:West Bengal
Country:India
Coordinates:23.2204°N 88.3622°W
Architecture Type:Bengal temple architecture
Architecture Style:Chala Style
Founded By:Maharaja Teja Chandra Bahadur
Established:1809

Naba Kailash Mandir is a Shiva temple in Kalna City of Purba Bardhaman district, West Bengal. The temple structure consists of a combination of two concentric circles with a total of 108 small temples, each of temple is dedicated to Shiva. It represents the constellation of a bead, and the walls of this temple depict episodes from Mahabharata and Ramayana and many hunting scenes. There are seventy-four temples in the outer circle and thirty-four temples in the inner circle, which are built according to mythology. Each of these 108 temples has a Shiva linga. Each Shiva linga in the inner circle, Symbolizing Sadashiva, is white, while half of the Shiva linga in the outer circle, symbolizing Rudra, is black, and the other half is white.[1]

Structure

Naba Kailash Mandir has 108 Shiva temples arranged in two geometric circle.[2] Among these temples arranged in two circles, 74 are located in the outer circle and a total of 34 in the inner circle,[3] with an additional temple on the western side of the outer circle. All the 108 temples, forming two circles, are built in At-chala style of architecture. The inner circle has a circumference of about 336feet and the outer circle has a circumference of about 710feet. These temples are built on low raised base-altars, and are adjacent to each other. The temples are about 20feet in height and 9.5feet in width. The temple on the western side of the outer circle is built in Pancha-ratna style, with an eight-stepped porch. The temple rests on a 6 feet high base-altar, and the height of the temple is 35 feet. The present name of this temple is Jaleswar Mandir. There is a well in the center of both the circles, which meets the water needs of the temple for Puja.[1] [4]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Das . Bibekananda . কালনা মহকুমার প্রত্নতত্ত্ব ও ধর্মীয় সংস্কৃতির ইতিবৃত্ত . 1999 . Pharma KLM Pvt . Kolkata . 71.
  2. Web site: ১০৮ শিবমন্দির নিয়ে উদ্বেগ কালনায় . www.anandabazar.com . 17 September 2023 . Kalna . bn . 9 March 2016.
  3. Web site: Amitabha . Gupta . Ambika Kalna: An ode to Bengal’s temple architecture . www.telegraphindia.com . 17 September 2023 . 7 September 2022.
  4. Book: Chowdhury . Jagyeswar . বর্ধমান: ইতিহাস ও সংস্কৃতি (৩ খণ্ড) . 1994 . Pustaka Bipani . 127.