Jalpaiguri: Hidden deep within the Baikunthapur Forest Range, in the remote Mechpara area of Bodaganj, stands the Shaleshwari Bon Durga Temple—an ancient shrine steeped in mystery, heritage and fading devotion.
Despite its name, the temple houses not one but two distinct idols of Goddess Durga. Inside the sanctum, alongside idols of Goddess Kali and Goddess Shitala, rests a 2.5-foot plaster-of-Paris idol of Shaleshwari Bon Durga, depicted seated on a tiger. In a nearby shrine, however, a 21-inch black stone idol portrays Durga as Mahishasura Mardini—the 10-armed goddess slaying the demon, mounted on a lion.
Every year in the month of Agrahayan, the grand Bon Durga Puja is observed here, though on a modest scale. “During Durga Puja, offerings at both idols are limited to incense, flowers and sweets,” said temple priest Animesh Roy. The temple complex also includes shrines dedicated to Narayan, Ganga, Yamuna, Shiva, Pir Baba and Bishwakarma. Devotees tie pieces of red cloth around the sal trees surrounding the temple as symbolic offerings, continuing an age-old tradition.
Local lore ties the shrine to the erstwhile kings of Baikunthapur. “The kings would arrive at Mechpara on elephant-back and offer prayers at this sal tree before venturing into the forests for hunting,” recalled 90-year-old priest Gulancha Roy. Essayist Umesh Sharma, reflecting on the temple’s origins, noted: “Shaleshwar was once worshipped as a fertility deity in barren lands, while the sal tree was revered as Shiva. Shaleshwari may have emerged as the maternal forest goddess, later evolving into Bon Durga. Royal archives, however , do not mention her.”
Despite its cultural and historical significance, the temple remains neglected. “So many pilgrims visit the nearby Bhramari Temple, but only a few come to this awakened shrine,” lamented priest Tarkeshwar Roy.
“With government support, Shaleshwari Bon Durga could become a major religious tourism site. Instead, we continue quietly with daily rituals amid the sal and teak forests.”
Far from the bustling festive grandeur of urban Durga Puja, the Shaleshwari Bon Durga temple stands as a silent testament to faith—where the goddess is worshipped both as the gentle Bon Durga and the fierce Mahishasura Mardini.