Dhakeshwari National Temple

The Dhakeshwari Temple is the most important Hindu temple in Bangladesh and gives its name to the capital: Dhaka is said to derive from the goddess Dhakeshwari, a form of Durga, worshipped here. Tradition traces the temple back to the twelfth century and King Ballal Sen of Bengal, while the present buildings date from the nineteenth century. In 1996 it received the status of a national temple. The complex was badly damaged during the 1971 Liberation War, and its ongoing reconstruction remains a symbol of the Hindu minority's relationship with the Bangladeshi state. The high point of the year is Durga Puja in autumn, when tens of thousands move through the decorated grounds.