There’s one more destination I want to tell you about from my recent trip to Kolkata. Pareswanath Temple is a jewel of serenity.

My guide Anup Saha suggested we visit the temple and I’m so glad he did. As we walked up Badridas Temple Street in northeast Kolkata, I had no idea what to expect. The pathway is uncharacteristically immaculate. The doors on the left open into living quarters for Jain monks and nuns who live in the area near and beside Pareswanath Temple. The area is scrupulously clean.

This was my first visit to a Jain temple, and Pareswanath Temple is one of the most revered shrines in Kolkata, famous for its enthralling beauty and spiritual atmosphere.

As one approaches across the inlaid mosaic courtyard,

two lions guard the gate.

Just to the right inside the gate is this elephant with two riders.

Already I was impressed by this truly unique temple. Then I looked to my left to see the beautiful gardens that surround the temple complex.

Serenity in the middle of Kolkata. Beautiful color amongst the grey.

PARESWANATH TEMPLE

Pareswanath Temple is a jewel among its surroundings. Startling in its exterior beauty. [Yes, that’s me under the hat.]

Cross the courtyard to enter this temple built by Jain Rai Badridas Bahadoor Mookim in 1867.

The main shrine is dedicated to 10th Jain Avatar Sri Sitainath Ji. The deity Lord Shitainathji sits in the sanctum sanctorum, his forehead studded with diamonds.

The lamp fueled with ghee has burned continuously since 1867.

The interior dazzles with its intricate tiles, and paintings. Note the tiles on the right – not exactly traditional designs.

Chrystal chandeliers hang from intricately decorated ceilings.

In Kolkata’s bustle and traffic, it’s hard to believe such a serene place can exist. Perhaps that’s the point.

???

Sign up for Sandra’s Newsletter. The newsletter comes out every Monday with a blog preview & any relevant book announcements. You can unsubscribe at any time. Your contact information won’t be given out. Sign up today for free “Out-Takes from Rama’s Labyrinth.”

Photos by Author. All Rights Reserved.

Pareswanath Temple – Swetambar. Kolkata City Tours

The post PARESWANATH TEMPLE – AN OASIS IN KOLKATA first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

As you may recall from a previous blog about Kolkata, I went to that historic city in search of clues about Mary Pigot, the protagonist in my current project. Calcutta was the capital of the British Raj until December 1911 when British administrators removed to New Delhi, and buildings in Calcutta’s historic district remain much as they were.

Looking at my poorly drawn map where nothing is to scale, you can see the Hooghly River in the west with early Calcutta on its eastern banks. Fort William, the oldest structure, is surrounded by the Maidan, an open area. To the north is Dalhousie Square where we find three buildings Mary Pigot probably knew. Further north (not shown) are Bethune College and the Scottish College, both institutions Mary knew well.

ST. JOHN’S CHURCH, completed in 1787, was the second Church of England building in Calcutta. The first was within Ft. William’s walls. Maharaja Nabo Kotten Bahadur donated the land and Warren Hastings, Governor General of the British East India Company, laid the foundation stone in 1784. Architects adapted the design from St.-Martin-in-the-Fields (London), but added colonnaded side verandas to reduce glare from the sun.

At that time, matters of government were so minimal that William Hastings conducted affairs at this octagonal green table. The governor’s chair is still there.

ST. ANDREW’S KIRK, the official Scottish church, is on a different side of the square. It too was modeled after St.-Martin-in-the-Fields — and looks considerably more like the original structure. Scottish expatriates were a large part of Calcutta’s population, initially recruited by the East India Company. Their occupations included soldiers, merchants, agriculturalists supplying jute and indigo commodities, and missionaries from both the Church of Scotland and the Scottish Free Church. Mary Pigot’s employer was the Church of Scotland.

The Church of Scotland also sponsored what was then called the General Assembly’s Institution – after the church’s governing body. Mary’s nemesis, Rev. William Hastie, arrived to take charge of the college in 1878. In 1929 the name changed to SCOTTISH CHURCH COLLEGE. The institution is located on Hedua Square, previously known as Cornwallis Square.

BETHUNE COLLEGE is located on the same square. Mary Pigot taught here before taking up her position at the Scottish Orphanage for Girls. When we entered the gate, my guide had a word with the guards who said we could take exterior pictures. Just as I took a couple pictures one of the teachers rushed out. The guide and I ended up in the head teacher’s office. I could only guess at the conversation that ensued – firm words, gestures, smiles, shrugs. In the end, we thanked them and left. Who says researchers don’t have interesting experiences?

