'Taken at the Flood ...'

There is a tide in the affairs of men.
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries ...

~ Shakespeare, Julius Caesar

Hooghly River

'Bhukailash' ... the Abode of Shiva

 

Kidderpore, located on a bend of the Hooghly River as it flows to the Bay of Bengal, owes its name to three distinct sources. The most enchanting of these three tales is drawn from the Islamic figure of Al-Khidr or Khizr, the wanderer who appears as a guide. Before this area became a port suburb, it was inhabited by boatmen, fishermen and traders … people whose lives / livelihoods were closely tied to the river tides. Another account links the name ‘Kidderpore’ to Colonel Robert Kyd (1746–1793), a British East India Company officer who resided in Shalimar (Howrah), just opposite Kidderpore, where he established the Royal Botanic Garden. He also possessed land in Kidderpore during the late-18^th century and perhaps the area came to be known as ‘Kyd-pore’ (Kyd’s place) after him. Finally, ‘Kidderpore’ may also be an Anglicized pronunciation of ‘Kedarpore’ - the Land of Kedar (Shiva) after the historic Bhukailash Temple Complex built by Raja Joynarayan Ghosal in 1781. The name “Bhukailash” is derived from a ‘Bhu’ (Earth) and ‘Kailash’ (the Abode of Shiva).

Walking through Kidderpore today as part of ‘The Bridgekeeper’s Tale: A Walking Tour’ … my ninth walk with Crosswalks brought together these stories to show how places acquire meaning across the passage of time. Hidden in the labyrinth of Kidderpore, unknown to most people of Kolkata, is a huge temple complex that houses two of the largest Shivalinga in Eastern India. And, visiting this place was my long-time wish ... now fulfilled by Crosswalks!! 

The history of the Bhukailash Temples goes back to mid-18^th century Bengal when the influence of the Nawab of Bengal was declining after the Battle of Plassey (1757). Taking advantage of the changing power dynamics in Bengal, wealthy families of Calcutta started engaging themselves in administrative and financial activities of the British East India Company. Gokul Chandra Ghoshal, who hailed from such a family, joined the Company as a ‘banian’ (native business assistant) to Harry Verelst, a Company administrator who later became the Governor of Bengal (1767–1769). Gokul Ghoshal progressed from his informal advisory position to a formal administrative post by rendering expert service as a revenue collector for the Company. He was appointed as the Diwan of Chittagong by Harry Verelst and served as the chief native revenue officer (1761-64). He grew influential owing to his connections with Company officials and even gained salt trading rights despite the Company’s monopoly on salt production and trade in Bengal. While revising Land Settlement for revenue collection, Ghoshal dispossessed several Zamindars and seized their land for himself. He consolidated his acquired lands into a unified Zamindari estate in Kidderpore. The Bhukailash estate was thus formally established … its name derived from ‘Bhu-Kailash’ - the earthly abode of Lord Shiva. 

Joynarayan Ghoshal, the son of Gokul Ghoshal’s brother, Krishna Chand Ghoshal, inherited the Bhukailash estate and also received the title of ‘Maharaja Bahadur’ from Warren Hastings. He built the Bhukailash Rajbari and the adjacent temple complex in 1781. The complex has two Bengal aatchala-style twin Shiva temples facing each other across an open space adjacent a large lake - the Shiv-Ganga. 

Shiv-Ganga Lake of Bhukailash Temple Complex

Each temple has a triple-arched entrance and enshrines a Shivalinga. On the east of the Shiv-Ganga is the west-facing Raktakamaleshwar Shiva lingam in the name of Joynarayan’s mother and on the west of the Shiv-Ganga is the east-facing Krishnachandreswar in the name of his father Krishna Chandra Ghoshal. The open space between the temples has a black stone statue of Nandi - the bull of Lord Shiva. The foundation plaque of the Raktakamaleshwar Temple says that the temple was built in 1702 Sakabda (1780 A.D). The Krishnachandreswar Temple does not have any such plaque but it may be assumed that it was also built during the same time. 

There are several other temples in the complex – the most prominent being the Patit-Pabon Durga Temple. She is the household deity of the Bhukailash Zamindars.

The Durga Temple 

The Goddess 

Canons and other deities in the Temple Complex

In the early 19^th-century, Joynarayan Ghoshal relocated to Varanasi, owing to health issues, delegating estate responsibilities to his son Kali Shankar Ghoshal. Subsequent generations extended the lineage preserving Zamindari influence in local administration till the mid-19th century. Despite challenges of inheritance partitions and increasing revenue demands under British policies, the assets in Kidderpore endured beyond the 19^th century. However, at present, the Bhukailash Rajbari and the Temples face an existential crisis. Among the present owners of the estate, Satya Dilip Ghoshal and his wife, Mintu Ghoshal, were approached by local promoters to give up their portion of the Bhukailash Rajbari and move out. All his other relatives had apparently agreed but Satya Ghoshal refused to give up his legacy … a property listed as Grade-I Heritage by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. 

