Bakreshwar is a village in

Dubrajpur Dubrajpur is a city and a municipality in Suri Sadar subdivision of Birbhum district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Geography Location Dubrajpur is located at . It has an average elevation of 77 metres (252 feet). Connectivi ...

CD Block in

Suri Sadar subdivision Suri Sadar subdivision is an administrative subdivision of Birbhum district in the state of West Bengal, India. Overview Starting in its northern parts with the Brahmani-Mayurakshi Basin, a sub-micro physiographic region occupying the area betw ...

Birbhum Birbhum district () is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the northernmost district of Burdwan division—one of the five administrative divisions of West Bengal. The district headquarters is in Suri. Other impor ...

district in the

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...

Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station of West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited is a power station with an installed capacity of 1050 MW (5x210 MW) and it is proposed for capacity expansion of another 500 MW. Location Bakreshwar Thermal P ...

of West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited and

Bakreswar Thermal Power Plant Township Bakreswar Thermal Power Plant Township is an industrial township in Suri I block in Suri Sadar subdivision of Birbhum district in the Indian state of West Bengal Geography Location Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station, along with the industrial t ...

are located some distance away from this town. The nearest railway station of Bakreshwar is Siuri.

Etymology

The word Bakreshwar comes from the name of Lord

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

worshipped in the locality. ''Bakra'' (Vakra) means bent or curved. ''Ishwar'' means God. Mythologically it is said that in Satya Yuga during the marriage ceremony of

Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...

and Narayan,

Ashtavakra Ashtavakra ( sa, अष्टावक्रः, ) or Ushtaavukruhu is a revered Vedic sage in Hinduism. His name literally means "eight deformities", reflecting the eight physical deformities he was born with. His maternal grandfather was the ...

Muni (then known as Subrata Muni) was insulted by

Indra Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes/ref> I ...

. The muni was so enraged that he developed 8 cripples in his body (Ashtavakra Muni means a sage with 8 curved cripples, probably kyphoscoliotic). Ashtavakra Muni was blessed by lord Shiva here after many years of ''Tapashya'' (meditation). This place is also famous as one of the 51

Shakti Pithas The Shakti Pitha or the Shakti Peethas ( sa, शक्ति पीठ, , ''seat of Shakti'') are significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, the goddess-centric denomination in Hinduism. The shrines are dedicated to various fo ...

where there is a temple dedicated to

Adi Shakti Mahadevi ( sa, महादेवी, ), also referred to as Adi Parashakti, Adi Shakti, and Abhaya Shakti, is the supreme goddess in the Shaktism sect of Hinduism. According to this tradition, all Hindu goddesses are considered to be manifesta ...

. This is a major pilgrimage spot for Hindus.

Geography

Location

Bakreshwar is located at . It has an average elevation of 84 metres (276 feet).

Bakreshwar River The Bakreshwar River is a tributary of the Mayurakshi River. It originates in Santhal Parganas division of Jharkhand.Selim, Mohammad, ''Irrigation Projects in Birbhum District'',''Paschim Banga'', February 2006, (in Bengali), Birbhum special iss ...

flows beside the town.

Hot springs and temples

Bakreshwar is also a place of geological interest with many

hot springs A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by circ ...

. There are ten hot springs here. They are : # Paphara ganga. # Baitarini ganga. # Khar kunda : The water in this spring is of 66 degrees Celsius. # Bhairav kunda : The water in this spring is of 65 degrees Celsius. # Agni kunda : Agni means fire. The water in this spring is at 80 degrees Celsius. It is also rich in many minerals of sodium, potassium, calcium, silicates, chlorides, bicarbonates and sulphates which are said to have medicinal properties. It might also contain traces of radioactive elements. # Dudh kunda : Dudh means milk. The water of this spring attains a dull white hue during early morning probably due to ozone concentration. The water in this spring is at 66 degrees Celsius. # Surya kunda : Surya means sun. The water in this spring is of 61 degrees Celsius. # Shwet ganga. # Brahma kunda. # Amrita kunda. Temples at Bakreswar: # Ma Bhavatarini Mandir (Temple) # Bakreswar Temple (Main Temple) # Mahisasur Mardini (Temple) # Bhairabnath Temple

Bakreswar picture gallery

File:Bakreswar Temples and Hot spring 10.jpg, Bakreswar temples File:Bakreswar Temples and Hot spring 11.jpg, Smaller temples at Bakrehwar File:Bakreswar Temples and Hot spring 01.jpg, Bakreswar Hot spring entrance File:Bakreswar Temples and Hot spring 20.jpg, Smaller temples at Bakreswar

Economy

West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited (WBPDCL) operates 5 × 210 MW

. It is located near Chinpai off Panagarh–Morgram Highway

Healthcare

There is a primary health centre at Bakreshwar with 6 beds.

References

External links

*
Bakreshwar

Satellite view
{{Authority control Villages in Birbhum district Hot springs of India Landforms of West Bengal Tourist attractions in Birbhum district