The key incidents in my project took place here in the Calcutta HIGH COURT. This building, constructed in 1872, was modeled after the 13th century Cloth Hall at Ypres, Belgium. The cloth hall was destroyed during World War I. Ironically, architects from Belgium came to Calcutta to copy the copy in order to reconstruct the building in Ypres. That reconstructed building is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The High Court is closed to visitors, but my guide Anup Saha spoke to the appropriate officials and gained permission for us to go inside. Like many structures, the building surrounds a courtyard. Offices and courtrooms surround the central space with open verandas for access.

What might Mary have thought as she entered the oldest court in India?

She walked up to this massive building with its red brick exterior, passed under the vaulted cloisters, climbed the stairs, and entered a small courtroom for the most dramatic experience of her life.

???

Photo of Kolkata High Court by Paul Hamilton, Creative Commons Attribution. Wikimedia Commons.

Other photos and drawings by Author.

Bethune College, Kolkata

Calcutta High Court.

St Andrew’s Church. 

Scottish Church College

“Calcutta: A Brew of Old and New.” Independent. May 9, 2008

“Ypres Connection to Kolkata.” Heritage Structure of Bengal. July 11, 2012

The post CALCUTTA, MARY PIGOT & ME – Where She Was first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Calcutta is situated on the banks of the Hooghly (Hugli) River, a major distributary of the Ganges River. In Northern Bengal the Hooghly splits to form a large delta that empties into the Bay of Bengal.

The lower portions of the river were once navigable enough for large ocean vessels, which made it a desirable location when the East India Company built Calcutta.

The Maidan, literally “open field,” or parade ground, is proximate to Ft. William, originally constructed by the British East India Company in the 18th century and presently a military facility for the Indian Army. The Maidan itself is an urban park which includes Eden Gardens, the second largest cricket ground in the world.

St Paul’s Cathedral is at the southeastern end of the Maiden, near the Victoria Memorial. Completed in 1847, the church is noted for its Gothic architecture. Some modifications were made for the Indian climate. These include open verandas, and cane chairs rather than church pews.

St. Paul’s has what is said to be the finest stained glass in India, designed by Edward Burns-Jones and installed in 1880 after a cyclone blew out the original west window.

I doubt if Mary Pigot visited this church. The Scottish Ladies’ orphanage was to the north, on the opposite end of Central Calcutta. This location was close to the British enclave further south.

Calcutta’s civic center is north from the Maidan. Here is where the earliest colonial structures are found, clustered around what was once called Dalhousie Square after Viceroy, Lord Dalhousie. Originally from Scotland, Dalhousie served as Governor-General for the East India Company 1848-1856. He left office just before the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Today the Square is called B.B.D. Bagh. The initials B. D. D. stand for Benoy-Badal-Dinesh Bagh. In 1930 these three men killed the Inspector General of Prisons while he stood on a balcony of the Writers’ Building.

The Writers’ Building, completed in 1780, has outgrown both its name and its original design. The building began as a plain 3-story structure to house East India Company clerks (aka writers). There were nineteen residential quarters, each with three sets of windows to light the clerks’ desks.

In 1821, Fort William College took over the site. Trustees added a 128 foot veranda with Ionic columns, each 21 feet tall. Inspirational statues decorated the facade, including one of Minerva, Greek goddess of wisdom, on the top pediment. In 1857 the British government took over the administration of India, and converted the Writers’ Building into an administrative secretariat. The length of the Writer’s Building equals one side of Tank Square.

The term ‘tank’ is used in India to denote any man-made body of water. As Calcutta grew, sourcing clean water became an increasing challenge. In 1709 engineers converted an existing pond fed by a spring into a reservoir for “sweet” water. The resulting tank covered about 25 acres and supplied water to the growing city. The British called it the Great Tank, or the Red Tank. Today the tank is known as Lal Dighi (Red Pool) and is popular for recreational activities.

Did Mary Pigot spend much time in or around Dalhousie Square?

It’s hard to say. Most people in and around the Square had connections to British administration. And Mary was far to busy for idle wandering.

Next week we’ll visit some buildings I think Mary visited often, particularly the High Court.

???

Map from a 1749 French Manuscript. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

All other photos by Author. Hand drawn map by Author.

Srinath Perur. Writers’ Bldg, Kolkata. The Guardian. April 10, 2015.

The post KOLKATA, MARY PIGOT, & ME – Where She Wasn’t first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Durga Puja occurs in every autumn, immediately before Diwali, and is the largest festival in Calcutta. This year’s festival dates were October 7 through 11. Happily I was in the city a week before the event, and so was able to see the final stages of preparation.

Durga Puja is celebrated throughout India, but Calcutta has the largest event by far, because Goddess Durga takes special care of Bengal. People began arriving in the city while I was there, finding shelter wherever they could.