The Plaque ... a Glimpse into History

A former head clerk at Kidderpore College, Satya Dilip Ghoshal is adamant that “should we give in to the promoter’s demands and leave, the Rajbari will cease to exist”. His daughter, Antara agrees:

“Once my parents leave, the entire area will be converted into some sort of illegal construction project. The Rajbari will be no more. I’ve spent all my formative years there. For me, our house isn’t just a part of our family’s legacy. It’s also a part of the culture of Kolkata and Bengali Rajbaris in general. That’s why, even though my parents feel threatened, we feel they should stand their ground and stay. We want to hang on to our house at all costs.” (Source) 

In the courtyard of the Rajbari 

The completely dilapidated 'Nat Mandir' of the Rajbari 

The towering pillars bear testimony to a glorious past....

"Bagh Mama" (Tiger Uncle) of Bengal

 

Bengal has a close association with tigers, especially the ‘Royal Bengal Tiger’ (Panthera Tigris), which is native to the region … as a living legend and a cultural icon. 

'Bagh Mama' in the wilderness of Bandhavgarh (MP)

The British colonizers of the 18th/19th centuries found tigers roaming the wilds in the ‘Bengal’ Presidency and added the prefix ‘Royal’ inspired by their majestic appearance. So, the Royal Bengal Tiger gets its name from a combination of geographical association and colonial history. Moreover, tigers were prized trophies for British royalty and colonial hunters. In pre-colonial India, the tiger reigned supreme in the dense mangrove forests of the Sundarbans delta, formed by the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers. They were feared as man-eaters and revered as deities, and became a part of local culture, folklore and belief systems. Indeed, for the people of Bengal, Banglar Bagh (the Bengal Tiger) indicates much more than the animal itself; it represents the spirit and grandeur of Bengal.

In the dense mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, the tiger is both feared as a man-eater and revered as a deity, by the people who depend on the forest for survival. Legends such as those of ‘Dakkhin Rai’, the Tiger-King, and ‘Bonbibi’, the forest Goddess, illustrate the delicate balance of man and environment: human beings must respect the forest and its spirit to live safely amid the dangers. Within the Sundarbans, lie the moss-covered stone structures at Netidhopani, often associated with the legend of ‘Behula-Lakhindar’, which fishermen claim are the ruins of a village that was ‘swallowed’ by river tides when a tiger-god exacted vengeance. The eerie tale of Netidhopani warns against greed, portraying a ghostly tiger that punishes those who exploit the forest’s resources excessively. Such stories highlight the tiger’s role as a guardian of nature, urging environmental respect and humility. 

Bonbibi and Dakkhin Rai

Although the tiger population here numbers around 100-130, sightings are rare due to the dense mangrove habitat. In contrast, Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh, home to 70-75 tigers, offers more frequent encounters. Bandhavgarh itself is steeped in history and mythology. Last week, during the Easter holidays, I had the chance to visit Bandhavgarh and tick off ‘to see a wild tiger roaming in its habitat’ off my bucket list. 

As per local legend, the name ‘Bandhavgarh’ translates to ‘Brother’s Fort’ … in Hindi ‘Bandhav’ (brother) and ‘Garh’ (Fort). It is believed that Sri Ramchandra had gifted a fort in this region to his brother, Lakshman. Another legend modifies this tale and says, Sri Ramchandra stopped in this region while returning to Ajodhya after defeating Ravan in Lanka. The ancient fort stands in the middle of the dense forest and local people still worship Lakshman in a temple within the fort. As per ‘India Naturally’ the Bandhavgarh fort has Brahmi inscriptions dating back to the 1^st century BC. In a cave named ‘Bagdhalak’ there are stone-inscriptions of stripe patterns and pugmarks indicating that the Royal Bengal Tiger has been walking on this land since time immemorial. Though there are no records to confirm who built the fort and when … the history of the fort can be traced back to Bhimseni Satvat (one of the early possessors of the fort who lived around 300 AD). The fort is accessible only on Janmashtami to celebrate its 2,000-year history. Bandhavgarh is a place where history, mythology and wildlife intertwine to create a landscape … just as in the Sundarbans.

