Hangseshwari Temple

Zafar Khan Dargah, Tribeni

Bansberia (Bengali: বাঁশবেড়িয়া Bā̃śbeṛiẏā) is a town and a municipality in the Hooghly district of West Bengal, India. This article also covers the nearby areas of Tribeni and Adisaptagram.

Understand

Bansberia (BAH^NSH-beh-rriah) was one of the seven villages that formed Saptagram. In medieval times, Saptagram was a major port in South Bengal. However, the port had to be abandoned in the 17th century because of the silting up of the Saraswati River. Despite this, thanks to the influx of Portuguese merchants in the area, Hooghly inherited the importance of Saptagram as a major port.

Get in

By train

Bansberia and the surroundings are served by three stations, including 1 Bansh Baria (BSAE) and 2 Tribeni (TBAE) on Bandel–Katwa line, and 3 Adisaptagram (ADST) on Howrah–Bardhaman main line.

By bus

Private Bus Route no. 39 (Chunchura Court-Jirat) runs through here.

By car

Bansberia is about 45 km (28 mi) away from Kolkata. State Highway 6 (SH 6) or STKK Road passes through Bansberia. The town is also connected to Kalyani with 4 Ishwar Gupta Setu. (updated Jul 2022) along the Kalyani Expressway across the Hooghly River.

See and do

• 1 Dargah of Zafar Khan Gazi. The dargah contains the mortal remains of Zafar Khan, a commander of the Delhi Sultan Feroze Shah. He defeated the local Hindu king and established the Turkish rule in Bengal. Later he died fighting another Hindu king of the region. He was laid to rest on a mound overlooking the Hooghly River. The dragha is housed inside a walled complex which also houses a mosque. The dargah came up in 1315 while the construction date of the mosque is 1292. The roof of the dragha has collapsed. The dragha has two chambers and the western chamber contains the grave of Zafar Khan along with his two sons and daughter-in-law. The eastern chamber also has four graves. The mosque is located on the western end of the complex and happens to be the oldest mosque in Bengal (West Bengal and Bangladesh combined). The mosque has a five-arched entrance on the eastern side. The mosque had 10 domes out of which only 6 survive. Both the mosque and the dragah has the presence of several Hindu motifs and symbols in its walls. It is quite likely that the materials of Hindu temples were used to construct both structures. (updated Sep 2022)
• 2 Hangseshwari Temple (হংসেশ্বরী মন্দির Haṁseśbarī Mandir). A Hindu temple dedicated to Hangseshwari, a form of Goddess Kali and an incarnation of Devi. It was built between 1799 and 1814. The temple has a distinctive architecture different from the usual pattern present in this area, consisting 13 minars or Ratnas, each built as a blooming lotus bud. The inner structure of the building resembles human anatomy. (updated Jul 2023)
• 3 Ananta Basudev Temple ((Located in the Hangeshwari Temple Complex)). Unlike its neighbour Hangeshwari the Ananta Basudev Temple follows the typical Bengal temple architecture of ek-ratna, single pinnacle. The pinnacle of Anantabasudev Temple is octagonal. The temple is known for its intricate terracotta ornamentation. The terracotta panels of Anata Basudev Temple contain an interesting mix, covering religious figures like Kali, Durga and Krishna along with panels of boats & ships, dancing girls, scenes from war and last but not least scenes from daily life. (updated Oct 2023)
• 4 Sayed Jamaluddin Mosque. The medieval mosque is located in Adi Saptagram the ancient port town. The port finds its mention in several historical texts including Mansamangal. With the shifting of rivers, the port lost its significance by the late 16th century. The 1529 (936 Hizra) mosque happens to be the only medieval remains of the flourishing port. The mosque was built by Syed Jamaluddin, son of Sayyid Fakhruddin of Amul. It is a brick-built structure complete with intricate terracotta ornamentation. As Islam provides the use of animal and human figures the ornamentation is restricted to floral and geometric patterns. The roof of the mosque has long collapsed and nothing much can be ascertained about the original structure. The mosque has four minars on the four corners and the interior contains two stone pillars,. (updated Jul 2022)
• 5 Tribeni. An old holy place for the Hindus. Here the Hooghly River divides into three branches. The branches are Hooghly, Jamuna and Saraswati (also known as Kanchrapara Khal). Apart from the Hooghly the other two branches have almost dried up, Tribeni is often referred to as mukto beni because the river separates, while Prayagraj is referred to as the jukto beni as the three rivers join here. A raised platform on the south-east corner houses three graves including that of Sayyid Fakhruddin. The other two graves belong to his wife and favourite eunuch. (updated Oct 2022)
• Uddharan Dutta Thakur's Sripat, Adi Saptagram. (updated Oct 2022)

Go next

• Hooghly

Routes through Bansberia

Ambika Kalna ← Rural Hooghly ←	N  S	→ Chandannagar → Howrah
Bardhaman ← Rural Hooghly ←	NW  S	→ Chandannagar → Howrah