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Living with blurred legacy

Chandravati (1550-1600)

The ancient octagonal Shiva temple and residence of Chandravati, one of the three well-known women poets of the medieval period, still stands witness in Kishoreganj district to a life as poetic as one of the epics she wrote. But these heritage structures are now decaying with the passage of time.
Residents of Kishoreganj fear that Chandravati’s Shiva temple and her residence—a historically and architecturally valuable site—would be effaced by the passage of time in the absence of proper measures to preserve them. Quite some time ago, vested quarters had grabbed her ancestral mansion. Only legal action can recover the site now.  The temple priest said the archaeological department has taken over the responsibility of protecting the artistic temple, but no initiative has been taken yet to preserve it. The 16th-century poetess Chandravati, daughter of noted writer Vamsidasa, one of the composers of ‘Manasa Mangal’, was born in Patuyari village on the bank of the Fuleshwari in Kishoreganj in 1550.
Patuyari village was once covered with jungles and inaccessible. It is just 6km from Kishoreganj town, once considered the hub of medieval Bengali culture.
Like her father, Chandravati is best known for her Bengali epic ‘Ramayana’. Dr Dinesh Chandra Sen included Chandravati’s ‘Ramayana’ in ‘Purbabangagitika’ in 1926. Among her other writings are ‘Padmapurana’ and ‘Maluya’. She is also believed to have written ‘Dasyu Kenaramer Gatha’.  
The poetess is well-known as the heroine of a ballad for her tragic love affair. Chandravati’s immortal love story is linked to this decaying Shiva temple. The gatha or ballad, titled Chandravatir Ramayana, narrates the story of Chandravati’s love for a Brahmin boy, Jayananda.  
Chandravati, an impeccable beauty, fell in love with her childhood friend and playmate Jayananda, a Brahmin boy from the adjacent Sunda village in Karimganj upazila.  
They used to collect flowers for worship early in the morning. This relationship later turned into a love affair, and soon their wedding was fixed. But in the meantime tragedy struck, when Jayananda fell in love with a local Muslim girl. He even converted to Islam to marry the Muslim girl.
On hearing the news, Chandravati was so disappointed that she remained unmarried throughout her life and set up the Shiva temple on the bank of the Fuleshwari to devote her life to the worship of Shiva. After some time, Jayananda realised his mistake and returned to her. Chandravati, however, refused to meet him and did not open the temple’s door.
After calling her repeatedly, Jayananda left the spot. But before leaving, he wrote a four-line poem on the door of the temple: “You were my playmate in childhood and my companion in youth. Chandravati, forgive me. Knowing that I’m a sinner, you did not agree to meet me. I bid you farewell forever.” Jayananda then drowned himself in the Fuleshwari.
Chandravati opened the temple’s door after a long time and realised that the holy edifice had been desecrated by Jayananda’s touch. She went to the Fuleshwari to fetch water to wipe out the poem. When she learnt that Jayananda had committed suicide, one version of the story says she could not control herself and she, too, drowned herself. Others say she came back from the river and closed the temple door after entering it. She is said to have died there in the year 1600.
Her father suggested that she engage herself in composing ‘Ramayankatha’. She started the work, but died before she could complete it. However, Dr Dinesh Chandra Sen included Chandravati’s ‘Ramayana’ in ‘Purbabangagitika’.
The poems of Chandravati still reverberate among the people of greater Mymensingh. Chandravati’s Pala and Ramayana are treasures of Bangla literature.  
The temple, which captures the tragic love and life of Chandravati, attracts lovers and tourists, but it is now decaying. There is also another temple and a dilapidated two-storey building, believed to be Chandravati’s ancestral house.  
Many visitors and tourists from home and abroad visit the temple and her residence everyday, but are disappointed by the dilapidated condition of the temple and residence. They argue that the temple and the residence can be saved from destruction if a tourist spot is created there.
Aminul Haque Sadi, the general secretary of a council that is working to preserve the local heritage, echoed them: “The archaeological site can be preserved if a tourist spot is created here around the temple and the residence.” Kishoreganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sadar Abdullah Al Masud said, “We are trying to recover the lands of Chandravati’s residence and temple.” 

