Maheshkhali Cox's Bazar Day-5

Moheshkhali

Maheshkhali is an upazila in Cox's Bazar district. It is the only hilly island in Bangladesh.
According to Professor Dr. Suniti Bhushan Kanungo, this island was formed by being separated from the mainland during a severe cyclone and tidal wave in 1559. This cyclone that occurred in 1559 was described in Arakan by a Portuguese traveler named Creaser Federick. Moreover, due to the presence of north-south facing hills on the eastern end of the island and the channel flowing beneath them, it is believed that the island was once connected to the mainland.
There is much disagreement about the naming of Maheshkhali. It is said that Mahesh is one of the one hundred and eight names of Adinath in the Adinath temple. From this name Mahesh, the name of this area became Maheshkhali. Maheshkhali Upazila consists of three other small islands named Sonadia, Matarbari, and Dhalghata.>
The Maheshkhali Island originally came to the attention of the British during the British rule. In 1779, an English official named Robert Warledge applied to take the island in his name, and in 1782, the island was registered in his name in Chittagong. On November 20, 1782, Robert Warledge transferred the island to Charles Crofts, the English Collector of Chittagong, for 20,000 Taka. But due to the distance from Chittagong and the difficulty of communication, Mr. Crafts transferred ownership of the island to the local Dewan Kalicharan Kanungo for 40,000 Taka. Kalicharan Kanungo was childless. He adopted a boy named Chandicharan Saratchandra as his son. When Kalicharan Kanungo died in 1790, his wife Prabhavati became the owner of Maheshkhali. After Prabhavati's death, in 1793, due to Sarat Chandra's minor age, the name of the owner of the land remained Prabhavati. Later, Sarat Chandra became the Landlord of Maheshkhali Island. He dug a huge pond for public drinking water, which is currently located in front of the upazila administration. Ajit Kumar Roy Bahadur Chowdhury was the zamindar of Maheshkhali Island until the abolition of the zamindari system in 1950.

Maheshkhali during 1971 War:
During the Great Liberation War, Maheshkhali remained safe and free until April 30, 1971. From this liberated area, as much arms, ammunition, necessary clothes and food as possible were supplied to the freedom fighters of Ramu, Ukhia and Bandarban districts through Chaufaldandi Union. For this act, the Razakars of the Liberation War attacked the freedom fighters of the Kalarmachara union in Maheshkhali, and a face-to-face battle ensued. When the then East Pakistan government came to know about it, it ordered the freedom fighters to be shot dead wherever they were found, looted their property, and taken any action possible.
As a result, at the end of April, Kalamarchhara Union freedom fighter commander Md. Sharif Chairman 1 was martyred at the hands of the Razakars, and the Razakars captured several other freedom fighters and handed them over to the Pakistani occupying forces stationed in Cox's Bazar.
On May 6, 1971, 200 Pakistani troops arrived in Maheshkhali. The invaders were joined by 400 local Razakars and killed Mukti Bahini and their supporters, as well as non-Muslims, burned down houses, looted property, and raped them throughout Maheshkhali. That is why a total of 10 massacre sites in Maheshkhali have witnessed the Liberation War. It is also known that freedom fighters and innocent civilians who took refuge in the Adinath Hills of Maheshkhali were shot dead by around 700 people.
In addition, about 300 mothers and sisters were shot dead in one day and 20 others were injured and later died. Since Maheshkhali is isolated from the mainland, freedom fighters from outside could not come and help, so they were able to torture the freedom fighters on this island.
The history of killing so many people in a single day in South Chittagong is rare in the history of the Liberation War. Therefore, the fresh blood donated by the people of this island in the struggle for independence of Bangladesh will forever be immortalized in the history of the nation.

