Fair & Festivals of West Bengal Part- XI

KALYANESWAR SIVA TEMPLE FAIR

Kalyaneswar Siva Temple fair is held at Baly near Howrah in the month of Chaitra (March – April). 

Baly - An old and prosperous town in the police station of the same name Sadar subdivision situated on the Western Bank of the Bhagirathi 10 kms. north of Howrah Railway station with which it is connected by road and rail.

Kalyanesh Shiva Temple

The name of the place is evedently derived from the accumulation of sand deposited by the Bhagirathi. We find its first mention in Mukundram’s Chandimangal. It appears also in Rennell’s Atlas of 1779 – 81. Baly was one of the eight places which supply it Bengalwith hand – written Almanacs before the art of printing was introduced in the country. These were preppared by the local pundits who were held in great respect. It was an important strong hold of Rarhi Brahmins and a noted centre of Sanskrit studies. Writing in 1811, William Ward had observed that it was one of the seven seats of advanced learning in Bengal. In the early 19th century, the place however became a den of thieves, Robbers and Dacoits whose depredations continued until they were checked Dacoity Department in the middle of the century. Baly form a part of the Howrah Municipality locality until 1882 – 83 when Baly, Belur, Barrackpore and a part of Ghusuri were form into a distinct municipality under the same of Baly with an area of about 2 square miles. Late in the 19th century the place began to acquire the complexion of an industrical township with the starting of a sugar factory which was later converted into a paper mill, long known as the Baly Paper Mill. The present improvement of the township owes much to its three eminent sons, late Sricharan Mukherji of Bibirdanga, late Bireswar Chatterji of Chaitalpara and late Santiram Banerjee of Banerjipara. During the freedom struggle the place played an important role in as much as in 1906 a branch of the famous Anusilan Samity was established here which became the secret retreat of absconding terrorists. Many young men of the locality also courted arrest during civil Disobedience movement of the thirties. 

Of the several temples here known can claim any architectural merit. But the shrine of Kalyaneswar Siva flanking the Grand Trunk Road, is held in high religious esteem as the lingam housed in it is supposed to have come up by itself from the bowels of the earth. A largely attended Month – long fair is held in the temple precincts every year beginning on the last day of the Bengali month of Chaitra (March – April) and ending on the last day of the following month. On the occasion Ras festival in Agrahayana (November – December), another fair lasting for 15 days take place near the Rasmancha founded on the bank of the Bhagirathi by the Dans of Sovabazar, Kolkata.