Sitakund
The Dhaka–Chittagong Highway runs through Sitakunda, connecting the two largest cities in Bangladesh. The Botanical Garden and the Eco-Park at Sitakunda is the first of its kind in Bangladesh providing an eco-friendly habitat for the wildlife and creating a healthy tourist resort are its priorities too.
Chandranath Temple is located on top of the Chandranath Hill, is a famous Shakti Peeth located near Sitakunda in Chattogram where, as per Hindu sacred texts, the right arm of Goddess Sati fell. Chandranath Temple is a pilgrimage site for Hindus.
According to legend, Shiva's wife Sati immolated herself in the yajna-fire of her father Daksha, as a protest against Shiva's dishonor. The God became furious and started to dance the Tāndava with Sati's body on his shoulders. Knowing that the dance of destruction was about to annihilate the world, Vishnu cut the body of Sati to pieces with Sudarshana Chakram, his celestial weapon, thereby appeasing Shiva. Each of 51 pieces of the body fell to earth, and the place where each piece fell became a holy center of pilgrimage or Shakti Peetha.
The legend goes that Sati's right arm fell near a now-extinct hot spring at the Chandranth peak in Sitakunda. The site is marked by the temple of Sambhunath just below the Chandranath temple on top of the peak, and it is a major tirtha for Hindus in Bangladesh.
Sitakunda also features 280 mosques (including the Shah Mosque) 8 mazars (including Baro Awlias Mazar, Kalu Shah Mazar, Fakir Hat Mazar, Shahjahani Shah Mazar), 49 Hindu temples (including Labanakhya Mandir, Chandranath Mandir, Shambunath Mandir), 3 ashrams (including Sitakunda Shankar Math), and 3 Buddhist temples. The Hammadyar Mosque, located at the village of Masjidda on the banks of a tank known as the Hammadyar Dighi, was built during the reign of Ghiyasuddin Mahmud Shah, the last Husain Shahi sultan of Bengal, as recorded by the inscription above the central entrance.
Languages spoken | Bengali |
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Currency used | Bangladeshi Taka BDT |
Area (km2) | 483.97 |
Country name | Bangladesh |