New possibilities are beginning in Maheshkhali. The area of Maheshkhali is increasing day by day. Because the char is rising day by day. Research says that in 1789, the area of Maheshkhali was 188 square kilometers. In 1882, its area increased to 204 square kilometers. With the emergence of Matarbari, Dhalghata and Sonadia islands, its area has increased to 388 square kilometers. Many more islands are still emerging around Maheshkhali day by day. This island is growing day by day, and with it, the area of Bangladesh is increasing.
Along with this, the Matarbari Power Plant, which is a coal-based power plant in Bangladesh, is being built here. This power project is being built on 1,414 acres of land. Its production capacity will be 1,200 megawatts

Matarbari Sea Port is located in the city of Matarbari. Construction of the port began in late 2010 with the construction of a captic jetty for the Matarbari Power Plant, and later took up a project to build it into a full-fledged commercial port. When completed, it will be Bangladesh's first deep sea port. The sea here is 18 meters deep very close to the shore. Whereas the Chittagong Naval Port is under 10 meters and the Mongla Port is 7 to 8 meters. Due to this, large ships cannot dock directly in Chittagong and Mongla. The port is capable of handling Panamax and capsize vessels. A 20-foot-long container, abbreviated as TEU, can accommodate ships carrying 8,000 such containers, or 100,000 dead weight tons of containers.>
>
So everyone's eyes are now on the deep sea port of Maheshkhali Island. That's why investment is increasing, mega projects are increasing.

Where to stay in Maheshkhali

There are 2 hotels in South Maheshkhali. Although tourists are coming from Cox's Bazar and returning from Mahashekhali on the same day, the quality of these hotels is very low. You can rent a room there for 200/300 Taka. But there are other options. Which is called the "Zilla Proshashon Daak Banglo". A little better and has 5 rooms. You need to talk to the supervisor first to see if there is a vacancy. >
>

How to Reach Maheshkhali

To go to Maheshkhali from Cox's Bazar, you first have to go to Jetty No. 6 at Kastura Ghat. You can take a reserve auto from Cox's Bazar for 100 taka. And if you want to go cheaply, you have to take a local auto from Kalatali or Sugandha to Gumgach Tala for 10 taka. Then from there, you have to take a local auto towards the north for 5 taka and come to the front of Airport Public High School. Through this, you have to walk only 170 meters to the ghat by shortcut. You will need to buy a ticket to the pier at the pier. 20 taka per person.
There are two bridges in Maheshkhali. One is Gorakghata Ghat, also known as Local Ghat. The other is Adinath Mandir Ghat or Tourist Ghat. Gorokghata Ghat is nearby and Mandir Ghat is 900 meters further north. Since Gorakhatta Ghat is a local ghat, we will go to this ghat because there will be more passengers and the waiting time will be less. Also, the fare will be slightly lower.

Maheshkhali by Boat:
There are two types of boats that can be used at both ghats. One is a wooden trawler and the other is a speedboat. Trawlers carry more passengers, so the waiting time is longer. Speedboats carry 8 passengers, so the waiting time is less. It takes 30 to 40 minutes to travel by trawler and 15 to 20 minutes by speedboat. There is no canopy on the speedboat so you will get sun and there is a small canopy on the trawler. If you go during the day, sit on the left side. And if you go back in the afternoon, sit on the left side so you won't get sun. There is no seating arrangement on the trawler. You have to sit high on the side or have to hold on to the flooring in the middle. The fare of the trawler is 30 taka at the local ghat and 50 taka at the temple ghat. And the speedboat fare is 90 taka at the local ghat and 130 taka at the temple ghat.
If you go on a speed boat, you will get sunburned for 15 minutes. So use sunscreen and a cap. But be careful with the cap, it can fly off in strong winds. One thing you can do is cover your entire face with a thin towel. If you are on a speedboat, sit on the right side when going in the morning and on the right side when backing up in the afternoon so that the sun does not hit your face directly.

Maheshkhali by Road:
You can also reach Maheshkhali by the by-road. To the northeast of Maheshkhali is the Badarkhali Bridge, which is connected to Chakoria Upazila.

