West Bengal’s Kiriteshwari Village Awarded Best Tourism Village of India Title for its Harmony and Unique Architecture

Kiriteshwari village in West Bengal has been named the Best Tourism Village in India, thanks to its communal harmony and unique religious architecture.

A comparatively new immaculate red-and-white temple stands beside the ruins of a 1000-year-old shrine overtaken by nature. Muslims take an active part in Hindu puja rituals. A temple roof is made combining Buddhist, Muslim, and Hindu architectural styles. Welcome to Kiriteshwari village in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, which has recently been selected by the Centre’s Ministry of Tourism as the Best Tourism Village of India.

Kiriteshwari village, also known as Kiritkona, located around 20 km from district headquarters Berhampur, is a sleepy hamlet with just a little more than 1,200 voters, whose main occupation is farming.

The place is a classic example of communal harmony. Here, the temple committee has members from the Muslim community, and they participate actively in various rituals related to the Hindu religion and culture. The Muslims have also given a piece of land to the Hindus since a portion of a temple was there.

Sirajul Islam, a member of the Kiriteshwari Temple Committee, mentioned, “My grandfather wanted to donate a piece of land for the temple, and that was given according to his wish. The paperwork was completed around two years ago.”

A grand feast is organized on the day of Ashtami during the Durga Puja festival every year, and 7,000 to 8,000 people, including many Muslim families, participate in it.

Dilip Kumar Bhattacharya, a priest of the Kiriteshwari temple, explained, “The shrine was built by Rani Bhavani of Natore, around 300 years ago, and pujas are performed every day. Later, Maharaja of Lalgola, Yogendra Narayan Roy, repaired it around a century back.”

The speciality of the 300-year-old Kiriteshwari temple lies in its structure as its roof has the influence of Buddhist, Muslim, and Hindu architecture. The design of the ‘garbha griha’ (sanctum sanctorum) where a black stone is worshipped as the goddess also reflects Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim architecture.

After the village received the honor last week, tourists from other areas have started coming.

Madan Mohan Mitra, a tourist from Kolkata, said, “I have heard about the temple earlier. But the zeal to visit the place increased after it bagged the Centre’s award a few days ago. I liked the place.”

Villagers who run small shops selling puja items near the temple feel their lives are about to change in the coming future as the award will bring more tourists. However, they also express the need for infrastructure development to boost tourism, including lodges, a hospital, and a police station.

Murshidabad District Magistrate Rajarshi Mitra said that the award has been given considering the immense potential of the place to grow into a tourism hub. “The temple here is very old yet functional. The state government has sanctioned funds for the restoration of the ruins,” Mitra said.

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