Chandi has been worshiped at Makar Chandi Temple, Shilakhand for thousands of years

Howrah is one of the oldest and historically famous towns. Calcutta might have been built on the other side if the pest of mosquitoes was less. Yes, the name must have been different. Let's talk about it. A famous place in Howrah is Makardah. Here is the temple of Devi Makar Chandi. Many people say that the name Makardah is born from the name of Goddess Makar Chandi. The spider is the mother of spiders. Makardah under Domjur police station of Howrah. Makrdah village is located on the Munsirhat-Domjur road from Howrah. Researchers say that this place is named after Goddess Makrachandi. There are many legends about the goddess. It is said that once the river Saraswati flowed from Tribeni as a southern branch and came to the temple as an eastern branch. At present, however, a few reservoirs show the truth of the concept of the course of the river. The dilapidated canals bear witness to that time. The word Daha means hole. According to legend, a rich merchant built this temple in Sapnadesh while going to trade on the Saraswati river route and started worshiping the mother. But that temple is no more today. The new temple was built three centuries ago. There are still three stone fragments in this temple, bearing witness to that time. The name of Makrachandi Devi is mentioned in Chandimangal Kavya.

The present form of the temple was built by Ramkant Kunduchoudhury, the zamindar of Mahiari. His age also turned three hundred. The temple was built in 1743. Presently the temple consists of Devimandir, Natmandir, Nahavatkhana, Bhogmandir and Shivamandir. There is a big natmandir in front of mother's temple. On the south-west side of this temple is a small east-facing temple of Devi Bhairava. At the back of the temple is Saraswati Kund. The statue of Makrachandi Maa is a block of rock painted in red brilliant vermilion. On top of that is a trinity of silver, nose studs and ear studs.

There is no end to the legends about Makrachandi Devi. According to one opinion, the name of Makrachandi Devi comes from the Markandeya Purana. According to another, the name Makarachandi is derived from Makar. Makar means crocodile. Saraswati river flows beyond Makardah. There was once an origin of crocodiles. Merchants used to trade through this river. To escape from the hands of crocodiles, the merchants-traders of that time started Puja of Makarchandi. Makarachandi eventually became Makarachandi. It is said that a famous rich merchant Saudagar once saw Goddess Makrachandi in a dream while trading on the river. It was he who established the temple of the goddess in that region. At that time the river Saraswati broke free from Triveni and started flowing south. Then the eastern army approached this temple. There is no idol of Makrachandi, the red vermilion rock is worshiped as a goddess adorned with silver Trinayana, Nakchabi and Kanpasha. On the day of Dipanvita Amavasya i.e. Kali Puja in the month of Kartik, there is a special puja and special entertainment. Many stories are heard around this temple, like once the sound of baja dhaka reached as far as the puja of the temple, no other puja was performed. The Shiva temple is next to the mother temple. Puja is performed there every day. It is said that the river Saraswati used to flow by the side of this Shiva temple though it is no more. There is a pond at the back of the temple. Local people say that the river Saraswati has become a pond after being blocked.

Shilakhand still carries memories of ancient times. One group says that the huge Matri idol has been worshiped for thousands of years as per the rules of Yuga. As time goes by, the rocks gradually erode. Large commercial ships used to travel along this Saraswati river route. Many merchants traded on the Saraswati river route. A certain merchant got a dream and started worshiping the idol of Chandi in the cane forest on the bank of Saraswati. Mother Chandi is looked after by the Kundu family of Andul. Chandi's idol was huge, garlands around the mother's neck, sandalwood had to be given and the help of a ladder had to be taken. The water given on the head of the huge idol would fall on the feet of the priest. Awakened Mother Chandi's head water falls on the priest's feet, the priest becomes a sharer of the sin, he starts calling the mother every day and wants to know the way to get rid of this sin. Hearing the priest's words, the mother starts entering the underworld. Seeing this, the priest hugged the idol, from which the body of the mother spider was half-sized. Mother has been worshiped like this for thousands of years. Every morning Jagaran Mangal Aarti is done, then mother's bath, puja starts from morning. Indulgence at 12 noon. Khichuri, chachchari, curry, five types of fried food, fish, parmanna and chutney are offered to the mother. After the Bhoga, the doors of the temple are closed. It reopened in the afternoon. Aarti is performed in the evening, Puja continues. Spider Chandi is also worshiped as Annapurna and Durga. Every year on the fifth day of Dol Utsav there is a custom of burning chanchar and stakes. A 15 day long fair is held on the occasion of Puja. Even today many devotees come from far and wide to the temple to worship Jagrat Ma Makar Chandi. There are many Chandis in Bengal, there is a temple of Mashan Chandi in Nadia Ja. Ghaghar Chandi Temple is located in Asansol in East Burdwan. Not every place has an idol. Goddess Chandi is worshiped in Shilakhand.