Gorakghata Ghat: Here you can see a line of people heading to Cox's Bazar. On the right side, you can see seating arrangements, although they are not adequate. You will also see Maheshkhali selling its famous sweet paan.
When you start walking, the first thing you will see is that auto rickshaw drivers will surround you. They will show you around a few places. They will ask for 500 taka. However, if you can walk a little, there is no need for this expense. Because our next point is only 800 meters away from here. So, if you can, go on foot. Or you can take a rickshaw or auto up to Shuthu Se, that is, to the Rakhine temple, for a hefty price of 20 taka. And those who want to take a reserve auto, walk a little ahead and they will come after you. Then you will get it for less than 300 Taka.

Tourist Places in Maheshkhali

Rakhaine Buddhist Temple

We walked just 800 meters from the ghat to this Rakhine Buddhist temple, which is 400 years old. This Buddhist monastery is located in Bara Rakhinepara. It is also called Ananda Mitta Buddhist Temple.
We entered through the gate on the left. As we entered, there was a beautiful pagoda. The pagoda was surrounded by a number of smaller pagodas.
Pagodas are significant in Buddhism as sacred structures, originally built to house relics and scriptures, and derived from the Indian stupa, which serves as a symbol of spiritual development and enlightenment.
And on the right side is a statue of Buddha. There are some buildings on the west side of the statue.
The multi-headed snake you see behind the Buddha is called Mukalinda. In Buddhist tradition, Mukalinda is a Naga king, a serpent deity, who is depicted as protecting the Buddha from storms and heavy rains during his meditation. But in reality, there is no record that such a snake exists or ever existed.
The reclining Buddha is a statue of the Buddha, who, just before passing away, is lying on his side, with a calm and contented expression. The statue was built to commemorate his death. The Buddha is seen lying on his right side, with his head propped up by his right hand.

People of the Buddhist community (mainly Rakhine community) living on Maheshkhali Island come to pray at this Buddhist monastery.

Sikder Bari

Also called Sikder Manjil. This is the first two-story structure in Maheshkhali, built by the late Haji Hamza Mia Sikder in 1947. This house, built on a 2-acre site, was later renovated.
One of his sons, Professor Dr. Ansarul Karim, was an environmental scientist.
There is a gate on the south side of this house and a very beautiful garden outside the gate. There is a south entry gate directly to the garden. And outside on the right side you can see a building which is Jamia Arabia Islamia Madrasa.
To the east of the madrasa is the Sikder Para Jame Mosque. To the south of the mosque is the Sikder Para Cemetery and to the east is a dammed pond. To the east of the pond is the house of Fazlul Haque Sikder. This mosque and madrasa were all built by the Sikder family. The name of this area is Sikder Para. It is because of this family. Everything are now looking after by his grandchildren.

Another contemporary house can be seen to the east of the house, although it has not been renovated. But the tradition remains.

Watch the video how to come Mahesh Khali and visit Rakhain Temple and Sikder Bari.

Golden Temple:

The Golden Temple is also known as the Buddhist temple. Reserve auto driver will tell you both the Golden Temple and the Buddhist Temple. For this you will think of two places. Anyway it was about 300 years ago. However, tourists are not allowed to enter into the temple for few months. You can't go in, but you can see some of its beauty from outside.

Shooting Bridge:

On the east of Adinath mondir road side is the bridge leading to Mandir Ghat Jetty. This bridge is also called shooting bridge by locals. Because ever seen shooting here. Hence the name. About 700 meters long, this bridge can be a little difficult to walk in the sun heat. So you take an auto. It may take 40 taka updown. At two points the bridge has stairs down on both sides. Not sure what the need is. Maybe it is designed for the reason that the boat will come here when the water rises during the tide.