According to legend, Durga makes an annual visit to Calcutta from her home in the Himalayas where she lives with her consort Lord Shiva and their children. Of course other legends stress Durga as as the embodiment of shakti, the divine feminine energy that exists in a state of complete self-sufficiency. Either way, she is the means by which good triumphed over evil when she slew the demon Mahisa. [Here’s the story.]

Preparations for Durga Puja begin months in advance in Calcutta’s Kumartuli neighborhood, the traditional street of potters. When complete, Durga will take center stage. Durga’s lion stalks on her right, his golden mane a contrast with her red sari. On Durga’s left, the defeated demon. In her ten arms, Durga holds the weapons she used in her struggle.

The tableau includes Durga’s four children: Lakshmi (Prosperity) and Saraswati (Wisdom) on her right; Kartikeya (War), and Ganesha (Success) on her left. A small figure of Lord Shiva is painted above Durga’s head. Ganesha’s two wives are also present, represented by banana stalks.

Creating the images in their tableau is a lengthy and ritualistic process. The figures are made on a bamboo frame covered with straw and held together with jute string. Clay from the nearest river, preferably the Ganges (as is the case in Calcutta) is applied in three layers. The last layer is paster of Paris.

The figure can then be painted. The eyes are painted last. The images are varnished. Hair made from jute is glued as needed. Finally, the image is dressed and decorated with dazzling colors and ornaments.

It can take up four months to complete a single image, and the artisans of Kumartuli create hundreds commissioned by neighborhoods, private families and businesses.

The sponsors also build Pandals in which to house the images. These temporary temples are enormous structures built on bamboo poles and covered with fabric. Competitions are held between neighborhoods for the best pandals and puja themes. ‘Pandal-hopping’ is a popular pastime during the festival.

Durga Puja caught on as a popular festival in the 18th century. In 1857 Raja Nabakrishna Deb held a puja at his home in honor of Robert Clive’s victory over the French at the Battle of Plassey. The victory established British East India Company rule in Bengal.

Subsequently, other prominent Bengali families held pujas at which Company officers were guests of honor. Each family tried to outdo the others in the presentation of food, decoration, music and entertainments.

Less elite families originated community pujas. Twelve friends in West Bengal collaborated to collect contributions for local residents to hold the first community puja in 1790. The practice came to Calcutta in 1832. In 1910 larger community pujas took place as public celebrations. Over the years both the images and the pandals have become larger and more decorative.

On the last day of the Durga Puja, the idols are taken to the nearest body of water and immersed head first. Crowds come to bid Durga farewell as she returns to the Himalayas and then join their families and friends.

When the images were made with natural clay and vegetable dyes, the materials naturally dissolved into the water. When Durga Puja was a community event in which 2,000 people might produce one set of images, the number of idols immersed in the river was relatively small.

Today, worshippers take hundreds of images to the water. Most of these contain non-biodegradable materials which are also toxic. Plaster of Paris and paints containing mercury, cadmium, lead, and carbon create beautiful images, but they lower oxygen levels in the water.

To reduce pollutants, the City of Calcutta positions barges near the river banks in order to lift out the idols immediately after immersion.

Next year Durga Puja will be September 26-30.

???

Once again, my gratitude to Chefs Mauhkh and Harmeet at the Oberoi Grand who prepared food for me that was gluten free.

Photos by Author.

“The Durga Puja Festival of Kolkata and West Bengal.” From Lost to Found Travel.

“What is so Special About Durga Puja in Bengal.” Indian Today Education. Oct. 16, 2015,

Anastasia Basu. “Where Durga Rides a White Lion.” The Telegraph Calcutta. 4 Oct. 2016. P. 19.

Soma Basu. “Idol Immersions after Durga Puja.” DownTo Earth. Oct 18, 2013.

Rama Chowdhury. 20 Photos of Durga Idol Making.

Sharell Cook. “When is Durga Puja?” About Travel.

Das, Subhamoy. “History and Origin of Durga Puja.” About Religion. Feb 28, 2016.

The post DURGA PUJA – THE GODDESS RETURNS first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

One of the great things about the way I write historical fiction is the necessity of research travel. My current project took me first to London and Edinburgh to investigate written records [See blogs from July]. But a visit to the site of events in the story took me back to India, this time to the vibrant city of Kolkata [Calcutta] in the state of Bengal.

As very good luck would have it, I arrived as preparations were under way for this year’s Durga Puja, a festival honoring Goddess Durga. A fitting event from which to start my stories of this trip to India. In the featured image you see me gazing at one of the giant images of Goddess Durga’s lion being prepared for the festival.

