नेपाली वास्तुकला शैली से सज्जित इस मंदिर को बिहार का खजुराहो या मिनी खजुराहो कहा जाता है

- सुमन्त शरण

INTACH (Indian nation trust for art and cultural heritage) के सौजन्य से नेपाल और भारत के सांस्कृतिक/धार्मिक सहमेल के तक़रीबन चार सौ पुराने एक अनूठे प्रतीक तथा काष्ठ वास्तुशिल्प के मामले में अपने ढंग के संभवतः इकलौते अप्रतिम नमूना - नेपाली छावनी मंदिर - के परिभ्रमण का अवसर मिला। वैशाली जिला मुख्यालय हाजीपुर के गंगा-गंडक नदी के संगम के कौनहारा घाट पर स्थित इस मंदिर को बिहार का खजुराहो या मिनी खजुराहो भी कहा जाता है।

भगवान शिव के इस मंदिर के वाह्य ढांचे पर काष्ठ कला की बारीक कारीगरी देखी जा सकती है जिसमें काम क्रीड़ा के अलग-अलग आसनों का अत्यंत कलात्मक एवं सौंदर्यमूलक चित्रण है। यही कारण है कि इसे बिहार का मिनी खजुराहो कहा जाता है। खजुराहो की मंदिर में रति क्रीड़ा में निमग्न ऐसे चित्रों को जहां पत्थरों पर उकेरा गया है, वहीं इस नेपाली मंदिर में ये लकड़ी (काष्ठ) के पैनल पर उत्कीर्ण हैं। नेपाली वास्तुकला शैली से सज्जित इस ऐतिहासिक मंदिर का निर्माण 18वीं सदी में नेपाली सेना के कमांडर मातबर सिंह थापा ने करवाया था।

मगर, वर्तमान में दो देशों की संपृक्त संस्कृतियों और धार्मिकता को अपने में समेटे यह ऐतिहासिक मंदिर केन्द्र और राज्य दोनों सरकारों के शून्य संरक्षण के कारण अपने भग्नावशेष की कथा खुद बांचता हुआ प्रतीत हो रहा है। लकड़ियों को दीमक बुरी तरह चाट गये हैं; एक दरवाजे का पूरा चौखट चोरों को भेंट चढ़ गया है; छत के शहतीरें और प्लास्टर बिलकुल अब गिरे तब गिरे की अवस्था में हैं; और, सबसे बड़ी बात कि दूर दूर से आने वाले रोजमर्रा के दर्शनार्थियों को मंदिर की ऐतिहासिकता से अवगत कराने की खातिर गाइड की बात तो छोड़िए, एक शीलापट्ट तक का भी अतापता नहीं है।

INTACH एक ऐसी संस्था है जो मुख्य रूप से देश भर में संकटग्रस्त ऐतिहासिक और प्राकृतिक धरोहरों को सुरक्षित/संरक्षित करने तथा उसके प्रति नागरिकों खास तौर पर युवा पीढ़ी को जागरूक तथा शिक्षित बनाने का काम करती है। उसने इस नेपाली छावनी मंदिर के परिभ्रमण का आयोजन भी इसी उद्देश्य से किया है। INTACH, Bihar Chapter तथा Patna Chapter के प्रभारी क्रमशः प्रेम शरण तथा भैरव लाल दास ने विभिन्न क्षेत्रों के जाने माने लोगों तथा बच्चों के एक समूह को लेकर इस परिभ्रमण को सफल बनाने में महती भूमिका अदा की हैं। हम आशा कर सकते हैं कि इस परिभ्रमण से आने वाले समय में इस ऐतिहासिक मंदिर के ढहते ढांचे को सुरक्षित/संरक्षित करने खातिर केंद्र और राज्य सरकारों तथा क्षेत्र के जन प्रतिनिधियों/नागरिक समाज को भी अपने अपने दायित्वों के निर्वहन के प्रति कटिबद्ध/प्रतिबद्ध करने की दिशा में एक नये रास्ते का खुलना संभव हो सकेगा!

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