Devi Chowdhurani Kali Mandir:
Legends say that Devi Choudhurani, the dacoit queen of the famous ‘Sanyasi Movement’ period in the 19th century, used to pray at
the Kali Temple near Gosala More here before travelling in the Trisrota river on her sail boat. The temple has a statue of ‘kastipathar’ (touchstone). Devi Chaudhurani was also made famous by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s novel of the same name. Many argue that Devi and her guru and mentor Bhavani Pathak were just characters of this novel. But for the people of this region they were real people of flesh and blood. They are revered because they protected the locals from the alleged torture from the East India Company and local zamindars.
Kali Puja at Devi Choudhurani Temple puja is a mojor attraction for all in the region and hundreds flock the area during the festival.
Jalpeshwar Temple:
Situated at a place around 25 km away from Jalpaiguri town and 3 kms from Maynaguri census town, the temple dedicated to Lord
Jalpeswara (Shiva) is a regionally significant tourist destination. The temple is 126 feet high and 120 feet wide, with a Shivling known as ‘Anadi’. Mahashivaratri is the main festival celebrated here. Pilgrims come during Sravani Mela in July–August and during the fair of Jalpesh Mela in February– March to offer special puja to Siva. Devotees also come from nearby states, Nepal amd Bhutan and Bangladesh. The history of Maynaguri dates back to antiquity. According to present historical researches carried out by Sailen Debnath, an eminent scholar of the region, Mainaguri was the second capital of the medieval Kamata kingdom. Kamatapur or Kamata Kingdom emerged as a sovereign state right from the middle of the seventh century. Most probably, Nalrajar Garh in Chilapata Forest was the earliest capital of Kamatapur; and subsequently through different ups and downs, the capital was shifted to Mainaguri or Maynaguri. Debnath, argues that Mainaguri even might have been a big city in the period of Bhaskar Varman of Kamrupa.Biswa Singha was the founder of Jalpesh temple in the year 1524. Biswa Singha was the father of Maharaja Nara Narayan of ‘Kamta Behar’ (Cooch Behar) and he also later rebuilt the temple in 1563. Again after a period of 100 years Pran Narayan a king in succession rebuilt this temple in the year 1663 A.D. After refusing to hold the Royal Umbrella at the coronation of the then King Luxminarayan of Cooch Bihar, in 1621 Mahi Deb Raikat, signified his independence and refused to pay tribute. From then onwards the temple of Jalpesh was looked after by the Raikats of Baikunthapur. In 1897, the temple was almost destroyed by an earthquake. It was reconstructed by Rani Jagedeswari Devi, the wife of Raja Jogendra Deb Raikat in 1899.
Jatileshwar Temple:
Jatileswar Temple was said to have been built in the time of Gupta dynasty. Constructed with stone and clay bricks, this temple was
mainly dedicated to Lord Shiva. though many other gods are also present in sculptures. This place is around 30 km away from Jalpaiguri town and 13 km from Maynaguri. Numerous statues, including that of Yakshinis, Ganesha, Buddha and Kubera are seen on the outer wall of the temple. According to Dr.Sunitikumar Chattopadhyay, the Vishnupatta here is a ‘priceless treasure’ and is preserved by the Archaeological Department of the State Government. At the entrance of the temple, there are two statues of gatekeepers. The founder of the temple is said to be Raja Jalpa of Assam. The temple of Goddess Siddheswari lies about 16 meters south.
Bateshwar Temple :
A few hundred years old ruins of a temple can be seen on the highway a couple of kilometers away from Mainaguri. Hundreds of pieces of
stone and architectural patterns can be seen at the site. It is said that the temple was destroyed during the Anglo-Bhutanese War in 1864.
Kabuliwala Mosque/Church of Nayabasti: In 1920 Jalpaiguri District School Inspector Khan Bahadur Taesduk Ahmed built this mosque in Nayabasti. Frequented by Kabul-based businessmen, the mosque is popularly known as Kabuliwala Mosque. There is a Baptist church adjacent to it.
