Bhabanipur Shakti Peetha, Bogura

Ma Bhabani / Aparṇā · Bhabanipur, Sherpur Upazila, Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh

Shakti Peetha

At Bhabanipur in Bangladesh, Ma Bhabani is worshipped as Aparna in the Karatoya Peetha tradition, with sacred ponds and a history of Natore patronage.

Tiled temple front at Bhabanipur with three red arched openings, devotional pictures and a view toward the central dressed image. — Bhabanipur Shaktipitha, Sherpur, Bogura, Bangladesh. Photograph: Sabbir Sohan; 14 May 2012 (original upload date). Temple worship setting photographed in 2012; not a claim of the current facade condition. Image source. CC BY-SA 3.0.

Quick facts

Primary deity: Ma Bhabani / Aparṇā
Location: Bhabanipur, Sherpur Upazila, Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh
Classification: PN 51 working list
City / regional gateway: Sherpur; Bogura is the larger regional gateway
Major festival periods: Maghi Purnima; Ram Navami; Durga Puja; Shyama Puja; Nabanna

On this page

Spiritual importance and significance

Bhabanipur is a Goddess pilgrimage place in Sherpur Upazila of Bogura, Bangladesh. The temple committee names its Shakti as Aparna and its Bhairava as Bamesh or Bamon. Ma Bhabani is the devotional name used for the presiding Goddess.

The Karatoyātaṭa entry in the selected Pithanirnaya witness names Aparṇā and Vāmana or Vāmeśa. Its body-part readings include the left ear and variants involving the sole or ankle. Local sources preserve additional associations. The shrine’s place in Goddess worship is well attested even though these formulations differ.

Pithanirnaya: Sanskrit text and translation.

The sacred pond and the Peetha tradition

The committee’s account tells of a girl who bought conch bangles and directed the seller to the Natore household for payment. When the queen came to the pond, the Goddess revealed her bangle-wearing wrists from the water. The pond is remembered as Shakha Pukur, and bathing there forms part of the pilgrimage tradition.

The same account preserves several Sati associations, including an anklet, ribs, eye and bedding. Banglapedia’s regional table records bedding at Karatoya. These accounts belong to the shrine’s sacred memory; they are not descriptions of excavated bodily relics.

Bhabanipur committee: historical shrine and worship account.

What makes Bhabanipur distinctive?

The worship of Ma Bhabani as Aparna in the Karatoya Peetha tradition.
Shakha Pukur and the local story of the conch-bangle seller.
A regional history connecting the shrine with the Natore estate and its patrons.

History and development

Masahiko Togawa’s Banglapedia account places the shrine’s prosperity under the Natore Raj in the eighteenth century and connects its devotional name with Rani Bhabani. It describes the continuing relationship between the estate, its emigrant family members and festival offerings.

Sherpur’s official history also attributes the surviving temple establishment to eighteenth-century patronage by Rani Bhabani. It records later land and maintenance arrangements and subsequent renovation efforts. The sources describe successive periods of support and management; they do not give a single construction date for every shrine in the grounds.

Masahiko Togawa, Banglapedia: Sakta-pitha.

The Devi and the temple grounds

The reproduced photograph identifies the dressed image as Ma Bhabani. The visible face, crown, red textiles and flowers document a particular devotional presentation. A view through the tiled, arched temple front shows the shrine within its worship setting.

The committee describes a complex containing the main temple, Shiva shrines, a Patal Bhairav shrine, Gopal and Basudev shrines, and a natmandir. Its description also places the sacred pond and bathing ghats within the wider grounds.

Bhabanipur committee: historical shrine and worship account.

Worship, festivals and visiting

Maghi Purnima and Ram Navami are the two principal festivals named by the committee. Durga Puja, Shyama Puja and Nabanna are also observed. Sherpur’s official account records pilgrimage gatherings at several of these festivals, but it does not establish a dependable quiet-day pattern.

Reach the Sherpur area and confirm the local road connection to Bhabanipur. The district’s older account gives roughly forty kilometres from Bogura, while other sources give shorter approximate figures. The difference is a reason to check the actual starting point and route before travelling.

Sherpur Upazila: Ma Bhabani temple history.

Planning Your Visit

Nearest major city: Sherpur; Bogura is the larger regional gateway
Temple location: Bhabanipur, Sherpur Upazila
State / province / region: Rajshahi Division
Country: Bangladesh
Typical access route: The temple committee describes approaches from the Dhaka–Rangpur highway through the Sherpur area, including Ghoga Bot-tola. Confirm the final Bhabanipur road connection locally.
Important festival periods: Maghi Purnima; Ram Navami; Durga Puja; Shyama Puja; Nabanna
Government tourism / heritage URL: Government tourism / heritage URL
Visitor-information sources and checked date: Sources reviewed 2026-10-22; linked in Sources. Historical observations are dated separately from current visitor information.

Practical temple information

Opening pattern: The committee describes morning offerings, midday worship and evening arati; confirm current darshan hours before travel.

Last verified: 2026-10-22. Check the linked institution for changed arrangements.

Nearby sacred and cultural places

The sacred pond, bathing ghats and subsidiary shrines are the closest places to consider during a visit. Sherpur’s wider heritage includes Shah Bandegi’s shrine and other historical sites. Their religious histories are distinct from the Aparna Peetha tradition.