Ancient Maheshkhali Adinath Temple
Moheshkhali is a island situated several miles apart from the main town of Cox'sbazar. We have to reach this island by boat or other water vehicles. No alternate ways. It will take around 25-30 minutes to reach the island.
Ancient Adinath Temple, located on the summit of the Mainak Hill on Maheshkhali Island off the coast of Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, is dedicated to the Hindu God, Shiva, who is worshipped as Adinath. This white colored temple is situated at the top of the hill.
From the temple area, you can easily observe the beauty of the moheshkhali channel. In Bangladesh this ancient temple is famous for the annual fair held at the foot of the Mainak Hill in the month of Phalgun as per the Bengali calendar.The fair, which lasts 13 days, draws thousands of Hindus from across Bangladesh.
Now there is no authentic proof to connect Gorakhghata or the temple with Goraksanatha, the guru of the Natha community. It may be that one of the disciples of Goraksanatha may have named the ghat at Maheshkhali after the guru. Natha philosophy evolved out of the long association of the Saivites with the Buddhists and in the 10th-11th centuries emerged Tantric Shastras. Adinatha (variants Matsyendranatha or Minanatha) emerged through this process of evolution. Nathism represents the folk religion of Bengal based on mantra-tantra and asceticism.
The Ancient Adinath temple clearly shows in its construction the association of the Natha community. The temple is 6 m high and measures 10.5 m × 9.75 m; the inner walls are 1.05 m thick, while outer walls are 0.60 m thick. There are almost three parts in this ancient temple; the northern part, which is older, contains two square rooms (3.35 m each side) for worship – the eastern one has the image of Adinatha Banalinga Shiv and the western one has the image of eight-armed Durga (Idol).
The entrance is bow-shaped, while the entrances on the northern and southern sides have been closed with brickwork. There are two windows, one on the east and the other on the west side. The two rooms are covered with domes on pendentives. The finials on top are decorated with lotus, kalasa and chakra.
The tops of the octagonal pillars have kalasa and twined scrolls. The top of the arch on the western side has floral and the eastern one has trixul decoration. There are two niches on the southern wall. But the second and third parts of the temple are recent.
Moheshkhali is a island situated several miles apart from the main town of Cox'sbazar. We have to reach this island by boat or other water vehicles. No alternate ways. It will take around 25-30 minutes to reach the island.
Ancient Adinath Temple, located on the summit of the Mainak Hill on Maheshkhali Island off the coast of Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, is dedicated to the Hindu God, Shiva, who is worshipped as Adinath. This white colored temple is situated at the top of the hill.
From the temple area, you can easily observe the beauty of the moheshkhali channel. In Bangladesh this ancient temple is famous for the annual fair held at the foot of the Mainak Hill in the month of Phalgun as per the Bengali calendar.The fair, which lasts 13 days, draws thousands of Hindus from across Bangladesh.
Now there is no authentic proof to connect Gorakhghata or the temple with Goraksanatha, the guru of the Natha community. It may be that one of the disciples of Goraksanatha may have named the ghat at Maheshkhali after the guru. Natha philosophy evolved out of the long association of the Saivites with the Buddhists and in the 10th-11th centuries emerged Tantric Shastras. Adinatha (variants Matsyendranatha or Minanatha) emerged through this process of evolution. Nathism represents the folk religion of Bengal based on mantra-tantra and asceticism.
The Ancient Adinath temple clearly shows in its construction the association of the Natha community. The temple is 6 m high and measures 10.5 m × 9.75 m; the inner walls are 1.05 m thick, while outer walls are 0.60 m thick. There are almost three parts in this ancient temple; the northern part, which is older, contains two square rooms (3.35 m each side) for worship – the eastern one has the image of Adinatha Banalinga Shiv and the western one has the image of eight-armed Durga (Idol).
The entrance is bow-shaped, while the entrances on the northern and southern sides have been closed with brickwork. There are two windows, one on the east and the other on the west side. The two rooms are covered with domes on pendentives. The finials on top are decorated with lotus, kalasa and chakra.
The tops of the octagonal pillars have kalasa and twined scrolls. The top of the arch on the western side has floral and the eastern one has trixul decoration. There are two niches on the southern wall. But the second and third parts of the temple are recent.
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