Golpata:

Golpata, whose English name is Nypa fruticans, grows in low and medium salinity regions of the Sundarban. Like me, did you think that the leaves of Golpata are round? Actually, not at all. Its leaves are about 3-9 meters long.
A few years ago, an attempt was made to make molasses from the juice of the Golpata tree in the Sundarban region and commercialize it. As this jaggery is low in sugar, it is safe for mild diabetics. This tree has a fruit called golfol. However, no major steps have been taken yet regarding the commercial circulation of Golfol.
This fruit has been eaten by the locals for a long time. This fruit is a source of many vitamins and antioxidants. It is also beneficial for skin diseases due to its anti-allergic properties. So health conscious people are getting interested in it. The fruit of Golpata looks and tastes like a palm shell.
Watch the video where to stay in Mahesh Khali, Golden Temple and Shooting Bridge.

Adinath Temple
Hindu Temple

Rows of Burmese shops can be seen on both sides of the road leading to the Adinath temple. These Burmese shops are run by Rakhine Buddhists.
Adinath Temple is located on the Mainak hill of Maheshkhali Island. The temple is located at a height of 85.3 meters or 280 feet above sea level. It is said that you have to climb 69 steps to reach this temple.
The first history of the Adinath temple is known from the Ramayana. The Ramayana is a Hindu scripture that, according to scholars, the initial stage of writing is between the 7th and 4th centuries BC. The Ramayana tells of the war between Rama and Ravana. Ravana was born approximately 5000 years BC. According to the scriptures, he prayed to Lord Shiva for immortality in order to win the war with Rama in Lanka. Lord Shiva granted him a boon and made a condition that he would carry the Shivalinga from Kailash to Lanka for worship. And it could not be kept anywhere on the way. Once it was kept, it could not be taken away. As per the terms, Ravana started his journey towards Lanka carrying the Shivalinga, but was forced to stop at the Mainak hill in present-day Maheshkhali to urinate on the way. After completing the task, he could not lift the Shivalinga and the Shivalinga stone remained on this Mainak hill.
From the another history of the temple reveals that around the 16th century, a wealthy Muslim cleric named Nur Mohammad Sikdar suddenly noticed that one of his cows was not giving milk as before. He followed the cow in the darkness of the night and saw that at night the cow came out of the cowshed and went to the Mainak hill and stood on a black stone and milk started flowing from the cow's udder onto the stone. When the milking was finished, the cow went back to the cowshed. Later, he tied the cow tightly. One day, Sikdar dreamed of building a temple at the milking place and attracting the attention of the Hindu landlords to worship Shiva. The then landlord established the temple and gradually it started to appear in the Shiva Tirtha.
But the story of milking a cow on a stone is mentioned in a temple called "Aap Shambhu Mandir" in the Jammu region of India. It is said that the incident took place during the reign of Maharaja Pratap Singh between 1848 and 1925.
The first square that you see upon entering the temple has accommodation facilities for devotees on its left side. Below it, on the left side, is the history of the temple.
At the northern end of the temple compound, you will see a temple with two doors in front of it. If you enter through the door on the right, you will see the stone.
