Sangram Datta:
A press conference was held in protest against the communal provocative campaigns on social media, attempts to desecrate
the sanctity of the Chandranath Dham, a holy pilgrimage site for Sanatan religious people situated at Sitakunda Upazilla in Chittagong district.
Sri Sri Chandranath Dham Raksha Parishad ( Protect Council) and Barbakunda Thirtha Dham Development Committee organized this press conference at S Rahman hall room of Chittagong Press Club on February-3.
The leaders of various traditional organizations of Chittagong participated at the press conference.
The speakers in the press conference protested against the conspiracy to occupy the divine property, the attempt to grab the divine property of the goddess Sri Sri Jalamukhi Kali Vigraha through forgery and the attack and intimidation on the priests.
The speakers in the press conference brought the allegation against Jatiya Party Joint Secretary General Didarul Alam Didar for attacking the priests of the Barbakunda shrine and trying to grab the debottar property .
The speakers raised a 10 point demands in the press conference.
The demands were that the local administration should take measures to provide security to the priests of the debottar property, the amendments proposed by the Hindu organization on the draft law for the preservation and expropriation of the debottar property, the law immediately pass and effective, lease cancellation and eviction of debottar property that illegally leased to Dacoit Shaheed Gang by the Sitakunda Shrine Committee, demarcating the area of Debottar property and taking effective measures to immediately construct a security fence, control free movement and restore expropriated property coordinating with the leaders of local Hindus and traditional voluntary organizations
by Sitakunda Shrine Committee,
to ensure the transparency and accountability of the Shrine Committee. Publicizing the accounts and activities in front of Sanatan people by the shrine committee, declaring Sri Sri Chandranath Dham of Sitakunda and Baravakunda Tirtha Dham as National Pilgrimage Sites and taking all measures to preserve those. Effective measures should be taken to protect the properties of both Dhams. Restitution of properties which have been expropriated and cancellation of fake documents of those places, stop various communal provocation on social media about Sri Sri Chandranath Dham and those involved in these religious provocation should be brought under the law. Apart from this, action should be taken against those who abuse traditional religion in various ways or spread propaganda through social media.
Unconditional release of the religious Sanatan people who are in jail following the cases under Digital security acts across the country.
Chandranath Dham Protect and Barbakunda Tirthdham Development Council demanded implementation of 10 points including appointment of Mohant (Religious Priest).
Apart from this, a permanent security post should be established at one of the most important Peeths, Barbakunda Tirthdham, a joint cell should be formed to ensure the spiritual quality of Chandranath Dham, comprising the heads of various monasteries and missions, and the appointment of Mohant should be ensured, the Devotar
properties of Sitakunda's Sallaksha and Kumarikunda's should be canceled and restored which recorded as Khas land.
The press conference was attended by Priest (Sevayat) Chirkumari Brahmacharini Smrilta Bharti of Barbakunda Sri Jalamukhi Kali Vigrah, Kushal Baran Chakraborty, Founder of Sanatan Vidyarthi Sangsad and Teacher of Chittagong University, Advisory Editor of Daily Chittagong Protidin and Chief Advisor of Chittagong Patenga Mahabaruni and Gangasnan Committee Ayan Sharma, General Secretary of Bangladesh Gita Education Committee Advocate Subhashish Sharma, Journalist Biplab Partha, Sanatani Jagarani Sangh President Kanchan Acharya, Jago Hindu Parishad Chittagong District President Rubel Kanti Dey, Hindu Mahazot Chittagong District President Advocate Jisu Rakshit, Advocate Mithun Biswas, Adipurush Shyam Das Brahmachari, Sevayat Kali Narayan Bharti, Sevayat Mithun Krishna Bharati.
The leaders of the organization announced a united movement to realize the 10-point demand and to make the movement globally beyond the country.
The speakers also raised the issue of social boycott against those who are trying to take possession of the debottar property under political umbrella.
It may be mentioned here that Chandranath Dham ( Shakti Peeth) located on top of the 350 metres high Chandranath hill, is a famous Shakti Peeth located at Sitakunda in Chittagong of Bangladesh where, as per Hindu sacred texts, the right arm of Goddess Sati fell. Sitakunda Chandranath Temple is a holy place of pilgrimage.
There are two idols here, one is of Devi Sati and called as Bhavani. The other murti or idol in this temple is of Lord Shiva Known as the Chandrashekhar. This particular word is depicted for all those individuals who have got a moon at the crown or at the top of their head. As per the belief of many local people, Lord Shiva himself has committed to visit Chandrasekhar Mountain during Kali Yuga. The temple is beautifully made with marble structures and art.
The name, shakti peeth chattal is related to the location of its establishment. A famous town
Sitakunda of Chittagong District
in Bangladesh is the establishment point of Shakti peeth chattal.
Hindu scriptures state that Sati was the main spouse of Shiva as the primary manifestation of Parvati. She was the little girl of King Daksha and Queen (the little girl of Brahma).
She submitted self-immolation at the conciliatory fire of a yagna performed by her dad Daksha as she felt genuinely upset by her dad’s affront of her significant other and furthermore to her by not welcoming them two for the yagna.
Shiva was so lamented in the wake of becoming aware of the passing of his significant other that he moved far and wide in a Tandav Nritya (“decimating atonement” or move of pulverization) conveying Sati’s dead body over his shoulders. Irritated by this circumstance and so as to carry Shiv to a condition of regularity, it was then Vishnu who chose to utilized his Sudarshan Chakra (the pivoting knifes carried on at the tip of his finger). He dissected Sati’s body with the chakra into a few pieces and any place her body fell on the earth, Each of 51 bits of the body tumbled to earth, and where each piece fell turned into a blessed focus of journey or Shakti Peetha.
These areas have turned out to be celebrated journey places. Sati is otherwise called Devi or Shakthi, and with gifts of Vishnu, she was renewed as the little girl of Himavat or Himalayas and henceforth named as Parvati (girl of mountains). She was conceived on the fourteenth day of the brilliant portion of the long stretch of Mrigashīrsha, which denotes the Shivarathri (Shiva’s night) celebration.
At present, some religious zealots attempt to desecrate sanctity of oldest pilgrimage Temple Chandra Nath Shakti Peeth.
In 2021, A young man climbed to the top of the temple and gave azan and posted it on his Facebook ID.
When there was a big storm on social media about this, the police arrested the two youths.
Recently , the movement of non-Hindus has increased alarmingly in this pilgrimage site of the Hindus.
A post on Facebook about organizing a barbecue party has been reported on social media which has started a lot of uproar.
On 30 December 2023, A clash occurred between Hindu devotees and non- Hindu people near the temple. At least 10 people were injured in clash.
Many Hindus expressed their concerns over the existence of the temple and it's surroundings and raised question about the weaknesses and poor leadership against the shrine committee.
The Daily Chattragram Protidin and Amader Somoy covered a news in this regard, but top level online news portals, print and electronic media remained silent to cover the report in this connection.
On the 1st day of this year, A team of ISKCON Bangladesh led by Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu, President of ISKCON Sri Sri Pundrik Dham visited the Chandra Nath Dham at Sitakunda in Chittagong following the recent situation.
Barabkunda Thirtha Dham ( Pilgrimage Site) is an ancient Hindu temple located at Barbakunda in Sitakunda of Chittagong District. It is also known as Barabkunda Agnikunda because of the natural fire burning in the water at the bottom of the temple.
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