Bandel Church (Part 1)

The Bandel Church is one of the
oldest Christian churches in West
Bengal , India . It stands as a
memorial to the Portuguese
settlement in Bengal . Founded in
1599, it is dedicated to Nossa
Senhora do Rosário, Our Lady of
the Rosary . It is one of the most
prominent historical churches in
West Bengal as well as in India.
Around the middle of the 16th
century, the Portuguese began
using Bandel as a port . During or
around 1571, they were given
permission by Akbar, the Mughal
emperor, to build a town in
Hooghly. As they began settling
around the area, their priests
began to baptise the natives - by
1598, Catholics in Hooghly
numbered around five thousand,
including natives and mixed races.
In 1579, the Portuguese built a port
on the banks of the Hooghly , as
well as a fort, and enlisted the
services of a band of Augustinian
Friars, then the largest religious
body in Goa . The following year,
Captain Pedro Tavares obtained the
emperor's full permission to preach
the Catholic faith publicly, and
erect churches. Thus the Bandel
Church came to be constructed in
1599.
This first church was burnt down
during the sacking of Hooghly by
the Moors in 1632. A newer
church, constructed by Gomez de
Soto (also spelt John Comes de
Soto), was built over the ruin in
1660. The keystone of the older
church can still be seen on the
eastern gate of the monastery.
The November 25, 1988, Pope
John Paul II declared the sanctuary
a minor basilica.

Comments

500 Year's Old Nimai Tirtha Ghat - Reminiscences Of Sri Chaitannya Deb

It says that Nimai Sri Chaitannya Deb once came to district Hooghly for the pilgrimage of Tarakeswar. So he bathed in river Ganga on the bathing ghat of Baidyabati. Then had started his journey to Tarakeswar on foot. It took about 12 hours to reach Tarakeswar. Later, the bathing ghat was named on him and now known to all as Nimai Tirtha Ghat. So, the ghat is about 500 year's old. Kabikankan Mukundaram mentioned this ghat in his mangal kabya, about 400 years ago. Raja Harishchandra of Seoraphuly constructed Nistarini Mandir and Bhadrakali Mandir in the year 1827 beside NimaiTirtha Ghat. then, lakhs of pilgrims take bath on river Ganga from this ghat and take holy water, visit Ma Nistarini and Debi Bhadrakali near, then use to go for Tarakeswar on foot to pour that Gangajal on the shiblinga of Baba Taraknath. The pilgrims use to go to Tarakeswar on the month of Shraban (July-August). Pic 1) The gate of Nimai Tirtha Ghat; Pic 2) The pilgrims are taking bath at the said gha

Highest Jagadhatri Idol Of Chandannagar : Fatakgora

No other idol of Jagadhatri will compete in regard to height with the idol of Fatakgora (height: 31 feet). -- A. B.

Kripamoyee Kali Mandir Of Baranagar

Kripamoyee Kali Mandir of Baranagar, popularly known as Joy Mitra Kali Bari, is situated on the bank of river Hooghly at Baranagar of Kolkata. Baranagar is a very old place, more than 500 years ago this place was existed. Famous zaminder Joyram Mitra of Sovabazar established this temple in mid-April of the year 1851. He bought about 3 bighas land at Baranagar from some James saheb and established the temple there similar to Brahmamoyee Kali temple of Mulajor of Shyamnagar.The goddess here is Dakshina Kali (দক্ষিণা কালী). If you walk from 'Kuthi ghat' of Baranagar river bank a few steps ahead, you'll reach to the temple - 171 years old this temple is situated by the side of Hara Kumar Thakur Strand. Twelve temples of lord Shiva are there beside the main temple. The array and formation of these Shiva mandirs are very innovative. Ramakrishna Paramahansa dev used to visit this temple frequently. This temple was erected as 'Navratna' art. But it is not the formal slop

Asim Bando's KOLKATA BLOG

Search This Blog