Nawabbari Mosque (Bani Mosque) :
During the Anglo-Bhutanese War in 1864, Rahim Box Peskar of Sukhani made a lot of money by supplying goods to the
army. In the town of Jalpaiguri, Rahim bought a plot of land and established a mosque called ‘Bani Masjid’ in the year 1885. The stone plaque of the mosque reads: “Bani Masjid / Haji Munshi Rahim Box / Khan Bahadur Ibn Munshi / Late Khan Muhammad / Hijri 1303 / Bengali 1292 / English 1885.
Bhadra Kali bari :
Located at Pandapara as the guardian of the Baikunthapur Raj Estate, the idol in this temple is seen standing on tail of two snakes. It is
known that Maharaja Mahnarayan of Cochbehar also came to the temple and offered prayers. King Darpadeva of Baikunthpur brought pandas from Puri and settled them in this temple to introduce ‘Nitya Puja’. Today the area is known as Pandapara.
Sanaullah Mosque (Jumma Mosque) :
Munshi Mohammad Sanaullah was a native Muslim jotdar in Jalpaiguri. He contributed a lot to the construction of
schools, lots of mosques, ponds etc. He donated 1001 silver coins to Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das in the Swarajya fund. The Jumma Mosque was built by him in 1902 at Dinbazar.
Jogomaya Kalibari :
The temple was established on 30th Chaitra of Bengal 1305 (1898 AD). Rebatimahan Chakraborty, Anantamahan Chakraborty and
now Janardhan Chakraborty were the priests in this temple for many decades. The present idol of “Jogomaya Kalimata” was installed in the temple of Jogomaya Kalimandir on 22nd day of October, 1927. In the temple complex there are other temples namely Sri Sri Shibmandir, Baba Loknath Mandir where nityapujas are performed. There is a large “Natmandir” facing the main temple of Kalimata, where annual Durgapuja, Basantipuja, Jagadhartipuja, Annapurna puja are performed with all religious formalities.
Kanteshwari Kali Mandir :
Kanteshwar Das, a local jotdar, had founded the temple in the late nineteenth century. It was renovated later. At present, the temple, its surrounding area and a pond has been refurbished by the municipal authorities. Next to the Kali Mandir, there is a Shani Mandir and Shiva Mandir.
Puratan Mosque :
It is said that there was an old mosque, probably of 13th Century, which was re-built at some point in 1920 by Munshi Mohammad
Sanaullah. The graves of many families can be seen in front of the mosque. The three-domed mosque is 17.65 meters long and 13.99 meters wide. There is also a dighi adjacent to the mosque for performing abolutions before prayers. The old mosque attracts a substantial number of pilgrims.
Rakshakali temple at Dinbazar :
Rakshakali temple at Dinbazar were established by Jogendra Dev Raikat (1865-77AD). After his death, his wife
Rani Jagadishwari Devi established a pucca temple there in 1880. When the Jalpaiguri municipality was formed in 1885, Rani Jagadishwari Devi got permission to set up a day market adjacent to the temple. The beautiful modern temple was built in 1981 after renovating the ruined temple.
Sadashiv Mandir :
Establishment of a Shivling by Rani Jagadishwari Devi in the year of 1878 in an ancient Shiva temple at Dinabazar marked the
introduction of worship at Sadashiv Mandir, Dinbazar. At present, every year in the month of Sravan, Mahadev is adorned in the temple in royal attire. There are other idols on the four walls of the temple. Shiva idols surrounded by serpents are present in separate places. Shivling and Gauripatta are very beautiful and attractive.
Petkati Temple :
The goddess here is ten-armed, though three were broken during excavation. Elephants, skeletons, musical instruments, bells, could be
seen on the hands, serpents around the neck, yakshini, fox on one side and peacock on the other. It is said that the name Petkati Kali was due to the damage during excavation which had left a cut mark on the belly of the statue. In the temple, on the right side, is a separate idol of Shyama Kali. There are many stone blocks in the temple premises and they resemble the stone blocks of Bateshwar and Jatileshwar temples. Many unspoken stories about the history, heritage, culture and religion of the village seem to be hidden in this temple even today.
Sodorkhai Temple :
In the Rajbanshi society Sodorkhowa means to spend the day in Kutumb-bari (house of family of spouse). This is an underground Shiva
temple. One has to go down the stairs to worship. The stone blocks of the three walls of the main temple are comparable Bateshwar and Jatileshwar.
