Dhakeswari Temple is the most important temple in Dhaka. The temple is located in a low enclosure wall on the north side of Dhakeswari Road, about 1.6 km south-west of Salimullah Hall. There is a lion gate to enter the temple premises. The gateway is called Nahabatkhana Toran. According to legend, the builder of the temple is a king named Ballal Sen. However, there is considerable disagreement as to whether this Ballal Sen is in fact the famous king of the Sen dynasty. Some claim that the Dhakeswari idol and temple established here date back to the time of Maharaja Ballal Sen. But considering the architectural construction technique it is not acceptable. This is because the lime-sand mixture was not used as a mortar in the architecture of Bengal before the arrival of Muslims in the Indian subcontinent and during the reign of the Sen dynasty.
But the Dhakeswari temple is built entirely of lime-sand, which is a feature of the architectural style of the Muslim period in Bengal. There are two main gates of the Dhakeswari temple. There is also a gate in the middle. Straight to the main gate is the idol of Durga Mar. The Nath temple is at the entrance of the entrance gate and the pond is a little further. Next to it is another building. There are 4 Shiva temples and next to it Santoshi Mata temple, enjoyment area, kitchen, fruit cutting room, shoe storage area and the huge building on the east side is the administrative building and quarter office room, guest room/guest room, meeting room, library, Ansar camp and next to it. Public toilets and melangan. There are domes on each building such as Shiva temple and Nath temple.
Another part of the Dhakeswari temple is the pond inside it. Which still enhances the decoration of the temple. In this ancient pond, the devotees used to relax and enjoy. Obstruction on both sides of the pond. There are different species of small and big fish here. The temple is now more beautifully decorated and renovated than in the past. The flower garden inside is one of the examples. The beauty of the temple has been further enhanced with new varieties of flowers.
Table of Contents
Weekly Prayer Day
Friday – Puja of Mother Santoshi, Time: 10.00 am. Saturday – Sat Puja, Time: 6.00 pm. Sunday – Kirtan Hari service, time: 5.00 pm to 9.00 pm. Monday – Shiva Puja, Others, Hours: 8.00 am to 9.00 pm. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday – Worship of Durga Mata, Time: 8.00 am to 9.00 pm.
Schedule of daily religious activities:
Apart from the daily and weekly prayers mentioned above, Durga Mar Puja is performed daily and Aarti is performed every day at 6.00 pm. Besides, Shiva puja and various pujas are also performed in the Nath temple. It can be said that 13 pujas in 12 months.
How to get there
You can take a bus from Motijheel in the capital to Shahbagh and take a rickshaw to reach this beautiful temple located at the south-western end of Salimullah Hall of Dhaka University. However, you can go directly from Motijheel by rickshaw or CNG powered auto or taxi cab. Direct rickshaw fare from Motijheel will be 50-65, CNG powered auto or taxi cab 150-220 Tk. The bus fare from Motijheel to Shahbagh will be Tk 10 and the rickshaw fare from Shahbag will be Tk 20-30.
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