The month of Sawan witnesses the visits of Hindu devotees to Lord Shiva temples across India. From Jalabhishek to keeping fasts on Mondays of this month, the devotees follow several rituals to worship the Lord Shiva. Similarly, to worship the god of the Universe, the Hindu devotees flock to a unique Lord Shiva temple located in the Ashoknagar city in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India. It has a special type of Shiva Linga which attracts visitors from all around the world.
Prakash Mukhopadhyay, who has served the temple for 33 years said, “There are only three places in the world that have this special form of Shivalinga. About 100 years ago, this special Shivlinga was brought from Haridwar to the Ashoknagar city of North 24 Parganas district.
Although this unique feature of the temple was not publicised in the past, now devotees from far and wide and even from other states visit this temple to see this special form of Shiva. Usually, the Shiva Linga is made from black stone but the Shiva Temple of Ashoknagar city has the upper part in red colour while the lower part of black. This feature separates this particular Shivalinga from the Shivalingas seen in other Lord Shiva Temples.
It is believed that the wishes of the devotees never go unfulfilled if they worship Lord Shiva at this temple. Hence, it is no wonder that the attendance of Hindu devotees has been increasing in recent times. Situated next to the Jessore road in Ashoknagar, the people are coming from various districts and areas to visit this red Shiva Lingam.
The temple opens in the morning with a special puja. The gates of the temple close for the general public in the evening. However, due to the Shravan month, the temple is now crowded every day and with increased visitation time. By chanting pure mantras, devotees bathe the Shiva Linga with milk and Ganga water while expressing their wishes.
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