Adinath Temple (আদিনাথ মন্দির)

Adinath Temple stands on Mainak Hill on Maheshkhali Island, the only hilly island in Bangladesh, in Cox's Bazar district. The temple is dedicated to Shiva in his form as Adinath, the first lord. It is one of the most important Hindu shrines in the south-east of the country.

Local tradition links the temple with the legend of Ravana carrying a Shiva lingam from the Himalayas, and with a later dream revelation to a local merchant who found the lingam on the hill. The present buildings are of fairly recent date, with the main shrine believed to have been built several centuries ago and rebuilt since. A Buddhist monastery and Rakhine settlements are nearby, so the island has a mix of faiths.

The temple complex sits about 85.3 metres above sea level and is reached by a flight of steps from the foot of the hill. Besides the main Shiva shrine, it includes shrines to Durga and other deities, and an ashram. From the hilltop there are views over the island's mangroves, salt fields and the Bay of Bengal toward Cox's Bazar.

Every year in February or March, the festival of Shiva Chaturdashi draws large numbers of pilgrims, and a fair runs at the foot of the hill for several days.

There is no entry fee. Maheshkhali is reached by speedboat or trawler from the 6 No. Jetty in Cox's Bazar, a crossing of about 15 to 30 minutes, followed by a rickshaw or auto rickshaw ride to the temple.

Two shrine rooms for Shiva and Durga

The older northern part of Adinath Temple has two square shrine rooms, each about 3.35 metres a side, roofed with domes set on pendentives. The eastern room holds the Adinath banalinga of Shiva. The western room holds an eight-armed image of Durga, the Ashtabhuja. The whole temple is about 6 metres high and measures 10.5 by 9.75 metres, with inner walls more than a metre thick.

Look for the bow-shaped entrance, the octagonal pillars and the lotus, kalasa and chakra finials on the roof, with trident decoration above. The second and third sections of the building are recent additions, built to give pilgrims more room.

Adinath and the Natha tradition

Adinath, the first lord, is a name for Shiva closely tied to the Natha tradition, which grew out of Shaivism and Buddhism in the 10th and 11th centuries alongside the Tantric texts. Local stories link the temple with the yogi Goraksanath, but Banglapedia notes there is no firm evidence for that link.

Eight days of crowds and boats from Cox's Bazar

The annual fair starts on Shiva Chaturdashi, the fourteenth day of the dark half of the month of Falgun, and runs for eight to ten days. Boats from Cox's Bazar run full in that week, so cross early in the morning and expect long queues at the jetty in the afternoon.