Mahishamardini/Bakreshwar Temple

Bakreshwar Temple(Mahishamardini Shaktipeeth)

The Bakreshwar Temple of West Bengal lies on the banks of the Paaphra River in the district of Birbhum, around 24 km from the town of Siuri and 240 km from Kolkata. The temple is renowned for its Oriya-style of architecture. Inside the temple complex are the Mahishmardini and the Vakranath temple. The former has ancient paintings of the goddess, preserved well by the Archaeological Survey of India

HISTORY

The portion between Devi Sati’s eyebrows- symbolic of her mind – is said to have fallen in this region when Lord Vishnu used his sudarshan chakra on her burnt corpse. A shrine was erected later and was consecrated to the worship of Shaivaite forces.

Said to be one of the most powerful Shakti peethas, Bakreshwar (also called Vakreshwar) , the idol worshipped is Devi Mahishmardini (destroyer of Mahishasur) who is protected by the Bhairav Vakranath. The Phaphra River is said to be the Remover of Sins. This region is known particularly for its scenic beauty. There are seven hot springs surrounding the region- Agni Kund, Brahma Kund, Surya Kund, Saubhagya Kund, Amrita Kund, Kheer Kund, Jibat Kund and Vairav Kund, and each is associated with a ShivLinga. The ShivLingas can be found close to every spring. The Mahamuni Ashtabhakta is said to have found enlightenment here after bathing in the Phaphra.

There is a popular myth surrounding how the place got its present name. It is said that once two renowned munis or sages called Subrita and Lomas received an invitation to participate in the swayamvar of goddess Lakshmi. When Rishi Lomas was received first, Rishi Subrita was ferocious with anger: an anger that ultimately ended up twisting his nerves into eight folds, which eventually earned him the name of Ashtabakra.