01The Devi under the water
The Stotram names the place in its own words: in Kshirgram, the Bhairava is Kshir Khandak. The Devi is Jogadya, also written Yugadya. Her murti is ten-armed Mahishamardini in black stone, her right foot on the lion. It is kept under the water of Kshirdighi, the tank where, the village says, the toe fell. On the day before Baishakh Sankranti she is lifted out and worshipped through the night and returned to the water early next morning; a fair runs on into Jyeshtha, and on its last day she is brought out again for a few hours of darshan.
02Hanuman and Mahiravana
The Krittivasa Ramayana tells that Mahiravana, ruler of Patala, carried off Shri Ram and Lakshmana and meant to offer them to his Devi, Bhadrakali. Hanuman slew him, and at the Devi’s own wish brought her up from Patala to Kshirgram. A second katha remembers Raja Haridatta, who was told in a dream to give the Devi a life each day, until she came to a fleeing priest as a young brahmin girl and ended the sacrifice. When the old murti was found broken, Nabin Bhaskar of Dainhat carved its copy and the Maharaja of Bardhaman paid for it. Women still offer bangles here, after a katha of the Devi buying shell bangles at the Dhamasha tank.
Kaichar station on the Bardhaman–Katwa line is about 4 km away; Katwa is about 20 km by road. Come for Baishakh Sankranti to see the Devi out of the water.
