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Sri Sri Kashiswar Debattor Estate, Andul, West Bengal, India.

DHRUBA DUTTA CHAUDHURY

"# & '+ , ANDUL, WEST BENGAL, INDIA

DHRUBA.ETLKS@YAHOO.COM
February 24, 2017

Lord Shiva is the most popular and widely propitiated God of Hindu religion. He is worshipped
either in image or as linga (the phallic form). Throughout the whole of India, the twelve of
Jyotirlingas (the lord of light) continue to be worshipped since ancient times.

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From time immemorial, the state Bengal of India has also witnessed worship of such Shivalingas.
Likewise 5 such lingas, namely Bishweshwar, Kashiswar Bhairav, Nakuleshwar Bhairav, Maha-Kaal
(Saurendra Mohaneshwar) and Madhaveshwar were installed in the present day town of Andul in
Howrah District. The first four lingas are located in the sacred premises of Sri Sri Kashiswar
Debottar Estate, and Madhaveshwar linga is installed in a temple exterior of the premises. The
oldest Nakuleshwar Bhairav is located near the holy Kalika temple of Kalighat in the south of
present day Kolkata city.

In 1609 CE, Kashiswar Dutta Chaudhury who was a descendant of the widely-famed Dutta clan of
Maharshi Bharadwaja, installed the Kashiswar Bhairav in Andul. His forefathers were the leading
landlords (zamindars) of the town.

Bishweshwar and Nakuleshwar Bhairav of the family were installed by other descendents of the
family much later on; adjacent to the Kashiswar Bhairav temple.

In mid-19th century CE, Apurba Krishna Dutta Chaudhury whose great-grandfather Srimanta Dutta
Chaudhury was an eminent landlord (zamindar) of Dinajpur (Dinajpur Palace), installed the Maha-
Kaal Bhairav (Saurendra Mohaneshwar) adjacent to the Nakuleshwar temple.

Madhaveshwar temple was erected in 1757 CE under the patronage of Madhav Chaudhury, another
descendant of the Dutta Chaudhury clan of Andul. The deity soon came to be known as
Madhaveshwar. Earlier it used to be called 'Phool-Baganeshwar', as in the vicinity of the temple
there was once a flower garden of the family. This temple has a long history. It is said that the
extended yoni (the female part) of this linga is very deeply seated, for which it was inalienable,
and thus was protected from the lootings of the Bargi group (Maratha raiders), during the years
1741-1751 CE. It is said that they did made an attempt but failed, instead they were able to
successfully take out Kashiswar Bhairav from the temple. It was then the men of dule tribe (a tribal
community who were once the proja or tenant of the Dutta Chaudhuries) who fought against them
and were able to bring back the deity into the temple.
At the time of Gajan utsab - a festival dedicated to Lord Shiva which takes place in the month of
April by following the age old family custom; the dule men come and carry Kashiswar Bhairav on
their shoulders to their locality. There are some devoted men of the community who have
constructed a temple for this. On the day of Bengali New Year, they carry the lingam in a long
procession to return the Lord back to the Dutta Chaudhury family's temple. The practice is more
than four centuries old, but it continues even today.

The temples were all constructed following the traditional architectural atchala style.

Time engulfed these temples, rendering them impaired and dilapidated for want of timely
upkeeping, and therefore repairs were desperately needed. Subsequently, by dent of untiring effort
and divine grace, Mr. Jayanta Dutta Chaudhury, grandson of author Atul Krishna Dutta Chaudhury
got renovated by spending a huge sum of his expenditure.

Another Kashiwar lingam of relatively smaller in size is located at the pooja place, in the ancestral
house of Rajanikanta (Bonobihari) Dutta Chaudhury. His wife, Emily Roy Chowdhury brought the
linga in late 1960s from the holy city of Kashi by holding it near to her chest, all along the
journey.

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(Kashiswar Bhairav) (Bishweshwar Linga)

(Nakuleshwar Bhairav) - -
(Maha-Kaal))

(Madhaveshwar Linga)

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The Shiva Temples at Sri Sri Kashiswar Debottar Estate

Baba Kashiswar Temple at Dule Para

Plaque at the Durga Dalan

"Shiva is the Truth - chant His name constantly ...

Everything else is false.
Remember always ...
Death stands in wait, behind!

Madhaveshwar Temple

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