Belwa village of Katihar, famous as the holy place of great poet Kalidas
Rajkumar Sah, Barsoi (Katihar). Enthusiasm regarding Saraswati Puja is at its peak in Belwa village, famous as the penance place of great poet Kalidas. There is an atmosphere of faith, reverence and enthusiasm in the village and surrounding areas. This very ancient abode of Mata Neel Saraswati situated here is not only a center of religious faith, but also contains within itself deep historical and archaeological importance. According to local beliefs, the great poet Kalidas attained divine knowledge by performing rigorous penance of Mother Neel Saraswati at this very place.
It was only by the grace of his mother that he became a world famous poet from an ignorant person and later after reaching Ujjain, he got a place among the Navratnas of Maharaj Vikramaditya. It is said that in ancient times the Belwa area was surrounded by dense forests situated on the banks of the Mahananda River. In this forest area, a huge black-blue colored stone statue of Mother Saraswati was installed. Kalidas had performed penance in front of this statue and had seen the Mother Goddess in person.
Ancient abode of Mata Neel Saraswati in Belwa
Local priest Rajiv Chatterjee says that this ancient statue was damaged during the Mughal period. After this, from time to time thieves made three attempts to steal the statue. The first two attempts failed, but in the 1980s the original statue of the Mother was stolen with the help of a motor vehicle, which has not been recovered till date. Despite this, there was no decrease in the faith of the devotees. At present, with the help of a businessman from Kolkata, a grand statue of white marble has been installed, which is being worshiped formally for the last ten years.
Confluence of faith, history and penance
Offerings are offered in the morning and evening and regular rituals are performed in the temple. Evidence of antiquity still exists in and around the temple complex. There are two huge ancient Shivalingas, one of which is enshrined in the temple, while the other is situated on the roadside. According to the local people, during the excavation in the area, ancient bricks, miniature metal sculptures and many archaeological remains have been found from the pond, which indicate the existence of an advanced ancient civilization here.
There is a possibility of finding more important remains when the pond located near the temple is excavated. Regular worship is performed by the Brahmin colony settled here. For the last three years, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has adopted this ancient temple. The statue of Lord Jagannath along with Mother Saraswati has also been installed in the temple premises. ISKCON servants are playing an active role in the management of the temple, regular worship and conservation work. This confluence of faith, history and culture still gives Belwa a unique identity.
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