Chand Sadagar

Chand Sadagar, (), (the surname is also spelt Saudagar), was a rich and powerful merchant of Champak Nagar in ancient India. Bipradas Pipilai gave an account in his Manasamangal about the merchant ship of the trader Chand Saudagar proceeding to the sea, passing through Saptagram and Tribeni, the tri junction of the Ganges, Saraswati and Yamuna.His life is a story of how he was forced to be converted to become a worshipper of Manasa, the goddess of snakes. The ruins unearthed in the village Gokul, 3 km to the south of the Mahasthangarh citadel, 9 km north of Bogra, off the Bogra-Rangpur road, connected by a narrow motorable road about 1 km, is known as Gokul Medh, but is locally called Behular Basar Ghar or Lakshmindaraer Medh. Excavations in 1934-36 revealed a terraced podium with 172 rectangular blind cells. It is dated 6th-7th century. Local mythology associates it with legendary Lakshmindara-Behula. In the Mahasthangarh area in village Chenghispur, 700 m west of the north-west corner of the citadel has revealed remains of a temple. The mound is named after Khullana, wife of Chand Sadagar. The Karatoya once a mighty river but now a small stream flows nearby.

Dhubri in Assam, further north of Bogra, is associated as the place where Neta, foster mother of Manasa, lived and worked as a washerwoman. A temple at Howrah, a Kolkata neighbourhood, is believed to have been built by Chand Sadagar.

Between the citadel and the eastern embankment at Gaur, a ruined structure, is claimed to be the house of Chand Sadagar.

Theatre-Cinema

In 1927, Manmatha Roy wrote the mythological play Chand Saudagar, in which he portrayed the rebellious Bengali character.

In 1934, Prafulla Roy directed a film Chand Saudagar in which Dhiraj Bhattacharya played the role of Lakshmindara, Ahindra Choudhury that of Chand Sadagar, Devbala of Manasa, Sefalika Devi of Behula, Jahar Ganguli of Kalu Sardar, Indubala of a singer, Niharbala of Neta Dhobani, Padmabati of Sanaka and Usharani of Amala. It was written by Manmatha Roy. Film editing was by Akhil Neogi.

References

Category:People in Hindu mythology Category:History of Bengal