Goddess Gandheshwari and a merchant cast community of Bengal

The presiding deity of the temple is Goddess Gandheswari. On the right side of the picture, the demon is seen under the feet of the goddess. The Bengali Gandhabaniks community(Bengali Hindu merchant caste) still worships him for the betterment of business. The Gandhabaniks community was primarily associated with the trade in cosmetics, incense, sandalwood and various spices. Later, during the British period, they were involved in arms and medicine trade in Bengal. Kolkata, West Bengal, India. May 23, 2024.

Goddess Gandheswari was the worshiper of Bengal especially the Gandhabanik community. In the late nineteenth century they were a caste of the fourteenth caste of the Nabasakh branch.

Goddess Gandheshwari who is a form of Goddess Durga. She is worshiped as a Shakti. Bengali Hindus were worshipers of Shakti. Shakti means female energy. More deeply can be called mother goddess. Imagine nature as mother. In Tantra religion of Bengal, Shakti is worshiped in various forms. Goddess Gandeshwari is one of the form of this energy. Kolkata, West Bengal, India. May 23, 2024.

Gandhabanik means those who were mainly involved in the trade of cosmetics, incense, sandalwood, and various spices. Later during the British period, they were associated with medicine and arms trade. Among them, two prominent businessmen are still in business in Calcutta for generations – the gun dealer N.C. Daw and Druggist Butto Kristo Paul. During the British period, they were the established traders of this Gandhabanik community. Goddess Gandeshwari temple in Kolkata was was built in 1936(1943 in Bengali) by Harishankar Pal, the son of the Butto Kristo Paul. Even today, every year on the day of Buddha Purnima, the people of this community come to the temple.

A woman of the Gandhabaniks community offer prayer to Goddess Gandeshwari. Devotees congregate on the day of Buddha Purnima at the temple of Mother Gandeshwari. This temple was built in 1936 (1943 in Bengali) by Harishankar Pal, the son of the renowned Bengali businessman Butto Kristo Paul, the founder of the greatest medicine manufacturing company in Kolkata. Kolkata, West Bengal, India. May 23, 2024.

Taro Parvan(Thirteen festivals) in the twelve months of Bengali Hindus. Goddess Gandeshwari is one of them. Even Buddhists used to do this worship. Today, Goddess Gandeshwari is worshiped along with other Hindu deities in Paharpur Buddhist Monastery in Bangladesh. Bengali Hindus were worshipers of Shakti. Shakti means female energy. More deeply can be called mother goddess. Imagine nature as mother. Shakti is one – primordial energy, but manifests in different forms.

Renowned Bengali businessman Butto Kristo Paul’s statue inside the temple of Goddess Gandeshwari. He was born in the Gandhabanik family in 1835. His father Lakshmi Narayan Pal was a perfume and spice merchant. Butto Kristo Paul later established himself in medicine business. During the British period, he was the established trader of this Gandhabanik community. Kolkata, West Bengal, India. **May 23, 2024**.

Tantra Dharman(religion) developed in the heart of Bengal based on this Shakti worship. This Tantra is a very ancient religion of Bengal. That is why temples of various goddesses can be seen in the villages of Bengal today. All these goddesses have been worshiped for ages after ages. And there are many myths and legends surrounding them. In this Tantra religion of Bengal, Shakti is worshiped in various forms. Goddess Gandeshwari is one of the form of this energy. With the blessings of Goddess Gandeshwari, prosperity of the business throughout the year is desired on this day. In ancient times, merchants used to trade by sea. On the way there was danger like storm, rain, flood, etc. Similarly, there was fear of pirates, sea creatures. Goddess Gandeshwari will protect them from all this, the worship of Mother Gandeshwari begins with this belief. The business history of the Bengal is very old and rich.

Butto Kristo Paul medicine shop which was established in 1858 in his house. First Allopathy Drug Store in British Calcutta. Currently, the fourth generation of his family is running this medicinal business. The image on the right shows an advertisement of Edwards Tonic pulled in Butto Kristo Paul’s store. B.K. Paul & Company became one of the largest drugstores of Bengal manufacturing medicines as per Paul’s own formulae, including anti-malarial drugs. The drugs manufactured at his shop were so popular that people from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka came to buy them. Even the Prince of Wales gave orders and in his honor Paul named a medicine ‘Edward Tonic.’ This Edwards Tonic is currently sold in this store. Kolkata, West Bengal, India. May 23, 2024.

According to historians, when people did not know the use of iron, at that time the Bengali people used to sell rice in different countries on wooden boats. Once upon a time, the ships of this merchant community used to go to different countries from the Tamralipta (Tamluk town in present-day) port of Bengal. This merchant community was Vaishya caste. They used to import and export various goods. Excavations have revealed evidence of Bengal’s foreign trade with the island of Crete. Indian spices were the most important ingredient in ancient times. According to a Roman writer, all the gold of Rome was going to Bengal by sea. A staple of Bengali spices was pepper which travelled from Bengal to Greece.