Before describing the festival, let me tell you about Goddess Durga and the victory of good over evil she represents.

In the picture you see Goddess Durga with her vehicle, a lion, on the left and her defeated enemy, Mahisa, on the right.

THIS IS THEIR STORY

Once upon a time, there was a creature called Mahisa [buffalo] who had the head of a buffalo and the body of a man. How he came to be is a story for another day.

Mahisa wanted the god Brahma to give him the gift of immortality. To catch Brahma’s attention, Mahisa performed severe austerities. Mahisa’s devotion pleased Brahma who offered him a favor. When Mahisa requested immortality, Brahma promised no man would be able to kill Mahisa, which Mahisa thought was what he requested because no woman could kill a man like himself.

Assured of long life and gifted with immense strength and magical abilities, Mahisa became the demons’ leader and challenged the gods, robbing them of their offerings and defeating them in battle. To say the gods were angry would be an understatement. The gods came together and pooled their anger. Fire came from Brahma’s face; a flame from Shiva’s body, and dazzling blue light emanated from Vishnu. Tongues of fire appeared from the other gods. The ensuing mass of fire and light merged to create Goddess Durga. The god Himalaya gave Durga a lion for her vehicle; Vishnu gave her a discus as a weapon, and Shiva bestowed Durga with his trident. I could tell you about all the gifts each god gave Durga, but it would make the blog too long.

Suffice to say, Durga was extremely beautiful and each part of her body emanated energy from the gods.  When the gods told Durga the reason for her creation, the goddess laughed with such force that the earth trembled.

The earthquake’s roar terrified Mahisa and his demons. Mahisa sent men to find out the earthquake’s cause. They spied Durga in the forest wearing beautiful clothing and drinking wine from a golden cup. Awestruck, they immediately returned to Mahisa.

Excited by their descriptions of Durga’s beauty, Mahisa sent his prime minister with a marriage proposal. She refused Mahisa’s quest.

Mahisa sent a second messenger. Durga refused again. This time she became angry. Again the earth trembled. Durga was ready to fulfill the gods’ request. Mahisa sent his best soldiers to fight Durga. She defeated them. Mahisa decided to present himself to Durga. But instead of appearing as his true self, Mahisa transformed into a handsome man. Arriving at Durga’s hermitage, Mahisa told the goddess he was her true consort, saying: “I am the heroic buffalo, king of the demons, respected by gods; I hold this entire triple universe by the prowess of my own arms. I can assume any form I desire and can supply all sensual enjoyments. Choose me as your husband.”

Durga revealed her purpose was to kill him, and advised him either to flee to the netherworld or fight her. Mahisa continued his courtship. Durga repeated herself. Mahisa, believing himself immortal, chose battle.

IT WAS A BATTLE OF EPIC PROPORTIONS

Oceans overflowed.

Clouds broke into fragments.

Mountains fell from the sky.

Durga’s forces emerged victorious. Mahisa resumed his buffalo form. He struck men with his muzzle; trampled them with his hooves; lashed soldiers with his tail and used his breath to throw Durga’s fighters to the earth.

 DURGA BECAME ANGRY

She threw her noose over Mahisa to bind him.

Mahisa transformed into a lion. Durga cut off his head.

Mahisa became a man with a sword. Durga pierced him with her arrows.

Mahisa became an elephant and pulled Durga’s lion down with his trunk.

Durga cut off the elephant’s trunk.

Mahisa resumed his buffalo form and wounded Durga with his horns.

He used his tail to catch hold of the mountains and threw them at her.

Durga paused to fortify herself with a wine made from blood.

Her eyes became red and she laughed. “Roar and roar for a moment,” Durga said to her enemy, “while I drink this honeyed wine. The gods will soon roar when I slay you here.”

Durga leaped upon her enemy.

She kicked him in the neck with her foot

and spiked Mahisa with the trident given to her by Shiva.

When Durga struck Mahisa with her foot,

the demon began emerging from his own mouth.

Durga cut off his head and claimed her victory over evil.

???

Next Week: Now that we know the reason for Durga Puja, next week we’ll look at the festival itself.

While in Kolkata, I stayed at the historic Oberoi Grand, of which more later, but I would like to take this opportunity to express gratitude to chefs Harmeet and Mayukh who were so mindful of my need for gluten free food.

???

All photos property of Author.

Drawing of Durga Fighting the Demons, c.1785. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Hindu Myths translated from Sanskrit. Penguin Books. 1975

A. L. Dallapiccola. Hindu Myths. University of Texas Press. 2003

Bulbul Sharma. The Book of Devi. Penguin Books. 2013.

The post GODDESS DURGA SLAYS THE DEMON first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.