Dhaka has hit the headlines quite a lot recently, primarily due to the lawlessness and chaos prevailing on the streets of the city. Massive violent ‘students’ protests for weeks in Bangladesh culminated in the resignation of prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who left the country and flew to India. A new interim government was formed in the neighbouring nation with Muhammad Yunus sworn in as the head of the administration in Dhaka. Violence against Hindus continues in the country, including its capital city. Amid all these developments, are you aware that the name Dhaka has derived from Dhakeshwari – a goddess and a form of Devi Durga? How did it happen? Let’s take a look.
Just like Kali is to Kolkata and Meenakshi is to Madurai, Dhakeshwari is to Dhaka in the same manner. Dhakeshwari Mata Mandir is located in 1/3A Kumartuli Street, a congested lane in Kolkata. There is a famous notion that the idol dates back to the time of Akbar when Mughal commander Man Singh launched an invasion into Bengal against King Pratapaditya. The devotees visiting the temple are aware of the story of the migration of the idol.
How did the migration of the idol take place?
Some influential Hindus associated with the Dhakeshwari temple preempted vandalism of temples during communal clashes in Bengal after partition in 1947 and decided to shift the idol to Kolkata. The idol was brought to Kolkata via a special aircraft in 1948 without its ornaments and attire. It was then packed into a suitcase, wrapped in newspaper and clothes, by two people. According to reports published in the 1950s, another man, known as Lalababu in Dhaka, was among those who arrived in Kolkata with the idol.
In Kolkata, the idol was placed in the house of Debendranath Chowdhury in Harachandra Mallik Street. The Chowdhury family donated land in the Kumartuli area for the construction of a temple after which the idol from Dhaka’s Dhakeshwari temple was reinstalled there. The new temple was named Dhakeshwari Matar Mandir.
Later, the temple management committee visited the city to take pictures of the idol aiming to make a replica. However, no replica could be made. The current idol placed in the Dhaka temple is not an exact replica of the original one. In Kolkata, the idol does not hold any weapon in her eight hands, while in Dhaka, the goddess holds a weapon in each.
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