A Bonbibi Temple in the Sunderbans 

A temple in Bandhavgarh

Despite the geographical distance, DNA studies by scientists at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, show that the tigers in the Sundarbans are genetically similar to the tiger population of Central India, including Bandhavgarh. Genetic studies suggest that the tigers of the Sundarbans and Bandhavgarh share common ancestors, and were separated centuries ago by   human activity. Though tigers remain a cultural icon in India, intertwined with art, culture, folklore and even the Indian national identity … yet, they are classified as an endangered species. It is a sad reality that human beings are largely responsible for driving tigers toward extinction through habitat loss, poaching for illegal trade and man-animal conflict.

Sunderbans 

Bandhavgarh

Jeep Safari in Bandhavgarh

Boat Safari in Sunderbans

The survival of the Royal Bengal Tiger is vital, not only for biodiversity but also for preserving India’s cultural and natural legacy … for as Jim Corbett wrote: “The Tiger is a large-hearted gentleman with boundless courage and when he is exterminated – as exterminated he will be unless public opinion rallies to his support- India will be the poorer by having lost the finest of her fauna” (Man-Eaters of Kumaon, 1944).

The enigmatic ‘Green' Ramchandra of Bengal

 

Bengal worships the ‘Maryada Purushottam’ (Ideal Man) or the ‘Green' Ramchandra who resembles a warrior-king and wears a prominent moustache … a look that is much more historically consistent with Bengal’s royal history and the life of a prince living in the forest for fourteen years. Krittibas Ojha’s ‘Ramayana’ / ‘Sri Ram Panchali’, the 15th-century Bengali adaptation of the ancient Sanskrit epic, also refers to Sri Ramchandra’s green complexion which is radically different from the North Indian depiction of Lord Ram. This depiction is known as ‘Durba-dol Ram’ or ‘Nava Durba Dol’ (Fresh Green Grass) manifestation showing his humility … or lack of ego just like the sacred Durba grass that is tread underfoot. In recent times, I visited a few places where ‘Durba-dol Ram’ is being worshipped for centuries.

The Brindaban Chandra Math complex in Guptipara (Hooghly) built in the 17^th /18th centuries enshrines the idol of ‘Green Ram’ along with Sita and Lakshman. The conclave has four temples … and one of them is dedicated to Sri Ramchandra. The temple is decorated with intricate terracotta depicting scenes from the Ramayana. It is believed that the temple was built by Raja Harish Chandra Ray around 1822 ... but the idol dates further back in time. A local devotee of Lord Ram (Ramkanta) once went to Ajodhya for pilgrimage and brought back a ‘Shaligram Shila’ by divine grace. He enshrined it in a temple near the Bhagirathi River which was unfortunately washed away in flood. The idol survived … and is now worshipped in the Guptipara temple complex. 

Ram Temple. Brindaban Chandra Math of Guptipara

There is an interesting anecdote associated with this temple. During the reign of Alivardi Khan, the Nawab of Bengal (1740-1756) it was reported that Brindaban Chandra had not paid taxes for a plot of land in his name. The Nawab summoned Brindaban Chandra to his court for trial. He had no idea that Brindaban Chandra was none other than Lord Krishna. The worshippers made a replica of the deity and took it to Alivardi Khan. The Nawab was astonished to see the deity on trial and immediately waived off all dues and gave permission to build a temple for Brindaban Chandra. The temple stands in the eastern-side of the conclave and enshrines images of Ramchandra, Lakshman and Sita in the sanctum sanctorum.

Ramchandra in  Brindaban Chandra Math 

Ramrajatala (Howrah) derives its name from the presence of a Ram Temple and its 300-year-old tradition of ‘Ram Puja’. Ramchandra (also, ‘Ram Thakur’) here is depicted in green and has a moustache. He is worshipped along with Sita, Lakshman, Hanuman and several other deities. This worship began in the 18th-century when Zamindar Ayodhyaram Chowdhury received a divine directive to worship Ramchandra. The Chowdhury family helped Nawab Alivardi Khan to resist the Maratha invaders (bargees) who raided Bengal repeatedly during this time. As a reward, the Nawab gifted Ayodhyaram the Zamindari of Ramrajatala and its adjoining areas. As per legend the Zamindar saw Ram’s reflection on River Ganges while he was taking his daily bath and started the Ram worship in 1740. The local people initially opposed him as they worshipped Goddess Saraswati. However, the matter was settled when the Zamindar agreed to place the image of Saraswati above the image of Ramchandra … and thus, two traditions blended into one. The festivities in Ramrajatala start from Ramnavami and continue for nearly three months.

