Remains of considerable antiquity are noticed right from the river banks at Kahalgaon, where commences a boat ride towards the group of three magnificent riverine hill islands located nearby. Towards the latter half of the 18th century, when the British were taking over the vicinity and making regular travels to and from the ports near Kolkata (then Calcutta), these hills were infamous as hideouts of waterborne bandits, who often attacked boats navigating in the vicinity. Nevertheless, they possibly also still retained some of the original spiritual fervor, as some unknown Sufi saint was noted as residing near the remains of the damaged brick temple, dating back to the Gupta period.

In the present day when they are not as famous as they probably may have been in historical times, it is interesting to note that they are still in use by at least two groups of Hindu ascetics for residence and meditation, and also attract pilgrims, thereby continuing the ancient tradition, which seems to have survived despite the adversities encountered in the course of time. Standing upon any of these hills, as one looks upstream towards the horizon, the Patharghata hill located about 4-5 miles straight across, and, wherefrom the ‘uttarvahini’ river seems to be changing course eastward towards the sea, is noticed most prominently. Even as Cunningham identified these three hill islands as having been the spiritual site described by Hieun Tsang, perhaps as one moves northward along the river and explores the ancient sculpted panels on the rock-face at Patharghata, it is then that the probable description of the Chinese traveller gets truly felt.

To be continued...