Baneshwar Shiva Temple to undergo renovation

Cooch Behar: To promote tourism in Baneshwar, the traditional Baneshwar Shiva Temple in Cooch Behar will be renovated by the Debuttor Trust Board. This initiative goes beyond simply decorating the temple with modern lighting; it also includes plans to renovate the guest house and dharamshala on the temple premises for the convenience of tourists. According to sources from the Debuttor Trust Board, this work will commence very soon.

Kunal Banarjee, a member of the Debuttor Trust Board and Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of Cooch Behar Sadar, said: “The Baneshwar Shiva Temple will be decorated with flood lights. There is a guest house on the temple premises. Dormitories in the front will be moved to the back and the guest house will be modernised.”

Baneshwar, located in Cooch Behar II Block, is home to a traditional Shiva temple. Tourists flock to Baneshwar from far and wide, attracted by the Mohan (tortoise) in the Shiva Dighi on the temple premises. A fair is held in the month of Shravan, attracting large numbers of devotees to the Baneshwar Temple throughout the month. As a result, Baneshwar has become one of the major tourist centres in Cooch Behar. While the temple premises are easily visited during the day, the lack of lighting at night poses some issues, as reported by tourists. To address this problem, the initiative has been taken to cover the temple premises with flood lights.

Additionally, there are currently no good guest houses or lodges in Baneshwar for tourists to stay in. Due to this, many tourists are unable to extend their visits. There has been a long-standing demand for the renovation and modernisation of the guest house and Dharamshala on the temple premises. In response to this demand, the rooms in the guest house will be enlarged and beautified with new furniture.

The people of Cooch Behar are pleased with this decision by the Debuttor Trust Board. A local shopkeeper said: “Baneshwar relies on tourists. If this place is developed further and the number of tourists increases, the local traders will prosper. If the traders prosper, the common people will benefit and the entire area will develop.”