By the banks of River Ajay, the edifice of the Bahula Devi temple had been erected centuries ago at Ketugram.In Sanskrit- "Bahu" means hand. As the left arm of Devi fell here, the Goddess here is also known as Bahula. The other meaning of Bahula is also 'lavish'. It is believed that the Goddess listens to all Her devotees who worship and pray to Her with all their dedication and submission. Many events associated with such belief are said by the locals. Here, Devi Maa is found with Her childern Lord Karthikeya and Sri Ganesha. Biruka- an incarnation of Mahadev is Her consort here in this temple. He is also known as Sarvasiddhidayak by the devotees.

Location West Bengal , Bardhaman, Kolkata

Legend

The history of the temple of Devi Bahula dates back to the event of Dakshya Yajna and the episode of the self-immolation of Devi Sati at the sabha when She couldn't bear the vile words uttered by Her father Dakshya for her husband, Lord Shiva. To stop the Tandava of Mahadev, Lord Vishnu released his Sudarshan Chakra to mutilate the body of Devi. The left arm fell at this place of Ketugram.

Architecture

The tranquil aura of the temple and the surrounding ambiance entice visitors. The enlarged courtyard in front of the garbhagriha deserves special mention. The flooring of the ancient temple is built with red stones for which the indoors remain cool even in severe summer days.

Culture

Known to be the 'mini-India' for its diverse geographical as well as cultural variations, West Bengal is also popular for housing over 14 shakti peeths. Coming back to the culture of this eastern state of India, since prior and the post-partition times, Bengal is famous for its enriched culture. From Darjeeling to the Sundarbans, and from Puruliya to the 'Rarh' area of Birbhum- each of the provinces has a unique cultural approach. Starting from the Bengali music, dance, theater, literature, art, and notwithstanding the mouthwatering cuisine- West Bengal has successfully created a mark for its exclusive aesthetics in the world panorama.

Picture Courtesy: www.charanamrit.com

Darsan Info

Devotees are allowed to visit the temple from 6 :00 AM to 10:00 PM. It is also strongly recommended to take proper precaution against sunburn. In summers, the temperature rises more than 40 degree Celsius. Thus, the best time to visit the place for tourists is winter.

Darsan Dresscode

No specific dresscode is maintained to visit the Bahula Mata Mandir. But, in honor of the Goddess, it is expected that pilgrims should be in fresh and descent clothes while visiting this Shakti Peeth.

Famous Festival

March -    Shivaratri       

October - Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Navratri

The temple also organises Navratri fair and Shivratri fair.

Temple Rituals

Along with the special Puja and Yajna offerd on the special days of celebrations , the Goddess, Lord Shiva, Lord karthikeya and Lord Ganesha are offerd with nitya puja by the temple priests at different intervals. The Sandhya Bhog is offered to the deity along with lightening up oil lamps.

Special Rituals

Special worshipping and yajnas are arranged on the pious occasions of Navratri, Chhoti Navratri (held in April), Durga Puja, Kali Puja and also on the auspicious event of Maha Shivratri. Devotees offering puja to the temple on these occasions have to starve for the whole day and finally, consume food and water only when the puja completes.

During Navratri, worshippers have to starve for the whole day for the 9 Days. They are only allowed to eat only after worshipping the Devi.

During Shivratri, the devotees offers Panchamrit to bathe the Shiva Lingam here that is worshipped as Biruk Maharaj. Along with wood apple, beetle leaf and Bilva Patra, they offer Bali, a local fruit to Lord Shiva.

Additional Info

 

Many Hotels are available near by. Otherwise, a few local eateries are there catering fast food and authentic bengali cuisine.

 

 Supermarket : Available