Disciple:
Salutations, Gurudev.
Guru:
Salutations, my son. Please, speak.
Disciple:
Gurudev, since you started this YouTube channel, you have discussed various topics—from COVID and spirituality to education, nature, and healthcare. You have also spoken about many temples. Today, we would like to hear from you about a specific temple located between Tribeni and Bandel.
Guru:
Yes, that temple is situated right on the banks of the Ganges, between Bandel and Tribeni. You see, West Bengal is home to many magnificent temples where the deities are considered "living." However, many people visit them merely to look around and leave. They don't realize the profound secrets hidden within these structures.
Disciple:
You mean the architecture?
Guru:
Exactly. They don't understand it, and most don't even try to. I want to talk about the Mother—Ma Hangseshwari.
Guru:
The word "Hang" represents Shiva, and "Sa" represents the Mother's Shakti (power). Together, they form "Hangsa." When we worship the Sun, we use this rhythm. It is like a Kumbhaka (breathing technique). We inhale "Hang" and exhale "Sa." This "Hangsa" resides in our throat. It is difficult for an ordinary person to grasp its full glory. When we pray to the Sun, we say: "Om Hring Hang Sa Martanda Bhairavaya Prakashaya Shakti Sahitaya Bhagavate Shri Suryaya Namaha."
Guru:
This "Hang" and "Sa" are part of our very breath—the rhythm of taking in and letting out life. God resides within this breath.
Guru:
It is in Bansberia. Long ago, there was a King named Rameshwar Ray. The Emperor Aurangzeb had gifted him 400 bighas of land and the title of "Raja" (King). Years later, his descendant, Nrisingha Deb Ray, was born. He was a great Yogi.
Guru:
He left for Benares and stayed there for five years, deeply immersing himself in Tantra, Yoga, and physical disciplines. He mastered the secrets of the Kula-kundalini, the Shat-chakras (six chakras) like the Svadhisthana, Manipura, and Vishuddha. He realized that everything that exists in the universe is within our own bodies.
Guru:
He decided to build a temple that mirrored the human anatomy. It was meant to represent the six passions (Shripu) and the yogic journey. Construction began in 1799, but unfortunately, he passed away in 1802 before it could be finished. He had intended this temple for the welfare of humanity—a place where the body's spiritual architecture could be studied.
Guru:
The temple is five stories high, representing different parts of the human body. It has 13 towers (Gombuj), and atop each one is a lotus. All deities are traditionally depicted on lotuses, and here, there are thirteen. To a casual observer, it's just a temple, but for those who practice Tantra, it is a map of spiritual realization. Each floor represents a stage of the body's internal energy.
Guru:
After the King's death, his widow, Queen Shankari, completed the temple in 1814 to honor her husband's vision.
Guru:
There is also a terracotta temple right next to it dedicated to Lord Vishnu. But the main five-story building is unique. Everything required for Tantric practice and the mastery of the senses is embedded in its design. Even the idol of the Mother is special. She is made of blue neem wood—a very rare thing. She has four arms: one holds a sword (Korti), another a severed head, and the others are in the Abhaya (fearless) and Varada (blessing) mudras.
Guru:
She is seated on a lotus that emerges from the navel of Lord Shiva, who lies beneath her. She sits in a specific yogic posture with one leg crossed over the other.
Guru:
One cannot understand this temple in an hour or two. It takes time to realize its depth. Nrisingha Deb Ray chose this path over a worldly life. He was even invited to Britain but refused the trip to stay and master these spiritual truths.
Guru:
I tell everyone: if you want to understand Tantra and Yoga, you must visit the Hangseshwari Temple in Bansberia. Don't just read about it in books; see it with your own eyes. It is a masterpiece built for the welfare of the soul.