Chandraketugarh: A Hidden World

Having walked to the end of a tall earthen fortification dating back many centuries, and looking out across acres of shimmering paddy fields, Chandraketugarh may strike you as being largely about potential. What gets historians and archaeologists all excited about this ancient settlement in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal may not yet excite the ordinary tourist, for there is still so much of Chandraketugarh that continues to lie beneath the ground.

Exhibit at a private museum

Excavated extensively by Calcutta University for a decade from 1956, when proof of an ancient civilisation spanning six periods from pre-Maurya to Pala was unearthed, but subsequently ignored, it is only recently that Chandraketugarh has returned to focus. The revival chorus has been led by the West Bengal Heritage Commission, the state’s department of archaeology and the Archaeological Survey of India.

The state government’s recent announcement of turning the area into a heritage zone and the Heritage Commission’s move towards getting UNESCO certification for Chandraketugarh has come as some kind of commitment to protecting the future of a place with a 2,500-year-old past. The archaeology department had carried out excavations in Tilpi and Dhosa villages in neighbouring South 24 Parganas district from where a huge collection of artefacts was found. They are situated close to the Piyali river, which is connected to the Vidyadhari river, which ran close to Chandraketugarh. There was a connected riverine civilisation for sure, but it is not clear whether these people had trade relations with the rest of the world.

The mound of Khana-Mihir or Barahamihir on Prithiba road, Berachampa (Chandraketugarh ruins)

Courtesy Wikipedia

THINGS TO SEE AND DO

If you are curious about the history of Chandraketugarh, then let the local private museums assist you in your endeavour. While only sketchy historical information is provided at the sites, collectors like Dilip Kumar Maite’s modest collection of relics provides greater insights to ancient history buffs. The narrow dirt track from the Chandraketugarh ramparts, moving through a sparkling green countryside setting, leads to the home of another collector, Asad-uj Jamaan. A registered museum, Jamaan’s collection houses over 1,500 pieces of artefacts. There are terracotta and wooden figures of humans, animals and demons, along with earthen pottery – ample evidence of a place that some historians contend is ‘one of the richest treasure chests in Bengal’.

There are no accommodation options here. Chandraketugarh is best treated as a day trip from Kolkata.

When to Go Any time of the year but the monsoon season is best avoided Location Chandraketugarh is about 50km by road via Barasat from Kolkata Air Nearest airport: Kolkata Rail Nearest rail: Kolkata Harua Road