The legendary actor, Amitabh Bachchan was born on October 11, 1942, in Allahabad to his parents, the late Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan. No one ever thought that Amitabh could even achieve half the heights his father had achieved as an exceptional poet. Too much pressure was on his shoulders, and no one would've thought that one-day Harivansh Rai Bachchan would be remembered by his son, Amitabh Bachchan's name. The actor had made his acting debut in Hindi cinema with the film, Saat Hindustani (1969), but it was his second film, Anand (1970), that changed everything for him, and since then, he has never looked back.
The iconic actor had lifted numerous awards like the National Film Awards, Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Filmfare Awards, Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, Legion of Honour, and many more. However, despite all the success that Amitabh Bachchan had achieved in his career, he had never let it dance on his head. That is one of the many reasons why he is respected and adored by actors of all generations.
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While everyone is aware of his iconic films, evergreen dialogues, and timeless characters, not everyone is aware of the fact that there's a temple dedicated to him in Kolkata. Yes! You read it right. There's a temple in the city of joy, which is known by the name, 'Bachchan Dham'. Here are some interesting facts about Amitabh Bachchan's temple that will surely blow your mind. So, without further ado, let's get straight into it!
Before we head into Amitabh Bachchan's temple, it is important to talk about the person, who built this temple. So, the man behind Bachchan Dham is Sanjay Patodiya, who refuses to call himself Big B's biggest fan in the world, despite constructing a temple to his name. The reason behind it is that Sanjay considers himself a devotee of Amitabh Bachchan rather than his fan.
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Just like most Bollywood fans don't miss a chance to pay a visit to the iconic actor, Amitabh Bachchan's house, Jalsa in Mumbai, people hardly skip visiting Bachchan Dham, whenever they're in the city of joy, Kolkata. Amitabh Bachchan's temple is located at Kustia's 10A, Shri Dhar Roy Road, Kolkata. Talking about the timings, the temple is reportedly open 24x7 for its devotees.
The sculpture at Amitabh Bachchan's temple, Bachchan Dham deserves special applause, as it is quite remarkable and isn't like most sculptures that differ from the natural person. However, this isn't the case with Big B's sculpture in his temple.
Another interesting thing about Bachchan Dham is that the clothes that they put in the sculpture are the same kind of clothes that Big B wears in real-life. In an interview with India Currents, Sanjay had talked about the same and had said:
"There are statues dedicated to him in London, Mumbai, Kolkata wax museum, but none of them are adorned with clothes that he actually wore, unlike this temple here. That is the specialty of the Amitabh Bachchan temple."
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In a conversation with India Currents, Sanjay Patodiya had opened up about his decision to dedicate a temple to his favourite actor and God, Amitabh Bachchan. The devotee compared his love for Amitabh with Meera's affection for Krishna and admitted that Big B is a God just like other Hindu deities, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva, for him. Sanjay had explained:
"For the longest time I felt that my love for Amitabh Bachchan transcended that of being just a fan. It was more of devotion. With this thought in mind, and after much attempts and conjectures, I was able to build this temple dedicated to Big B. Just like Meera had an unparalleled dedication and love for Krishna, I have the same feeling for Amitabh Bachchan ji. He is Lord Shiva to me and his son is Lord Ganesha."
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In the same interview with India Currents, Sanjay Patodiya had also shared how people made fun of him when he started building a temple for his idol, Amitabh Bachchan. It was indeed not a cakewalk for the devotee, who considered the Indian actor as a God in his life. However, despite a lot of issues from people, he had stuck to his plan and, in the end, managed to make Bachchan Dham, which is the only temple in the world dedicated to Amitabh Bachchan. Reflecting on the same, Sanjay had explained:
"A lot of people mocked us when we started building the temple. In the beginning people made fun of us, saying that how can we treat a human being like a God. But I have always maintained my stance that if we can treat our parents like gods then why can we not treat someone else's parents as gods as well?"
Another interesting thing about Amitabh Bachchan's temple, Bachchan Dham, in Kolkata is that a 79-line Chalisa is recited during the aarti time. Phrases like 'Jai Shri Amitabh Bachchan' are also written on the temple's walls. Not only this, but one can also spot the big banner 'Jai Amitabh Bachchan' at the top of the temple's entrance. No doubt, the way Sanjay Patodiya has built this temple is truly incredible, as everything inside the Bachchan Dham is quite similar to any other Hindu temple in the country.
Just like every other temple in the world, everyone needs to remove their footwear before entering the temple. Once you're inside the temple, you can see the shoes that Big B had worn in the films, Deewar and Agneepath being placed for the devotees to take darshan.
Apart from this, we can see priests all decked up in the get-up of his iconic character, Subhash Nagre, from the film, Sarkar. On all the walls of the temples, we can see numerous unseen pictures of the superstar, making it a treat to the eyes of any cinema fanatic.
What are your thoughts on Amitabh Bachchan's temple, Bachchan Dham, in Kolkata? Would you like to visit it? Let us know.
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