Ramchandra in  Ramrajatala

Ram Puja at Ramrajatala 

Ramchandra is also worshipped in the ‘Boro’ (Elder) Goswami Bari of Santipur (Nadia) for around 300 years as ‘Raghunath Jiu’. He is depicted as a “Warrior-King” with a green complexion and a prominent moustache. The Goswami family also initiated the Ram-Rathyatra in Bengal, where Lord Ram (Raghunath) is taken along with Lord Jagannath out in a chariot. As per the tradition of several scions of the Goswami family of Santipur, Sri Raghunath Jiu is the chief deity of Rathyatra.

Nat Mandir. Boro’Goswami Bari of Santipur 

Photo of Raghunath Jiu

Ramchandra has been a part of the socio-cultural and religious traditions of Bengal since the rise of the Bhakti Movement of the 15^th and 16^th centuries when Sri Chaitanya popularized the worship of Krishna and Ram as the supreme manifestations of Vishnu. In fact, Ram was the household deity (kul devta) of Jayananda, the biographer of Sri Chaityna, and his family members practiced ‘Ramayat Vaishnavism’ - a sect of Vaishnavism that venerates Ram-Sita - which pre-dated Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Gaudiya Vaishnavism gained prominence in Bengal owing to the immense popularity of Sri Chaityna but it was never entirely wiped out. Interestingly, though Sri Chaitanya himself was more popular than Ramchandra, he himself worshipped Ram and Krishna. 

Krittibas Ojha’s ‘Ramayana’ has remained popular for centuries, stories of Ram-Sita were popular in Bengal’s folk art forms such as, Jatra-Pala (folk theatre), Chhou Naach (masked dance) of Purulia and Patachitra (scroll painting) of Midnapore / Burdwan throughout the 18th / 19th centuries. The legacy of Sri Ramchandra retains a prominent place in the Bengal’s cultural consciousness … more artistic and intellectual, rather than devotional … as Sri Ramchandra never really gained mass popularity in a religious sense as in other regions of the country.

Rani Rashmoni - A Woman ahead of her Time

 

In recent times, the Hormuz crisis in West-Asia has dominated headlines and sparked intense debates / discussions on social media platforms worldwide. The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman that controls the passage of a significant portion of the world’s oil supply has become a flashpoint for geopolitical tension. This echoes the importance of controlling waterways seen centuries earlier in Bengal’s riverine struggles, albeit on a smaller scale. My seventh ‘heritage walk’ with Crosswalks to explore the houses of Rani Rashmoni gave me a rare insight into a curious parallel between the Hooghly River fishing crisis in 19^th century Bengal to the high-stakes crisis of the Strait of Hormuz vis-à-vis the control and management of waterways.

Rani Rashmoni, a visionary woman of 19^th century Bengal, challenged prevalent repressive norms of gender, caste, class and religion, to emerge as a successful entrepreneur and powerful administrator committed to the welfare of her people. She was loved for her compassion and admired for her courage in Calcutta’s administrative circles. In the 1840s, the British East India Company declared that small fishing boats were impeding the movement of ferries on the Hooghly River and imposed a tax to generate revenue while reducing fishing activities on the river. The worried fishermen travelled to Calcutta to approach the elite landlords for help but they did not receive any. As a last resort, they appealed to Rani Rashmoni. The Rani fearlessly challenged the British to safeguard the interests of the  fishing community. She acquired an ‘ijara’ (lease agreement) from the East India Company for a 10-km stretch of the River Hooghly for Rs 10,000. Then she barricaded the area with two iron chains and asked the fishermen to cast nets within this zone. This had an immediate impact as riverine traffic came to a halt. When the British demanded an explanation, Rani Rashmoni asserted her legal right to protect her ‘ijara’ as steamships were disrupting fishing in her leased area. The East India Company officials had to come to an agreement with Rani Rashmoni - they abolished the fishing tax and the fishermen had open access to the river once more. Rani Rashmoni’s leadership and the present-day crisis in Hormuz … though very different, demonstrate how waterways - whether in the form of rivers or straits - continue to shape human history, connecting past regional challenges to contemporary global issues with enduring significance.

Threshold. Janbazar Palace

The 'Thakur Dalan' where Durga Puja is held every year

Chandeliers

Throughout the history of India, remarkable women like Rani Rashmoni have been at the forefront of social-cultural and political movements, however, their profound impact, and even their life stories, has remained obscure or forgotten in mainstream history. 