And inside the door on the left side, there is a temple of Goddess Durga in the form of an octagon. This temple on the left side was built later. It is said that Naga monks used to visit this temple. Gorakhnath was one of them, after whom Gorakhghata was later named. He was instructed by Shiva to bring the Ashtabhuja Mata, which is the power of Shiva, from Nepal to Maheshkhali. In 1612, he was caught stealing the Ashtabhuja from the temple of the Nepalese Rajbari and was imprisoned and tried. The night before the trial, the monk had a dream in which Shiva told him to say whatever came to his mind, no matter what the judge asked. The next day, during the trial, the judge first asked the King of Nepal to know the color of the statue, and the King described the statue as being made of black stone. When the same question was asked to the monk, he said the color of the idol was white. Later, the idol was revealed in front of everyone and found to be white, and the verdict was announced in favor of the monk. Since then, the octagonal idol has been worshipped along with Shiva. Hindus believe that the Durga festival is not celebrated by making an idol of Durga because the goddess Durga is established in the octagonal form in Maheshkhali.
This incident mentions the Naga monk Gorakhnath. But Gorakhnath, a disciple of Meen Nath, the first guru of the Nath sect, appeared around the 11th century. And there is no specific consensus on the year of birth of Gorakkho Nath or the century in which he lived. According to various sources, it was sometime between the 7th and 14th centuries. So, if the idol was brought from Nepal, either the year 1612 written here is wrong or the person who brought the idol was not Goraksh Nath.
From the right side of the temple, you can see the view of the Maheshkhali Channel. On that side of the channel, you can see a beautiful view of the wind turbines of Cox's Bazar. Although it is very far away.
There are two ponds behind the main temple. It is written in the temple that the two ponds are about 288 feet above sea level, but since the temple is 280 feet high, the two ponds are approximately 10/15 feet lower. However, even though they are located about 260-70 feet above sea level, one surprising thing is that their water never dries up. Many people say that bathing in one of the two ponds cures all diseases.
Before the main temple square, on the left side is the Radha Govinda Temple. On the left side of the Radha Govinda Temple is the Bhairav Temple.
In front of the Radha Govinda and Bhairav temple, there is a rare species of Parijat flower. In various Hindu religious texts, the tree is mentioned as the flower of the royal court of Indra, the king of heaven. Devotees constantly tie threads to the tree to fulfill their wishes and come and worship it when their wishes are fulfilled.
Where there is a resting place for devotees. There is a staircase just to the right of it which leads to Adaita Achyuta Dham. This is a mission. It was inaugurated on 2nd February 2024. During the Shiv Chaturdashi fair, Advaita-Achyuta Mission Bangladesh organized medical services, free medicine distribution, assistance in temple tours, and water supply for pilgrims. Pilgrim service centers were set up to provide these services during the fair.
A fair is held here at the beginning of the month of Falgun or mid-February, when the Shiva Chaturdashi Puja is celebrated. This fair lasts for about 10 days. This fair has been known as Adinath Mela for more than two hundred years. Every year, thousands of worshippers and devotees from remote areas of Bangladesh and neighboring countries, including India, come to the fair for the Shiva Chaturdarshi Puja and fair. Tourists from various parts of the country also gather for the fair.

