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Photo: Amartyabag, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Unlike its neighbour Hangeshwari the Ananta Basudev Temple follows the typical Bengal temple architecture of ek-ratna, single pinnacle. The pinnacle of Anantabasudev Temple is octagonal. The temple is known for its intricate terracotta ornamentation. The terracotta panels of Anata Basudev Temple contain an interesting mix, covering religious figures like Kali, Durga and Krishna along with panels of boats & ships, dancing girls, scenes from war and last but not least scenes from daily life.
Ananta Basudeba temple is a Hindu temple of Lord Krishna in the Hangseshwari temple complex in Banshberia, in the Hooghly District in the Indian state of West Bengal. Built by Raja Rameswar Datta in 1679, this temple is noted for the exquisite terra cotta works on its walls. It is built in the traditional eka-ratna style, with curved cornices. The tower on top of the temple is octagonal. The terracota works depict stories from the great Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, as well as from lilas of Krishna.
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হংসেশ্বরী মন্দির Haṁseśbarī Mandir
A Hindu temple dedicated to Hangseshwari, a form of Goddess Kali and an incarnation of Devi. It was built between 1799 and 1814. The temple has a distinctive architecture different from the usual pattern present in this area, consisting 13 minars or Ratnas, each built as a blooming lotus bud. The inner structure of the building resembles human anatomy.
The dargah contains the mortal remains of Zafar Khan, a commander of the Delhi Sultan Feroze Shah. He defeated the local Hindu king and established the Turkish rule in Bengal. Later he died fighting another Hindu king of the region. He was laid to rest on a mound overlooking the Hooghly River. The dragha is housed inside a walled complex which also houses a mosque. The dargah came up in 1315 while the construction date of the mosque is 1292. The roof of the dragha has collapsed. The dragha has two chambers and the western chamber contains the grave of Zafar Khan along with his two sons and daughter-in-law. The eastern chamber also has four graves. The mosque is located on the western end of the complex and happens to be the oldest mosque in Bengal (West Bengal and Bangladesh combined). The mosque has a five-arched entrance on the eastern side. The mosque had 10 domes out of which only 6 survive. Both the mosque and the dragah has the presence of several Hindu motifs and symbols in its walls. It is quite likely that the materials of Hindu temples were used to construct both structures.
An old holy place for the Hindus. Here the Hooghly River divides into three branches. The branches are Hooghly, Jamuna and Saraswati. Apart from the Hooghly the other two branches have almost dried up, Tribeni is often referred to as "muktabeni" because the river separates, while Prayagraj is referred to as the "yuktabeni" as the three rivers join here. A raised platform on the south-east corner houses three graves including that of Sayyid Fakhruddin. The other two graves belong to his wife and favourite eunuch. Tribeni organises its own mini-Kumbh Mela every year, around the same time as the main Kumbh Mela in other parts of India.