Page 292 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

290  EASTERN INDIA

1 Belur Math monks belonging to the order
surround it. The place is
Howrah district. 10 km (6 miles)
N of Kolkata. @ 4 or taxi from spotlessly clean, and the
Kolkata. Open daily. Conservative atmosphere contem plative and
dress appreciated. calm. Today, the Mission has
centres across the world.
Just outside Kolkata, on the
west bank of the Hooghly river, is
Belur Math, the head quarters of 2 Dakshineshwar
the Ramakrishna Mission. The 24 Parganas district. 12 km (7 miles)
order was established in 1897 N of Kolkata. @ 4 or taxi from
by the dynamic, reformist Hindu Kolkata. Open daily. Conservative
crusader Swami Vivekananda (see dress appreciated.
p619), Ramakrishna Paramhansa’s
foremost disciple. The modern North of Belur Math, on the
temple within the sprawling east bank of the Hooghly
complex was built in 1938 and river, stands the temple of
embodies Ramakrishna’s philo­ Dakshineshwar, one of Bengal’s
sophy, based on the unity of all most popular pilgrimage spots.
faiths. The ground plan is in the The temple, built in 1855 by The curved bangaldar roof of the Kali
shape of a cross, the windows a rich and pious widow, Rani temple, Dakshineshwar
have arches reminiscent of Rashmoni, was initially opposed
Mughal buildings, the gate by orthodox religious interests, faiths. His room in the temple
shows Buddhist influence, and as she was not a Brahmin complex is still preserved in
Hindu architectural motifs (the highest Indian caste). No its original state.
decorate the façade. Smaller Brahmin was therefore willing The impressive whitewashed
temples and dormitories for the to be the temple priest. Only temple is set on a high plinth
Ramakrishna Paramhansa, then and topped by nine cupolas.
still a boy, agreed, and he spent The roof, with its line of rounded
many years there, preaching cornices, stands out impres sively
and developing his philosophy against the sky. Inside the sanctum
of the essential oneness of all is an image of Bhabatarini, an
incarnation of the goddess Kali.
Within the large compound,
strung along the river bank,
are 12 smaller temples, each
dedicated to the god Shiva.
Crowds of pilgrims visit the
Dakshineshwar temple daily,
lending the sprawling temple
complex a cheerful and
bustling atmosphere.

Belur Math, on the west bank of the Hooghly river
3 Hooghly River
Ramakrishna Paramhansa (1836–86) Hooghly district. 24 km (15 miles)
N from Kolkata to Shrirampur.
Ramakrishna, one of modern India’s greatest spiritual teachers, £ @ 4 River cruises. n Babu
was born into a poor family of priests in 1836. He became a priest Ghat (near Eden Gardens) or
at Dakshineshwar, where he began a life Tourism Centre, (033) 2243 6440.
of prayer and meditation. His
philosophy was lucid – there is an When the Ganges enters the
inherent truth in all religions, and a lower Gangetic Plains in West
simple life is a pure life. A mystic who Bengal, the river breaks up
claimed to speak directly to God, he into many channels. The main
could explain complex and abstruse
theological issues in the simplest distributary, the Hooghly (now
language, which appealed to the Hugli), flows 260 km (162 miles)
poor and rich alike. His teachings were from Murshidabad to the Bay
carried to the USA and to Britain by of Bengal.
his main disciple Swami Vivekananda Between the 15th and 19th
(1863–1902), who set up many centuries, this easily navigable
Ramakrishna Mission centres abroad river attracted Dutch, French,
for education and religious studies. Ramakrishna Paramhansa Portuguese, Danish and British
traders. The settlements they
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp697–8 and p711

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
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Date 12th July 2013
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