Bandel - The basilica of the Holy-Rosary

The town of Bandel stands about 70 kms north of Kolkata, en route to Bardhaman. It was stablished in the mid 15th century by the Portugese as a trade & military settlement, after erstwhile Mughal Emperor Akbar gave them permission to use the place as a port and base. The word "Bandel" actually is derived from the Bengali word "Bander", meaning port.

Bandel, on the banks of the Hooghly, is best known for its magnificent church. Steeped in heritage and culture, the Bandel Church is a testament to the engineering skills of the Portuguese. People from almost all religious communities visit the church to admire its beauty, if not to worship. The chandeliers, coloured-glass windows and the statues in the compound draw even non-believers to the church.

The Portuguese church, which is now the great sight of modern Bandel. This, the oldest Christian place of worship in Bengal, if not in India, was founded in 1599, the year in which Queen Elizabethsanctioned the establishment of the East India Company. It was burnt in the sack of Hooghly by the Moors in 1632, but the keystone with the date 1599 was preserved and built into the gate of the new church erected by John Comes de Soto in 1661. It is dedicated to Nossa Senhora di Rosario and contains a monastery once occupied by Augustinian friars, the last of whom died in 1869… Some 380 bigghahsof land, out of the 777 granted rent-free by Shah Jehan, are still enjoyed… Every November the church is thronged with pilgrims during the Novena of Notre Dame de Bon Voyage

An arched gateway forms the main entrance of the church. A statue of Mary, with baby Jesus, on a boat is installed atop the gate.

Take the stairs to the top balcony, where devotees light candles in front of “Our Lady of the Happy Voyage”. 

Almost a century after Vasco da Gama reached the west coast of India, the Portuguese started making inroads into Bengal. By 1599, they had settled in and around the present-day Hooghly district and built the church that after being modified several times is now known as the Bandel Church. According to some historians, the church and monastery had been built in 1660 by Gomez de Soto with the keystone of the old church.


Legend has it that in 1660, a Portuguese ship whose sail was torn in a storm drifted into the river and ended up in Bandel. During the storm, the ship’s captain had pledged to offer the main mast of the ship to the first church he sighted. The captain kept his word and the mast can still be seen in the compound of the Bandel Church.

The balcony provides a spectacular view of the Jubilee Bridge across the Hooghly. The bridge, which was built in 1887 to mark the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria’s reign, is one of the oldest operational rail bridges in the world.

The main altar houses the statue of Our Lady of Holy Rosary. The other two altars contain statues of Jesus and St John Bosco.

The complex contains statues of several saints, apart from a graveyard and the mast.

christmas

One need not take a quite so treacherous route to Bandel now. Trains are available from both Howrah and Sealdah stations to Bandel round the clock. The church is a short, bumpy rickshaw ride away from the station.

Ambika Kalna - The Temple Town

Located on the west bank of the Bhagirathi, Ambika Kalna (popularly known as Kalna) once flourished as a prosperous port town. It reached it’s pinnacle of glory during the late 18th century under the patronage of the Maharajas of Bardhaman, who built several magnificent temples with intricate terracotta ornamentation. The maritime trade has long stopped and Kalna has lost the status of a flourishing port city, but the temples are still there reminding one of Kalna’s glorious past.

Apart from the temples Kalna has several religious structures dedicated to Sree Chaitanya one of the greatest social reformers of Bengal. Located just 82km from Calcutta, Kalna can be an ideal pilgrimage on any Sunday and double up as a trip back in time and back into the pages of history.

The Rajbari complex in Kalna has the maximum concentration of temples. Spread on either side of a metalled road the complex contains a unique mixture of Bengal’s temple architecture. On one side of the road lies the Nabakailas Temples. Built in 1809 by the Bardhaman Maharaja Tej Chandra Bahadur the complex contains 108 aat – chala (eight sloped roofed) temples arranged in two concentric circles separated by a well-maintained lawn with beautiful flowerbeds. The outer circle consists of 74 temples consisting of alternate black & white lingas while the 34 temples of the inner circle have only white lingas.

On the other side of the road lies a walled complex, containing the most diversified form of Bengal’s temple architecture. 

The star attraction of the complex is the Pratapeshwar Temple, with its elegant shape and rich terracotta ornamentation. Built in 1849 in Deul (Spire) style the temple contains terracotta plaques depicting themes of Hindu epic, mythical life of Sree Chaitanya, images of Durga & Ravana and various aspects of day to day life.

The other two star attraction of the complex are Lalaji Mandir & Krishnachandra Mandir. Both are three-storied Panchavimsatiratna (25 pinnacled). 

The Lalaji Temple is built in 1739 and is the oldest temple in the complex. It is fronted by a char-chala (four sloped roof) mandap. The temples also have some beautiful terracotta panels. 

The Krishnachandra temple built in 1751-55 is very similar in structure to the Lalji Mandir. The complex also houses several minor structures like a roofless Rash Mancha, several aat-chala structures among which a flat roofed temple of Giri Govardhan needs special mention.

Bhaduri-para also has a large collection of temples including the Panchavimsatiratna (25 pinnacled) temple of Gopalbari. 

But the holiest attraction of Bhaduri-para is the Siddheswari Temple, dedicated to the Mother Goddess Ambika or Kali. Built in 1740 AD by Chitra Sen, the then King of Bardhaman, this shrine is considered to be the most auspicious one in the town. The char-chala structure reached by a flight of 14 beautifully curved steps (signifying the 9 planets & the 5 tantric cults) houses the image of auspicious Bamakali Idol, built of a single neem log. 

The complex also contains three Shiva Temples. 

The nearby Ananta-Basudev Mandir is another interesting terracotta temple, but sadly only a few of the panels have survived the test of time.

The riverbank houses three interesting temples, known as the Jagannath Temple. The external walls are decorated with intricately curved terracotta panels but lack of conservation and maintenance has turned them into ruins. The site also provides a grand view of Bhagirathi River, creating a contrasting mix between history & nature. The town Ambika Kalna has a close association with Chitanya and Bhaba Pagla. So there are quiet a few shrines dedicated to this great social reformers. The town houses temples of several deities including Kali, Siva and Lord Krishna.

Thus proving its uniqueness as a confluence of Shakti and Vaishnava forms of worship. Thus a trip to Kalna not only proves to be a unique pilgrimage but also doubles up as a gateway to the glorious days of Bengal’s temple architecture.

Trip Log:-

Sealdah – Katwa local (Sealdah departure 07:57, Ambika Kalna arrival 10:30)

Rickshaws are the only alternative. It takes 2 ½ to 3 hours for the entire trip. Charges are about Rs100 per rickshaw for the entire trip, but it is subject to heavy bargain.

Solo Ride to Chandrakona

I desperately needed a bike trip and I think for long hours while I was at work, finally i decided let me go chandrakona by bike, alone.


Howrah - kolaghat - mesogram - ghatal - chandrakona (153 kms)


chandrakona - medinapur - mesogram - kolaghat - howrah (184 kms)


Total trip - 337 kms