Description:
It was the first European settlement in West Bengal and still bears the traces of its past. Bandel is the site of the Portuguese settlement. The Portuguese Church and the Monastry were built here in 1599. It was destroyed by Shah Jahan in 1640 but was rebuilt in 1660. The church is the main attraction which is the oldest Christian church in West Bengal, the Church of our Lady of Bandel and is dedicated to Nosa Senhora di Rozario. It was declared a basilica in 1988.
The church is built in beautiful Doric architectural style of ancient Greece. Inside there are beautiful paintings depicting scenes from the life of Jesus.
The old port of Bansberia, earlier known as the Saptagram, is just four km from Bandel. The temples of Ananta Vasudeva and Hanseswari are famous here. The Vasudeva temple is constructed in the traditional ekaratna style with curved cornices and an octagonal tower. The temple was built in 1679 by Raja Rameshwar Dutta. The walls of the temple are covered with terracotta carvings depicting scenes from the Hindu epics.
The architectural splendour that is the Hanseshwari temple is very nearby. It was started by Raja Narsinghdeo in 1801 and was completed in 1814. In its unique architectural style, there are 13 turrets and the peak is shaped like a thousand petalled lotus. This 21 meter high structure of brick, wood, stone is dedicated to Goddess Hanseshwari, an incarnation of Goddess Kali. Built according to Tantric principles, the five-storey temple carries suggestions of the five main arteries of the human body - Ira, Pingala, Bajraksha, Sushumna and Chitrini. Inside, there is a blue neem wood idol of the four-armed Goddess Hanseswari.
