Bardhaman~The Royal Town of Rarh Bengal
Hello friends, after quite a long gap I am here with you with another new story and today I am taking you to such a destination which is very near to Kolkata, but not a well known tourist destination. Rather this place is well identified as a gateway town to Kolkata, as you can't enter Kolkata from Northern India without touching it. So lets visit the city and explore it. Hope you will enjoy it.
Today, I am taking you to Bardhaman. As usual, first it is necessary to know, how the town has got such a name. The old name of this place was Astikagram. From Jain text Kalpasutra, it is known that 24th Jain Teerthankar Mahavira had spent some time here at Astikagram. Mahavira was also known as Vardhaman Swami. From this Jain Teerthankar, the town got its name as Bardhaman. According to a copper plate found at a village in Galsi, it is known that during Maurya age Bardhaman was a very important city in Rarh Bengal and was a part of Kalinga Kingdom of present Odisha.
To visit different places of tourist interest in Bardhaman it is not necessary to reserve a vehicle. There are a lot of Totos available and one can board them from any point. So, exploring the city will not be too expensive.
If you want to explore Bardhaman from Kolkata it is better to board a South Bengal State Transport Corporation bus from Esplanade bus terminus for Nawabhat Bus stand at Bardhaman. Or take a train to Bardhaman Jn and board a bus from Bardhaman Station to Nawabhat. Our Bardhaman exploration will be going to start from Nawabhat.
The 108 Shib Temple at Nawabhat is just a walking distance from the bus stand. The 108 Temple here was built in 1788CE by Maharaja of Bardhaman Tej Chand Rai. After the death of Raja Tilak Chand, Bardhaman kingdom faced a lot of internal and external problems. The main problem was the threat of Maratha invassions. During this period, one night Rani Vishnukumari, the widow of Raja Tilakchand got an advice from Lord Shiva in her dreams to dedicate a temple to him, which will resemble a Rudraksh garland(Mala). She told his son, the lord at that time about such dream. Raja Tejchand fulfilled her mothers choice and dedicated this temple to Lord Shiva. It is said that after that all the threats to the Bardhaman Raj came to an end. The structure of this temple is very unique. Here 108 small temples are organised sorrounding a small pool to make a single temple. Common Bengali Aatchala style of architecture is seen in these 108 small temples. This temple is a must visit if you are touring Bardhaman. But it must be kept in mind that this temple remains closed from 12 noon to 4pm. So it is better to start the tour with this temple.
From Nawabhat take a bus to Bardhaman Meghnad Saha Planetarium. If you have enough time with you, you can watch shows there. But I skipped it because of shortage of time. From there, take a Toto to Kankaleswari Temple. On the road you will see Rajbati and Kamalakanta Kalibari. Rajbati was the Residence of Royal family of Bardhaman, presently it is the main campus of Burdwan University. Kamalakanta Kalibari was commissioned by Raja Tejchand for a local tantrik saint named Kamalakanta. It is said that once in a New Moon night, Kamalakanta had brought Ganges in a reservoir inside the temple. From that day it is said all the bhog offered to the goddess here is cooked with the water from the reservoir. The water from the reservoir is used as ganges water in local area.
Kankaleswari Temple at Bardhaman is dedicated to Goddess Chamunda. According to local folklore, the idol of the goddess was found accidentally. Bardhaman town is situated by the side of river Damodar. So, the low-lying areas of the town are very much prone to floods. Once during a flood this idol was brought down by the River Damodar, and it was discovered when the flood water recedes. And the temple was built by the Maharajas of Bardhaman on the spot where the idol was found. There is no historical proof available about this temple, in fact it is not known when the temple was built. Previously the temple had a good terracotta panel, which had been badly damaged due to unscientific renovations. This temple shows Navaratna style of temple architecture.