 

icons who show the way to love Bangla

Living with blurred legacy

Chandravati (1550-1600)

The ancient octagonal Shiva temple and residence of Chandravati, one of the three well-known women poets of the medieval period, still stands witness in Kishoreganj district to a life as poetic as one of the epics she wrote. But these heritage structures are now decaying with the passage of time. Residents of Kishoreganj fear that Chandravatis Shiva temple and her residencea historically and architecturally valuable sitewould be effaced by the passage of time in the absence of proper measures to preserve them. Quite some time ago, vested quarters had grabbed her ancestral mansion. Only legal action can recover the site now. The temple priest said the archaeological department has taken over the responsibility of protecting the artistic temple, but no initiative has been taken yet to preserve it. The 16th-century poetess Chandravati, daughter of noted writer Vamsidasa, one of the composers of Manasa Mangal, was born in Patuyari village on the bank of the Fuleshwari in Kishoreganj in 1550. Patuyari village was once covered with jungles and inaccessible. It is just 6km from Kishoreganj town, once considered the hub of medieval Bengali culture. Like her father, Chandravati is best known for her Bengali epic Ramayana. Dr Dinesh Chandra Sen included Chandravatis Ramayana in Purbabangagitika in 1926. Among her other writings are Padmapurana and Maluya. She is also believed to have written Dasyu Kenaramer Gatha. The poetess is well-known as the heroine of a ballad for her tragic love affair. Chandravatis immortal love story is linked to this decaying Shiva temple. The gatha or ballad, titled Chandravatir Ramayana, narrates the story of Chandravatis love for a Brahmin boy, Jayananda. Chandravati, an impeccable beauty, fell in love with her childhood friend and playmate Jayananda, a Brahmin boy from the adjacent Sunda village in Karimganj upazila. They used to collect flowers for worship early in the morning. This relationship later turned into a love affair, and soon their wedding was fixed. But in the meantime tragedy struck, when Jayananda fell in love with a local Muslim girl. He even converted to Islam to marry the Muslim girl. On hearing the news, Chandravati was so disappointed that she remained unmarried throughout her life and set up the Shiva temple on the bank of the Fuleshwari to devote her life to the worship of Shiva. After some time, Jayananda realised his mistake and returned to her. Chandravati, however, refused to meet him and did not open the temples door. After calling her repeatedly, Jayananda left the spot. But before leaving, he wrote a four-line poem on the door of the temple: You were my playmate in childhood and my companion in youth. Chandravati, forgive me. Knowing that Im a sinner, you did not agree to meet me. I bid you farewell forever. Jayananda then drowned himself in the Fuleshwari. Chandravati opened the temples door after a long time and realised that the holy edifice had been desecrated by Jayanandas touch. She went to the Fuleshwari to fetch water to wipe out the poem. When she learnt that Jayananda had committed suicide, one version of the story says she could not control herself and she, too, drowned herself. Others say she came back from the river and closed the temple door after entering it. She is said to have died there in the year 1600. Her father suggested that she engage herself in composing Ramayankatha. She started the work, but died before she could complete it. However, Dr Dinesh Chandra Sen included Chandravatis Ramayana in Purbabangagitika. The poems of Chandravati still reverberate among the people of greater Mymensingh. Chandravatis Pala and Ramayana are treasures of Bangla literature. The temple, which captures the tragic love and life of Chandravati, attracts lovers and tourists, but it is now decaying. There is also another temple and a dilapidated two-storey building, believed to be Chandravatis ancestral house. Many visitors and tourists from home and abroad visit the temple and her residence everyday, but are disappointed by the dilapidated condition of the temple and residence. They argue that the temple and the residence can be saved from destruction if a tourist spot is created there. Aminul Haque Sadi, the general secretary of a council that is working to preserve the local heritage, echoed them: The archaeological site can be preserved if a tourist spot is created here around the temple and the residence. Kishoreganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sadar Abdullah Al Masud said, We are trying to recover the lands of Chandravatis residence and temple.