Holy Place in West Bengal

Kolkata has an amalgam of holy places. The city has been deeply influenced by great reformers and preachers of Indian sub continent. The city houses a diverse population who are followers of major faiths like Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Buddhism, Christianity and Judaism. The holy places as such include popular worshipping places like temples, mosques, churches and synagogues. Some of these worshipping places form the local tourist attractions. These holy places includes Dakshineswar Kali Temple, Belur Math, Nakhoda Mosque, Paresnath Temple, St Paul's Cathedral and Portuguese Cathedral.

The holy places mentioned are important following their historical importance or association with great religious thinkers and spiritual visionaries. Ramakrishna Parmahamsa, one such reformist of the 19th century has left great impressions in the city. Dakshineswar Kali Temple is associated with this personality. Belur Math is an amalgam of a temple, mosque and church. Besides popular holy places there are numerous worshipping places scattered in the city.

Cassimbazaar
Cassimbazaar, just north-east of Berhampur, has Hindu, Jain, Muslim and British landmarks. The town is a hinterland of three Ganga tributaries, the Bhagirathi, the Padma and the Jalangi. Cassimbazaar was the key trade and commerce town of 17th and 18th century Murshidabad.

The town has Maharaja Manindrachandra Nandy's Cassimbazaar Palace. The Palace has 100 pillars, all of which have exquisite lotus designs. Its walls are decorated with terracotta art. The front courtyard of the palace has 24 Jain temples. These temples commemorate all the Tirthankaras of the Jain religion.

There are ten Shiva mandirs in Cassimbazaar. During the 1800s, a small replica of the Katra Masjid, Murshidabad was built in Cassimbaazar.

Traces of British residence dot the colonial tableau at Cassimbazaar and there are several British graves to be seen. In 1658, Job Charnock, the founder of Calcutta, taught at Cassimbazaar for a monthly salary of Rs. 300. Towards the middle of the 19th century, the British built the Krishnanath College at Cassimbazaar, styled after England's Oxford University. Noted Bengali filmmaker, Ritwik Ghatak, was a student of this college.