Nandini Shakti Peeth is among the 51 Shakti Peeth of Maa Sati. It is said that, the Necklace fell of maa Sati fell here, when lord Vishnu in order to relieve lord Shiva from grief of losing his wife Sati, used his ‘Sudarshan Chakra’ to incise maa Sati Body. Then, at the place of fall of Necklace, this temple was constructed. Nandini Shakti Peeth is situated in Birbhum district, West Bengal, India. Here the idol of maa Sati is called as ‘Nandini’ and the lord Shiva is worshipped as ‘Nandikeshwar’. The picturesque view presented by the Tista river is something that everyone should look for, when coming to this temple for offering their prayers to Maa Nandini. The art and architecture of the temple is very simple, but the ambience of the temple looks adorable.
History of Nandini Peeth
History to this place dates back in the time when it is said that the Necklace of Maa Sati fell to this place. There is lot of information available about this Shakti Peeth in the religious books and these religious books can be obtained outside the temple or good religious book store. The native people also know lot about this Shakti Peeth and it would be a better idea to sit with them and learn more about the facts that are related to this Shakti Peeth.
Festivals in Nandini temple
- Makar Sankranti, Sharad Purnima, Deepawali, Somvati Amavasya, Ram Navami are some of the other important festivals being celebrated here.
- Durga Puja and Kali Puja are quite famous in this part of country. Durga Puja is among the most celebrated festival here and there is a 5 day holiday in this part of country. Although the Durga Puja is celebrated in other states also, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Kashmir, Karnataka and Kerala, but Durga Puja is best celebrated in West Bengal. The day of celebration is decided by the Hindu calendar.
- People (Almost every day) offer their offering to the god in form of fruit, milk, homemade sweets etc.
Where to stay
If you are looking for either cheap or expensive type of accommodation, then both are available here. Here the rent of each room may vary from Rs 400 to Rs 12000. Also there are several non payable guest houses or dharmsalas that are run by the various nonprofit organizations. Beware of the touts who promises to give hi-fi deals with cheap rates. A donation to these Dharmsalas is a good idea.
Shopping around Nandini temple
- Religious Paraphernalia can be bought from the shops that are located just outside the temple.
- Traditional Clothes like white and red cotton Sari can be bought from here, at local market.
- Local delicacies like Shondish and White Rasgullas, is really something that needs to be tasted.
- Rice and Daal is quite famous here and common appetite in the menu of hotels.
- Bargaining for the items is really necessary here as shopkeepers tend to ask higher price for the good that you want to purchase.
Other places that can be visited nearby
Following are some of the places that you might want to visit:
- Mandarmani, Kolkata, Sunderbans Tiger Reserve, Sagar Island, Bishnupur, Shantiniketan, Murshidabad & Berhampore, Gaur & Pandua, Siliguri & New Jalpaiguri, Jaldhapara Wildlife Sanctuary, Mirik, Darjeeling are some of the star attractions nearby this Shakti Peeth.
- Bhairav temple, Lord Vishnu, Hanuman ji, Ram-Sita, Dashavatar, Navdurga and Lord Jagannath temple are some of the religious structures that are built near this Shakti Peeth.
How to reach the Nandini temple
- Direct trains are available to Birbhum station Railway station and various trains ply directly from Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Patna to Kolkata and from Kolkata; you need to board other local trains to reach Birbhum.
- Several deluxe bus services are available to Birbhum ply to this part.
- Nearest airport is in the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and national as well as international flights are available till here.
- But it is advisable to have taxi or your own mode of transportation when you are coming to Birbhum from airport.
- Rickshaw, Auto Rickshaw and Bus are common mode of transportation inside the city.
- Take necessary steps to protect yourself from sunburn etc, because in the summer season, temperature shoots up to 40+ degrees in this part of the country.