| On the way from
Diamond Harbor to Kaka-dwip come the villages of Karanjali and Kanta Benia, which also
bring nostalgia. The two villages have thrown out a large number of stone images, pillars
and terracotta. The images of the deities are mostly Vishnu, Vasudeva or Ganesha. At Kanta
Benia village a large image of parshwa Nath is worshipped in the same temple with
Bishalakshi Devi. Bishalakshi Devi is the presiding deity of thefishermen. This image of
Parshwa Nath is superb. Among the gramya-devtas (village deities) Baba Thakur and Shitala
Devi are the more prominent ones. Baba Thakur is a
popular deity and worshipped by all communities. Both Hindus and Muslims worship to
Olaichandi or Bibima ward off the epidemics. Particular mention has also to be made of
Panihati and Khardaha villages, which were very intimately associated withVaishnavism
and Sri Chaitanya Deva. There are ample references to these villages in the
Vaishnava literature of the 16th and 17th centuries like Jayananda's Chaitanya
Mangal, Krishna Das Kabiraj's Shri Chaitanya Charitamrit, and Brindaban Das's Chaitanya
Bhagawat. But these villages have also preserved remnants of Sakti worship,
tantricism, Natha cult and Pir-worship. |
