Sheetla Mata Mandir in Patna becomes popular

Next time, if you plan to visit Bihar, don’t be under the impression that the state has only Buddhist sites to boast of. It’s undeniably true that Bihar is called the Land of the Buddha, but apart from Nalanda, Rajgir, Vaishali and Bodh Gaya, there are places of historical importance in and around Patna too which could leave you spell-bound.

For, these places have largely gone unnoticed or unexplored even by the tourism department. Or else, had the tourism mandarins focused on these untapped potential, the domestic tourists, particularly from the neighbouring West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, would have been jostling to visit such sites.

One such place of historical significance is Quila House, situated on the banks of Ganga. It is also known as Patna Fort and is believed to have been built by the erstwhile ruler Sher Shah in 1541. According to a coffee table book brought out by the Bihar government’s Art, Culture and Youth department, the Quila House was the residential complex of provincial governors and deputy governors of Bihar from 1541 to 1748.

Earlier, the Quila House was spread over huge tracts of land. But later, its eastern portion was bought by the Government of Nepal and later acquired by the Sikh community, which opened Guru Gobind Singh College there. This college is closer to the birthplace of the Tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, who was initially known as Gobind Rai, and was born to Guru Tegh Bahadur and Mata Gujri in Patna Saheb area.

Quila House is not far from Takht Harmindar Saheb where around 10 lakh Sikh pilgrims from across the globe will congregate to celebrate the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh in January 2017. If the tourism department chalks out a proper strategy, it could showcase Quila House as another tourist destination near Patna Saheb, around 20 km from Patna.

On the western side of the Quila House is Madrasa Mosque. “To the west of the mosque there is Chimney Ghat, the then ruler Azim-us-Shan built a 40-pillar hall, Chehel Satoon, also called Durbar Hall, which was further renovated. The Madrasa Mosque and the Chehel Satoon became an extension of the Quila House as the mosque is used as the common passage for the movement of governors between the Quila House and Chehel Satoon,” an official of the Art and Culture Department told DH.

After the Battle of Plassey and later after the Battle of Buxar, the East India Company officers made it their residence. Thereafter, the Quila House remained as their “victory trophy” with the symbolic presence of army men.

By the 20th century, the Quila House belonged to Nawab of Gaya, who later sold it to the Diwan Bahadur Radha Krishna Jalan in 1919. “In the earthquake of 1934, the old building was severly damaged. Jalan, who had made it his residence, built a new building in its place. Later he went to Europe where he stayed for six months. He redesigned his existing house with the help of British architects Blady, Thomson and Mathew. The Quila House, which has a large collection of antiques, is today a combination of English and Dutch architecture,” said the official.

But if you plan to visit the Quila House, don’t forget to touch upon Agam Kuan and Sheetla Mata Mandir. While ‘Agam’ means unfathomable, ‘Kuan’ stands for well. Locals say the well is unfathomable and reaches down to hell, also called ‘Patala’. The well is equated with ‘hell’ of Mauryan period. It is believed that Emperor Ashoka, before converting to Buddhism, used this well to torture people.

An eminent archaeologist Waddell has written that during the medieval period, there was a custom that Muslim officials, on their arrival in Patna, first threw a gold or silver coin into this well. “People still throw money and flower into this well and pray for protecting them from diseases, especially from small pox,” said the official.

Just west of the Agam Kuan is the Sheetla Mata Mandir, now a revered temple in Patna Saheb area. The sculpture of Sheetla Mata, the goddess of small pox, is carved out of black stone and is installed in the eastern portion of the multiple-chambered temple complex. In the other chamber, nine sacred pots, symbolising the primeval goddess, are installed. Large offerings are made during summer, as the well is associated with “heat and hell”. Though the well is revered, the water is not used for drinking purpose.

The archaelogical findings and religious beliefs assign different period to Agam Kuan and Sheetla Mata Mandir--from Mauryan to medieval period. But it was former Chief Minister Rabri Devi, who actually made the temple highly popular in the late 90s. After donning the mantle of the chief minister in July 1997, Rabri Devi frequently visited this mandir and prayed everytime there was a trouble in the family. Be it the incarceration of her husband Lalu Prasad or her dismissal by the Vajpayee Government.

Much to the amusement of many, Rabri Devi would religiously visit Sheetla Mata Mandir and pray for the early release of her incarcerated husband. She would later tell her visiting guests how the goddess fulfilled her wish. It was her unstinted faith that she again rushed to the same temple when her government was dismissed by Vajpayee-led NDA regime in February 1999. Much to everyone’s surprise, Goddess Sheetla again blessed her and Rabri was reinstated as the Bihar Chief Minister in March 1999 – within three weeks of her dismissal.

So, the next time  you come to Bihar, make sure you pay at least one visit to such revered temple which has not caught the national media attention so far.