The Calling. in My Story

I recently went on a roadtrip to Jhargram(West Bengal) with my family. On the second last day of our trip, having exhausted all our options for local sightseeing we had nothing to do after lunch. But, since we would be returning home, to our mundane lives the very next day, we just wanted to go for a drive after lunch. Usually, in unknown places like these, where google maps is our only guide, having a destination is a must if you want to go for a drive. So my father quickly looked up a temple, which was a 2.5hr drive from our resort. Little did I know then, what an amazing temple I was about to visit.

The name of the temple is Rameswar situated in Gopiballavpur. The temple is located near Subarnarekha river and the presiding deity here is Lord Shiva. This temple is said to have been built by Lord Vishwakarma under the patronage of Lord Ram on Devi Sita’s request.According to legend, Maharshi Valmiki had started writing the Ramayana at the footsteps of this temple. About 8 kms away from this temple lies a place named Tapovan. It is believed that Maharshi Valmiki’s ashram was situated in Tapovan where Devi Sita took refuge after being disowned by Lord Ram and gave birth to her twins Luv and Kush. A few worn out, ancient pillars also stood in the temple complex(the cover photo of this post).

When I visited there, the garbha griha (sanctum sanctorum) was closed. Although I could peep inside through the metal gate. I tried to use the flashlight in my phone to see inside. Although I could see the interiors of the garbha griha, the shivalinga was enveloped in darkness which my flashlight could not penetrate. The shivalinga was small and its position was only discernible by the flickering light of an oil lamp placed near it. There was a powerful divine presence in the temple, and I did not feel disheartened at not being able to see the presiding deity. On the contrary I felt content and humbled.

In the middle portion of the temple, on the ceiling hung numerous metal bells all of which were huge.Behind the temple there was a huge tree(I don’t know which tree it was) where many people had tied red threads in the hope of having their desires fulfilled.

I’m glad I got to visit this ancient temple by some divine coincidence even though it was not a part of our itinerary.

I would like to end this blog here. Thank you for reading this post and giving me your precious time. See you soon 😊