Ekteswar was earlier a village and now a part of the outskirts of Bankura town in

Bankura district Bankura district (Pron: bãkuɽa) is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is part of Medinipur division—one of the five administrative divisions of West Bengal. Bankura district is surrounded by Purba Bardhaman distri ...

, in the

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

n state of

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...

. It is situated on the bank of

Dwarakeswar River Dwarakeswar River (also known as Dhalkisor) is a major river in the western part of the Indian state of West Bengal. Course The river originates near Madhabpur in Purulia district and enters Bankura district near Chhatna. It cuts across the distr ...

Geography

Location

Ekteswar is located at . Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.

Ekteswar Temple

The place derives its name from a temple dedicated to

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

, called Ekteswar. It was built by the Rajas of Bishnupur. The temple was built of laterite, but had subsequent additions of sandstone and brick. Charak Puja is celebrated in the Bengali month of

Choitro Choitro ( bn, চৈত্র) is the last month of the Bengali calendar. It falls from mid-March to mid-April and is the last month of Spring ( bn, বসন্ত ''Bôsôntô''). The name of the month is derived from the star Chitra ( ''Chitra' ...

with great enthusiasm. The Ekteswar temple is a unique one enshrining Ekapaada Murthy - a manifestation of Shiva. Ekteswar temple has its speciality. It is a solid structure, not generally seen in Bengal. The temple was not built in the Bengal style. The top has probably faced damage and so it seems incomplete. The deity at Ekteswar is believed by many to be Ekpadeswar, but the present deity is not so. Whether it was so in the past cannot be said with certainty. According to mythology,

himself meditated in a boundary dispute between Mallabhum and Samantabhum kingdoms and as such stands as arbitrator of their fate.Ghosh, Binoy, p. 367

Ekteswar picture gallery

File:Deul-Temple-at-Ekteswar 03.jpg, Shiva temple File:Deul-Temple-at-Ekteswar 04.jpg, Shiva temple File:Ekteshwar Shiva Temple - DSC 4113.jpg, Shiva temple File:Idol of Brahma at Ekteshwar Temple, Bankura.jpg, Brahma File:Footprint at Ekteshwar Temple, Bankura.jpg, Footptint File:Idol of a femal dancer at Ekteshwar Temple.jpg, Dancer File:Dwadashbhuj Vishnu Statue - Ekteshwar Shiva Temple - DSC 4093.jpg, Dwadasbhuj Vishnu See also -

Bengal temple architecture Bengal temple architecture is about temple styles developed and used in Bengal, particularly the ''chala'', ''ratna'' and ''dalan'' temples. Background According to David J. McCutchion, historically the religious architecture in Bengal may be di ...

References

External links

Villages in Bankura district {{Bankura-geo-stub