Belur Rashbari

A beautiful forty feet high nabaratna (nine pinnacled) temple dedicated to Shri Shri Radharaman Jiu along with a magnificent rasmancha was built by Late Purna Chandra Dawn, the eldest son of Shiv Krishna Dawn of Jorasanko Dawn family in Belur Howrah in the year 1890 (21st Jaistha, 1297). This temple is very close to Kalyaneswar Shiv Mandir of Bally.

Main temple (front view)

Rashmancha

Shri Shri Radharaman Jiu

Main temple (side view)

Apart from the temple and rasmancha, there exists three aatchala (eight roofed) 24 feet tall Shiva temples on the either side of the main temple facing the Ganges.There are also two nahabatkhanas on both the sides along with a naatmandir with grand pillars just opposite to the main temple. A rare and a beautiful clock tower is situated in the middle of the tempe complex. There also exists rooms for the sebaiths, rooms for making bhog and, of course, Rashbari ghats. The temple took around two years to complete. One could witness the names of the founders of the temple along with the year and the dates in Bengali in the stone staircase which leads to the temple.

Main gate on G.T.Road

Rashbari Ghat

At present the Shiva temples along with one nahabatkhana are already renovated. The clock tower is undergoing renovation. It no doubt adds to the granduer of the temple.

Naatmandir

Nahabatkhana

Renovated Shiva temples

Clock tower

Rash is the main festival here. Many people came here to witness the festival and a fair is also held on Rash purnima (fullmoon). The fair lasts for about three weeks.

In the evening of Rash, the idols of Radharaman Jiu are brought out of the main temple and placed in the rasmancha. Another striking feature here is the life of Krishna which is displayed during the Rash festival through clay idols. The idol of Krishna is made of kasthi pathar (touch stone) and that of Radha of asto dhatu (an alloy of eight metals). Dolyatra is also celeberated here but it is pancham dol (which means fifth day after Dolyatra).