The Mahakal Temple :
The cave temple is located deep inside the Lataguri forest, near Bamni Jhora. Mahakal, a form of Lord Shiva, is worshipped by
local people who seek protection from wild animals, such as elephants
Matiali Kalibari :
It is next to the police station at Chowpathi, a Kalibari established in the year of 1872. The temple was rebuilt in 1972.
Buddhist Gumpha of Samsing: The Buddhist ghumpha was established here in 1850 AD. At present there are Buddhists in the area. Due to the decline, Sumita Lepcha, an elderly woman, takes care of the Buddhist cave alone. Purka Lama, along with local Nepali and Bhutanese Buddhists, worshipped here for a long time. The cave was built with the help of common people.
Dhapchandi Temple :
It is eight km. from Dhapchandi and Jalpaiguri town on Haldibari road. Dhapchandi away. The name may be due to the fact that one
has to climb the temple of Goddess Chandi on a high mound on the side of the road. There are a Shiva temple and a Kali temple here.
Madanmahan Temple:
The Madanmahan temple is located over a vast area on the eastern edge of Gaurihat. The founder of this idol is Prasannadev Raikat of
Baikunthapur Estate. According to royal documents, the ancient name of Gaurihat is Hat of Raniganj. The Karala River flows here.
Bhabani Pathaks’ Temple:
Idols of Devi Choudhurani and Bhabani Pathak are worshipped in a temple amid the Sikarpur Tea Garden, believed to have been
the worship place of Bhabani Pathak, a devotee of Ma Kali. The temple, according to local residents, has been there for ages and so has the river whose gurgling waters still flow behind the temple. The river is known as the Trisrota. According to legend, Devi Choudhurani, originally known as Prafulla, was the queen of Manthani estate of Rangpur district. After being abandoned by her husband, she was given shelter by Pathak, who also led a band of dacoits. Devi later became a part of their group. Bhabani Pathak was also known to have led the Sanyasi revolution in Rangpur and Estern Himalayan Foothills. Legend has it that the Bajraof Devi Choudhurani used to sail on the waters of this river, moving between Rangpur (At present a district in Bangladesh) and Baikunthapur. Several idols of Devi Choudhurani and Bhabani Pathak are still found in this area. The temple, which resembles a pagoda, has a steady stream of worshippers from the nearby areas who throng the place during the puja of Devi and Pathak. Kali puja is celebrated in a big way in this abode of the goddess, continuing a tradition that the local priest says was started by Bhabani Pathak. The idols of Devi Choudhurani and her associates, carved out of wood, have a
medieval look about them. The resemblance that the wooden idols share with the people of the area can only be explained by the fact that the artist seems to have drawn on the natural features of local residents while working on his creation.
Kalu Saheb’s Mazar :
Kalu Saheb’s Mazar is another great historical and religious place of this ancient town Jalpaiguri. Not only Muslims but people
belong to all religions come here with faith and respect that their wishes will be fulfilled if they pray here.
St. Michael and All Angels Church :
St Michael’s and All Angels Church, with plum-red roof and golden walls, is one of the oldest Christian edifices in the district, having been established around 1863-64. The Roman Catholic church, which stands near the Collectorate Avenue in Jalpaiguri town, was built by European tea planters.
Baikunthapur Rajprasad/Palace complex :
The inception of the Jalpaiguri dates back to the reign of the Raikat family who controlled the large estates of
Baikunthapur in Jalpaiguri district. The Raikat family were the descendants of the Koch dynasty. The Koch dynasty was considered as the successor state to the Kamata Kingdom. The first capital of Baikunthpur Estate was at Sannyasikata, the second capital was at Baedganj. By 1715, Dharmadeva Raikat was in Jalpaiguri and moved the capital to its present location. Jayantadev Raikat built a wooden and brick palace. The present palace was built by the king Phanindradev Raikat. Prasannadev built the southern part of Raikat’s palace in 1920. The northern part built by Manindradev Raikat in 1890. This palace was built only with lime and mortar.
| Place | JALPAIGURI |
- Official Web Page : https://jalpaiguri.gov.in/tourism/
