Joypurhat: Baro Shibaloy Mondir

Friday, 17 May 2013

Baro Shibaloy(বার শিবালয়) is an unique temple that is located beside the Chhoto Jomuna river(ছোট য্মুনা নদী) of Bel-Amla(বেল-আমলা) village which is around 4 kilometer apart from the Joypurhat(জয়্পুরহাট) District of Bangladesh. I haven’t heard/seen anything even near similar to this temple before. This temple compound has 12 temples and each of those are having almost an identical phallus of Lord Shiva. It could have been a tourist pulling site from Bangladesh, but Alas! only the enthusiastic travelers like us or the pious people visit this temple. It still remains hidden to the foreign travelers as well as the locals.

The name Baro Shibaloy(বারো শিবালয়) means 12 houses of Lord Shiva. A rich Hindu person named Rijiblochon Mondol(রাজিবলোচন মন্ডল) built this unique temple at the beginning of 19th century. These temples are arranged on the four sides of a Rectangle where each side of the rectangle contains 4 Shiva temples, and the temples at the corner of the rectangle is shared between two sides. In total 12 temples.

There is another temple available inside the compound that worships the goddess Kali. A large banyan tree is available outside the temple compound. A two days of fair use to held here during the Shib Choturdoshi(শিব চতুর্দশী) of the Bengali month Falgun(ফাল্গুন). Also the Hindu believers use to take a bath at the river beside the temple for purification of both body and soul.

How to Go:

After visiting the Lokma Jomidar Bari, we have boarded on a local bus for Joypurhat(জয়্পুরহাট) town from the Pachbibi(পাচবিবি) bazaar. Using the bus service(8 taka per person) we got down at the Godon Shohor(গদন শহর) stoppage. From there we have hired a van to drop us at the Baro Shivalay Mondir(বার শিবালয় মন্দির). It was around 10/12 minutes of van ride and 30 taka was the van fare.

There are several ways to come at the Baro Shibaloy Mondir(বারো শিবালয় মন্দির) from Joypurhat(জয়্পুরহাট) town.

1) Using tomtom or a similar vehicle you can easily come near to the temple. Make sure you are hiring the vehicle for a round trip. Otherwise you’ll discover yourself at the middle of nowhere while returning.

2) Another option can be, come to the Mishon Mor(মিশন মোড়) from the Joypurhat(জয়্পুরহাট) town. From there take any van or battery driven vehicle to reach near to the temple. GPS coordinate of Mishon Mor(মিশন মোড়) is (25° 6’20.26″N, 89° 0’1.16″E).

3) Third option can be the route through Godon Shohor(গদন শহর) that we have used. GPS coordinate of the Godon Shohor(গদন শহর) bus stoppage is (25° 8’34.18″N, 89° 1’22.77″E).

GPS coordinate of the Baro Shivalay(বার শিবালয়) Temple is temple is (25° 7’53.27″N, 89° 0’57.37″E).