Report of a Tour through the Bengal Provinces/Chátná
CHÁTNÁ.
About fourteen miles from Bánkurá on the old Grand Trunk Road through Hazaribagh to Shaharghati at the village of Chátná are some ruins; the principal consists of some temples and ruins within a brick enclosure; the enclosure and the brick temples that existed having long become mere mounds, while the laterite temples still stand; the bricks used are mostly inscribed, and the inscription gives a name which I read as Konaha Utara Rájá, while the pandits read it as Hamira Utara Rájá; the date at the end is the same in all, viz., Sake 1476; there are four different varieties of the inscriptions, two engraved and two in relief; the bricks were clearly stamped while still soft and then burnt. Tradition identifies Chátná with Vâsuli or Vâhuli Nagara. At Daksha’s sacrifice it is said one of the limbs of Parvati fell here, which thence derived its name of Vâsuli Nagara or Bâhulyá Nagara, a name mentioned in the old Bengali poet Chandi Dás. Its present name Chátná is derived from a grove of Chatim or Chatni trees, which existed here. The Rájás of the country were originally Brahmans, and lived at Bâhulyá Nagara. One of them would not worship Parvati under her form of Vâsuli Devi, and her favor being withdrawn from him, he was killed by the Samontas (Saonts?) Sântals, who reigned a long time; at last the people rose up and killed all the Saonts they could; one man only escaped by hiding in the house of a low-caste potter (Kumhâr); for this reason to this day the Saonts will eat and drink with the Kumhârs. To this man Vâsuli Devi appeared in a dream, and encouraged him to try his fortune, assuring him of success; the man was filled with profound respect for her, and having undergone various fasts, &c., he gathered together 11 other Saonts and kept wandering in the jangals; one day when very hungry they met a woman with a basket of kendus on her head; she pitying their condition gave them one a piece from her basket; they asked for more, and she gave, but one of them impatiently snatched away one from her; however, the 12 Saonts were refreshed, and the woman was highly pleased; calling them she said—"Go into the jangal and take 12 kend or kendu saplings, and go and fight for your Ráj; Vâsuli Devi and I will restore your Ráj." They accordingly sallied out, killed the Rájá, and obtained possession of the kingdom again; these twelve ruled jointly; the man who had snatched the kend fruit died first, the remaining eleven ruled by turns till, finding it too troublesome, they agreed to give the sole power to one of their number; the descendants of these men are the present Samanta Rájás, who call themselves Chhátris.
The temple is ascribed to Hamira Utara Rájá, and the legend about it is that Vâsuli Devi one night appeared in a dream to the Rájá, and said—"Behold certain cartmen and mahajans are passing through your territory and are at this moment under a particular tree; they have with them a stone in which I have taken up my abode; take it and set it up to be worshipped, for I am pleased with you, and will remain with you." The Rájá accordingly sent men and stopped the mahajans and cartmen, and seized the stone in payment of ground-rent for the ground they had occupied during the night; he then set it up in the temple which we now see.
The temples of laterite are not worth special notice, there being nothing remarkable about them.