On the way to Kankaleswari one can also visit the Mahantabari on the way. The proper history of this place is unknown. But according to locals this building was the residence of some of the officials during the time of Raja Kirti Chand. Some parts of this building presently holds a Govt run Homeopathy Medical College. On the other part, there is temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
After a lot of temple visit, now lets visit something different. Bardhaman has a connection with the Mughals in 2 ways. One of them is the Tomb of Sher Afghan. Sher Afghan was a persian soldier of Mughal court whose original name was Ali Quli Khan. Once in a hunt Prince Salim was attacked by a tiger and was in real danger. He killed the tiger single handedly. Pleased by his courage, Salim granted him the title of Sher Afghan. Emperor Akbar too was very fond of his bravery and granted him the Jagir of Bardhaman. When Prince Salim revolted against Akbar, he was on Akbar's side, which enraged Salim. Later, when Salim ascended the Mughal throne as Jahangir he sent Qutubuddin to Bardhaman to give Sher afghan a strong lesson. In this fight Qutubuddin killed Sher Afghan and his wife Mehr-un-Nisa Begum was sent to Mughal harem at Agra. Later Salim married her which is a different story. At the Sher Afghan Tomb, there are two graves remain adjacent to each other, one is Sher Afghan's, and the other his killer, Qutubuddin's who too was killed simultaneously. One can also visit the Tomb of Pir Bahram here.
From Tomb of Sher Afghan, the next place to visit is the Nawabbari, which also has a Mughal connection. Bardhaman came under Mughal influence under Jahangir. After the death of Sher Afghan, Jahangir awarded Sangam Rai, a businessman from Punjab the title of Munsifdar. Sangam Rai later founded the Bardhaman Raj, though he and his successors were loyal to the Mughals. In 1702 Kirti Chand became the Governor of Bardhaman and he was a man of independent spirit. He supported the Marathas in their repeated campain against the Nawabs of Murshidabad and later after the death
of Aurangzeb he declared Bardhaman as an independent kingdom with the help of the Marathas. In 1715 Mughal emperor Farukhshiar sent two of his generals, Khwaja Anwar and Abdul Qasim to Bardhaman to give Kirti a lesson. Kirti Chand took help from local Maratha cheifs and killed both of them. This incidence made Farukhshiyar so sad that he came to settle the matter. Both Kirti Chand and Farukhshiyar declared Anwar and Qasim as martyrs and built there tombs at the place where they have been killed. Kirti Chand too offered them the title of Nawab and there tomb as Nawabbari.
From Nawabbari, the next place to visit is the Sarbamangala Temple. Sarbamangala temple is the biggest and mostly worshipped temple at Bardhaman. This temple is a navaratna structured temple devoid of any terracotta panels. One can also experience the bhog of this temple. On the way to the temple must watch the famous clock tower of Bardhaman.
Our next place and the last place of exploration is the famous Curzon Gate of Bardhaman. Actually Curzon Gate falls on the way to Bardhaman Station from the temple. It is built on 1902 to commemorate the incidence of Coronation of Raja Vijay Chand and initially named as Vijay Toran. The Bardhaman Royal Family always had a cold relationship with their neighbours, specially the Mallaraj family of Bishnupur and the Nawabs of Murshidabad. For this reason, they always kept good terms with the British. As a result of this, British officers were personally invited on royal functions at Bardhaman. In 1904, Lord Curzon was invited in such an occassion. The visit of Curzon had increased the prestige of the Bardhaman Raj and for this reason the Gate was named after Lord Curzon. The illuminated Curzon Gate at evening is a treat to watch before leaving for Kolkata.
So, how was the story. Hope this story will provide you a new travel destination for a single day trip. So, whenever, you have a day off, and wanting a short trip with friends or family, you can consider this place. I am recommending you, that you will have a great time here. If you are a foody, Bardhaman also has a lot for you too. Later, I will come with that story shortly. For now, Good night and thanks for your time. Hope, shortly I will come up with another new destination for you.
Comments
Post a Comment