Mama Bhagne
{{short description|Rock formation in West Bengal}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}
{{About||the 2009 film|Mama Bhagne (film)}}
Mama Bhagne Paharh is a rock formation near Dubrajpur town of Birbhum district in the Indian state of West Bengal.{{Cite journal |last=Datta |first=Krishanu |date=2020 |title=Application of SWOT-TOWS Matrix and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) in the Formulation of Geoconservation and Geotourism Development Strategies for Mama Bhagne Pahar: an Important Geomorphosite in West Bengal, India |journal= Geoheritage|volume=12 |issue=2 |language=en |doi=10.1007/s12371-020-00467-2|s2cid=218912671 }}
The area
It is a pair of almost spherical natural boulders of granite rock, one balancing on the top of other. The balancing of the rocks are so surprising that it is a famous landmark in West Bengal, where it is known as Mama Bhagne (the maternal uncle and the nephew). The site has a number of boulders splintered across the place. It is the extreme eastern part of the Chota Nagpur plateau where "the granite is gray and composed of glassy quartz pink, gray feldspar and black mica".[http://birbhum.nic.in/birtour2.htm Tourism in Birbhum] Those rocks were formed due to the extension of the Chota Nagpur Plateau before many years.{{cite news |last1=Datta |first1=Rangan |title=Mama Bhagne Pahar: Witness nature's balancing act in Birbhum's Dubrajpur |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/places/mama-bhagne-pahar-witness-natures-balancing-act-in-birbhums-dubrajpur/cid/1892782 |access-date=13 May 2023 |agency=My Kolkata |publisher=The Telegraph |date=18 October 2022}} At the base of the rocks there is a temple of Shiva entitled Pahareswar.O’Malley, L.S.S., ICS, Birbhum, Bengal District Gazetteers, pp. 125-128, first published 1910, 1996 reprint, Government of West Bengal
Mythology
When Rama decided to attack Ravana, he found it necessary to throw a bridge across the straits for the conveyance of his troops, he drove in his aerial chariot to the Himalayas, picked up what stones he needed and drove back. As he was passing Dubrajpur his horses took fright and tilted up the chariot and so some stones fell out. These are the stones at Mama Bhagne.
There is another legend to the effect that they were collected by Viswakarma, at the command of Shiva, to erect in one night a second Kasi. When he collected the rocks and was about to commence work day dawned and so he left. A temple named Pahareshwar is situated at the bottom of hills
In popular culture
The rock formation is a thematic motif of the movie Abhijan by Satyajit Ray, where the rocks are seen as symbols of human being carrying its sin accumulated over time.{{Cite web |last=Snehamoy Chakraborty |title=In pandal: Hirak Raja |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/in-pandal-hirak-raja/cid/1320076 |access-date=9 April 2024}} A Feluda story of Satyajit Ray, named Robertsoner Ruby spotted in Mama Bhagne hill area. It is also the title for Anup Sengupta's Mama Bhagne (2009), starring Prasenjit Chatterjee and Ananya Chatterjee.{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/bengali/movie-reviews/Mama-Bhagne/movie-review/5030895.cms|title=Moview Review: Mama Bhagne|date=20 September 2009|work=The Times of India}}
Mama Bhagne picture gallery
File:Mama Bhagne Hills and Temple 06.jpg|Mama Bhagne Hills
File:dubrajpur mama bhangne pahar.jpg|The area is dotted with such boulders
File:Mama Bhagne Hills and Temple 01.jpg|Pahareshwar Temple
File:Mama Bhagne Hills and Temple 22.jpg|Mama Bhagne rock
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://birbhum.nic.in/gallery/pages/dubrajpur4.htm Rock picture]
- {{Commons category-inline|Mama Bhagne Pahar}}
{{Birbhum topics}}
{{coord missing|West Bengal}}