117-year old Ganesha temple rebuilt, religion procession marks iuguration

From a Correspondent

DHUBRI, Feb 22: A long socio-cultural and religious procession was taken out in Gauripur town on Thursday to iugurate the 117-year old Ganesha Temple rebuilt with added grandeur in Gauripur town of Dhubri district. Chanting of religious hymns, beating of drums and blowing of conches filled the air of Gauripur town while a long procession proceeded from the temple premises led by former legislator, Bonedra Kumar Mushahary, Bijoy Kumar Jain and other leading and senior residents of the town, passed through the main streets of town and culmited at the huge gate of the temple in ward no 1.

The main gate of the temple was iugurated by Sohini Devi, a pious and oldest woman of Gauripur  town, while religious flag was hoisted by Dhubri Deputy Commissioner, Ant Lal Gyani  and a plaque of the temple unveiled by Dhubri Superintendent of Police, Longnit Terang.

Thousands of residents, religious and cultural groups participated in the two-hour long procession and other rituals that followed by installation of the idol of Ganesha in the newly-built temple and distribution of prasad. The two-day iuguration and installation of idol programme got underway since Wednesday where highly revered priests from Baras and other places were invited to install the idol of Ganesha by long rituals of sanctifying the temple and its premises. Reconstruction of  the 117-years old Ganesha Temple was carried by Ganesh Akhara of Gauripur town with glitz and grandeur.

Talking to The Sentinel, former legislator of Gauripur, Bonendra Kumar Muhahary and president of Ganesh Akhara Committee, said, “Residents of Gauripur, all the members of the committee and more particularly our vice-president, Biju Jain (Bijoy Kumar Jain) contributed a lot and worked hard over the last three years to get this temple opened by performing all rituals.” Vice-president of Ganesh Akhara Committee, Bijoy Kumar Jain said that they as team worked and tried to give a new look of the temple with all amenities for offering prayer. “Not only this, keeping the needs of the society in mind, the committee has constructed  a huge Bibaha Bhavan (marriage hall) measuring 3600 sq ft with cooking space, five large rooms for accommodation of guests with all facilities, separate rooms for accommodation of priests and others essentials rooms have also been constructed as there was dearth of these facilities in Gauripur town,” Jain added.

A source in the Ganesh Akhara Committee informed that Raja Prabhat Chandra Barua doted the land measuring over 3 bighas in 1901 in Gauripur, now located in ward no 1, to the Ganesh Akhara Committee where a Ganesh Temple was constructed and wrestling used to be held.