Prrobini Foundation’s Indirect Beneficiary;
A 500+ Year Old Bishnu/Vishnu Temple in Bangladesh
Sachi G Dastidar
Soon after the Probini-ISPaD Meeting in Dhaka, Bangladesh in January of 2019, the delegates from India and the U.S. headed for Probini-supported schools in southern coastal Bangladesh. On their way they stopped at a 15th Century Bishnu (Vishnu) Bari Mandir temple in Barisal district.
The granite-built statue of the deity is in good condition, yet the tin shed was leaking and windows and doors, and parts of the structure was in bad shape. During earlier 1950s pogrom the original temple structure was damaged but the murti (statue of deity) survived. (Adjacent to the temple the 17th Century Black Mother Kali Madir temple was demolished during that pogrom.)
Seeing the visitors locals of the village came rushing asking for help for repair as they are extremely poor. They also mentioned that recently a gang tried to torch the building. Visitors told them it is beyond Probini’s scope, although very worthy.
Soon Sachi G. Dastidar informed some of the descendants of the village living in America, India, Canada and Singapore. Wow!! Many of the descendants living in the U.S., India and Singapore replied and promised to help the poor villagers. All Bangladeshis said we should celebrate when repair is finished.
2019 Pictures from LakshmanKathi
Rev. Swami Satyapriyananda of Madaripur, Mrs. Das (indoor), Pratima RoyChoudhury, Sabyasachi Ghosh Dastidar, and Namita Bose
Walking to the Redone Sri Bishnu Mandir Temple
Village Road
Village Pond
Sri Bishnu Murti (Deity)
MahaBishnu Mandir Temple
Rebuilt in late 1980s by Sri Amitabha Ghosh Dastidar, a native of LakshmanKathi Village,
later of Hungerford Street, Kolkata, India
Darshan with Pujari (Priestess) Mrs. Das
Former Ghosh Dastidar Homestead
At the MahaBishnu Mandir
LakhsmanKathi Village Walk
A New Building by the Muslim Family at Ghosh Dastidar Homestead
who Welcomed the travelers as "Come to your home of ancestors!"
A New Ghat (steps to the water) to the Pond
Ancestral Home of a Branch of Ghosh Dastidar Family @ 1500s
Family Chart of Ghosh-Dasstidar Family since Establishment of the Village (c) late 1400s / early 1500s
Banglar BrahmanKayastha O GhoshDastidar Bangsha (Bengal's Bramin-Kayastha and Ghosh Dastidar Family) by SriDskshinaRanjan GhoshDastidar, printed by SriSudhanghuRanjan Sengupta, Truth Press, 3 Nandan Road, Bhabanipur; Baisakh 1351 (April-May 1945). Price only 2 takas.
Banglar BrahmanKayastha O GhoshDastidar Bangsha (Bengal's Bramin-Kayastha and Ghosh Dastidar Family) by SriDskshinaRanjan GhoshDastidar, printed by SriSudhanghuRanjan Sengupta, Truth Press, 3 Nandan Road, Bhabanipur; Baisakh 1351 (April-May 1945). Price only 2 takas.
2020 Update
After the visit, at the request of the villagers Ghosh Dastidar descendants from Kolkata, Singapore, Bangalore, Queens and Manhattan were able to repair the dilapidated buildings.
Here are a few pictures after renovation and repair.
Sri Sri Bishnu (Vishnu) Murti (Deity)