Ram Sita Temple
Hindu Temple

There is a Ram Sita temple on the top of the hill.

Buddhist Pagoda
Buddhist Pagoda

A Buddhist pagoda is seen here. The exact date of its construction is not known, but it is known that it was built by the Rakhine community in various areas of Cox's Bazar around 1790 after the Burmese conquered Arakan. They built it as a memorial. Such pagodas can be seen on the hills or high hills of Cox's Bazar Sadar, Ramu, and Teknaf.

Maheshkhali's Sweet Paan

In the past, Paan (Betel) was one of the royal foods on the menu of kings and queens. It is also known that it was customary to eat betel in the inner palaces of the kings and queens of India. Emperor Jahangir's wife Nur Jahan popularized drinking paan among the women of the inner palace. The practice of drinking paan is now prevalent among the common people. No ritual is complete without paan. Again, according to the folklore of Sanatan Dharma, betel leaves are considered auspicious and sacred because Lord Krishna loved to eat betel leaves. Therefore, betel leaves are also used in pujas and festivals.
In Maheshkhali, the only hilly island in Bangladesh, sweet betel is a name known to almost everyone. The main occupation of almost all the people of Maheshkhali is betel cultivation. Almost in every household, someone is directly or indirectly involved in betel cultivation.
Because the island's climate, soil, and water are suitable for betel cultivation, a large portion of the betel exported abroad every year is produced from Maheshkhali. Although different varieties of betel are cultivated, the betel from Maheshkhali is more popular among people due to its sweet taste. The soil here is such that the betel leaves are sweet to eat. This betel leaf is very thin. It melts easily in the mouth when eaten.
Apart from the sweet taste of this betel, the price also changes with the change in size. The larger the betel, the higher the price. Many say that after the betel is picked from the market, the price is divided into large, medium and small - in this way. Betel leaves are sold as a beera. One beera contains 80 betel leaves. However, farmers here sell betel leaves as a ganda. Usually, one ganda contains 4 betel leaves. Farmers sell betel leaves by counting 50 gonda betel leaves as one beera. The buyer buys 50 gondas Paan and then sells 20 gondas at the same price in Dhaka or other places.
A 50-gonda large Paan is sold for 450-500 taka, a medium Paan costs 300-400 taka, and a small betel costs 100-150 taka.
When the betel market is held twice a week, farmers sell both retail and wholesale. In winter, betel production is low, so prices are high, and in summer, betel prices are low because there is more betel.
The betel field is called "Paan Boroj". There are generally two types of betel field in Maheshkhali. "Pahari Boroj" and "Beel boroj". Betel that is cultivated in the plains is called "Beel boroj. On the other hand, betel that is cultivated on the hills is called "Pahari boroj". The time of cultivation of betel leaves varies depending on the land. Generally, betel leaves cultivated in the hills last for 3-4 years. On the other hand, betel leaves grown in the plains cannot be kept for long. They last for up to 9 months. The best time to cultivate betel leaves in the plains is from October to May or June. When betel leaves cultivation starts, the betel leaves start maturing in May or June. On the other hand, betel can be cultivated at any time in hilly lands. Cultivating betel in plains is a little more difficult than in hilly lands.
Farmers also have to pay special attention to when and how to pluck the betel leaves from the tree. After planting the betel leaves, it takes more than 1 month for them to emerge from the soil. It takes more than 4 months for the betel leaves to mature and be suitable for sale. Not all the betel leaves are picked from the tree at once. 2-4 betel leaves are plucked from a betel tree. New betel leaves grow there after 8-10 days. In this way, betel leaves are collected again after 10 days. Farmers earn 5-6 thousand taka by selling betel leaves every 10-15 days. Cultivating betel leaves on 15 acres of land can earn 5-7 lakh taka annually. 1-2 lakh taka is spent on betel leaves cultivation, and the rest is profit.
Betel leaves require a lot of care. If fertilizer or poison is not applied to the betel tree at the right time, the tree becomes bent, damaged and the betel leaves do not grow. Polythene is placed over the betel tree to prevent rain. If there is a lot of rain, even polythene does not work. It gets damaged. It is difficult to store betel leaves. Therefore, the betel leaves have to be sold within two days of being brought from the field. The betel leaves can be kept for a maximum of 10-15 days with great care.
Sufficient betel leaves are not being produced to meet the demand across the country and abroad. One of the reasons for this is that the number of farmers has decreased compared to the past and the production of betel leaves has also decreased.
Betel leaves have various medicinal properties. According to researchers, there is no alternative to betel leaves to increase digestion. It is also very effective in controlling blood pressure, heart rate and diabetes. Even betel leaves contain antioxidants that reduce the risk of cancer and prevent the formation of cancer in the body. Apart from that, paan also helps in relieving colds, relieving constipation, reducing headaches, and relieving sore throat and toothache.

Watch the video of Adinath Mandir, Ram Shita Mandir and Buddhist Pagoda.

Hope this post will help you. Write your comment below and please share it with your friends.


You May Also Like
Cox's Bazar Travel: Day-1

Cox's Bazar Travel: Day-2

Cox's Bazar Travel: Day-3

Cox's Bazar Travel: Day-4

Cox's Bazar Travel: Day-5 (You are here)

Cox's Bazar Travel: Day-6 (Sonadia)

Cox's Bazar Travel: Day-7 (Kutubdia)

Cox's Bazar Travel: Day-8 (Chakaria)

Cox's Bazar Travel: Day-9 (Ramu)

Cox's Bazar Travel: Day-10 (Ukhiya)

Cox's Bazar Travel: Day-11 (Teknaf)

Cox's Bazar Travel: Day-12 (Saint Martin)

Cox's Bazar Travel: Day-13 (Saint Martin)



Click below to go