Rani Rashmoni was born into a Mahishya family in Halisahar (North 24 Parganas) in 1793 and was married at the age of eleven, to Rajchandra Marh, son of Preetoram Marh, a wealthy landlord of Janbazar, Calcutta. The impressive rise of the Marh family from rather humble beginnings to Zamindari glory remains a testimony to the combination of a progressive mindset and mercantile success. The family, originally from the Koley clan, migrated from Burdwan to Howrah and then to Janbazar in Calcutta, transforming from bamboo traders to wealthy landlords. The family acquired the name ‘Marh’ due to their ancestral profession as wood and bamboo traders - ‘baash marh’ (rotten bamboo) was used in their commercial activities. Among the prominent figures of this family were Babu Preetoram Marh, a wealthy merchant of 18th-century Calcutta, his son and daughter-in-law, Rajchandra Das and Rani Rashmoni. Babu Rajchandra was a man of progressive ideals; who defied prevailing socio-cultural norms and encouraged his wife to work alongside him in his business and philanthropic ventures. Together they amassed a fortune and spent a significant amount for funding schools, hospitals, shelters and built two of Calcutta’s oldest ‘ghats’ - the Ahiritola Ghat and the Babu Rajchandra Das Ghat / Babughat. After he passed away in 1836, Rani Rashmoni confidently took charge of the family’s business and continued with the philanthropic, administrative and religious endeavours. This was quite unusual in the then-prevailing patriarchal society that suppressed women in general and stigmatized widows in particular. Rani Rashmoni had to thwart the attempts of her husband’s acquaintances as well as adversaries who wanted to manage her estate and ultimately entrusted the responsibility to her son-in-law, Mathur Babu. Rani Rashmoni had four daughters: Padmamani, Kumari, Karunamoyee and Jagadamba; and she accomplished much of her work through her sons-in-law. Babu Mathur Mohan Biswas (Mathur Babu), the third son-in-law, was her confidante and manager of the Janbazar family estate. He was initially married to Karunamoyee, and after her untimely death, to Jagadamba. He was also entrusted with the responsibility of building the Kali Temple of Dakshineswar. The families of the other daughters Padmamani and Kumari continued through their respective marriages, although their accounts are less prominent in historical records. 

Rani Rashmoni’s life and legacy are entwined with the iconic Dakshineswar Kali Temple, a landmark in Bengal. It is believed that the Rani was about to embark on a pilgrimage to Kashi, when she had a dream that inspired her to build a temple in her own city. So, she purchased a tract of land on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River that was owned by a European Christian, Englishman named John Hastie, which was previously used as a Muslim burial ground. On this land, Rani Rashmoni commissioned the construction of a temple for Goddess Bhavatarini in Nava-Ratna architectural style of Bengal. Perhaps she was inspired by ‘Shyama Sangeet’ of Ramprasad Sen who lived near her ancestral home in Halisahar. The construction of the Dakshineswar Temple faced major challenges, as Rani Rashmoni was a lower caste Mahishya widow, Brahmins priests declared the temple patronage as inauspicious and refused to consecrate the deity. Zamindar Ramratan Roy of Narail and Prananath Choudhury of Satkhira filed sixteen law-suits to stop the construction of the temple. Rani Rashmoni solved this crisis by formally dedicating the temple in the name of her Guru Ramsundar Chakraborty to ensure its acceptance. Eventually, Ramakrishna Paramhansa arrived at Dakshineswar in 1855 to assist his elder brother, Ramkumar Chattopadhyay, the first priest at the newly-consecrated Kali Temple. Following his brother’s death, Ramakrishna became the priest, beginning his journey of intense spiritual devotion in this temple. Bhabatarini Kali temple remains one of the most revered temples despite not being a Sati Peetha.

Rani Rashmoni Bhawan (Biswas Bari)

Rani Rashmoni's Office (Kachari Bari) ... now a godown for local businesses

Statues and Murals in Kachari Bari Courtyard

Rani Rashmoni protested against prevalent social ills against women - child marriage, polygamy and Sati - and extended her support to social reformers like Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. Her progressive attitude and pioneering spirit resonate with feminist principles though the term ‘feminist’ was not known in her era. Rani Rashmoni’s legacy lies in her assertion of agency as a widow in a male-dominated society to re-define the possibilities for women’s leadership long before organized feminist movements took shape in the Western World. Her life and activities encourage one to acknowledge the historical depth and span of feminist thought in diverse cultural contexts. From fearlessly taking on the East India Company to establishing the iconic Dakshineswar Kali Temple, Rani Rashmoni left an indelible mark on the history of Calcutta. She remains a lady whose legacy defies titles - she was not a queen (‘Rani’) by birth / marriage, but a queen of her people who lovingly called her ‘Lokmata’.