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The
Burdwan district of Bengal is deservedly famous for some strange
type of Mandirs. It boasts of fours and they are concentrated at the
village Barkar in the Asansol sub division of the district. They
have several oddities and strangely enough are dedicated to Saivate
gods, like Ganesh and Siva. Here is the peculiarity - the Siva linga
is installed on a fish shaped panavatta, unlike the common circular
one drawn to a point on the north. Moreover, it has holes for the
linga to stand. The temples are surmounted by urns, but not spires,
and have all the parts like antarala, mahamandapa, mandapa,
courtyards and tower. Of the four, one is dedicated to Siva. And it
enshrines a big Sivalinga installed on an argha measuring 4 feet 7
inches in diameter. Another oddity it is built of stone unlike the
Bengali mandirs. Inscriptions confirm the construction to fifteenth
century and it is said to have been built by one devotee called
Harischandra.
It
lies on the left bank of Barkar river and about 200 km off Calcutta.
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