Many years ago, during a sudden and violent storm, a fishing boat carrying an entire family got stranded on a remote island deep within the Sundarbans. Confused and frightened, they ventured further into the forest in search of safety.

There they discovered a freshwater pond, a garden, and the massive ruins of a brick structure—which they described as a royal palace. At that time, several rooms and part of a staircase leading to the upper floor were still intact. Climbing over fallen bricks, they reached the top and fo

und a large hall filled with arches, with a raised platform at the center.

Desperate for a safe shelter before nightfall, they searched the structure and eventually found a small chamber resembling a tiny room. The storm showed no sign of stopping, so they decided to spend the night there. 

They gathered both wet and dry wood and kept a fire burning throughout the night.

Near the pond below, they had noticed signs of tiger movement in the grooves of the bricks. Yet somehow the animals never sensed their presence above. When the storm stopped the next morning, they escaped toward the riverbank carrying sticks, clubs, and loose bricks for protection.

From the riverbanks of this island, fishermen have often collected unusual objects—stone plates, lamps, copper bowls, earthen vessels, and more. Among fishermen, honey collectors, and boatmen, stories about this mysterious “palace” continue to circulate. Over time these tales have grown richer and stranger. Some stories even claim that a fisherman once found gold coins there and became wealthy enough to buy a trawler.

Whatever the truth behind the stories, let us look at the archaeological evidence. The Island of Benifeli

The island is called Benifeli Island, though some pronounce it Benufeli. It lies within the Ajmalmari Block forest region.

Where the Matla River meets the Bidya River, the Ajmalmari block stretches across the delta. To the north flows the Matla River, and beyond it lies the Hedovanga Island.

During British rule, large portions of Hedovanga Island and parts of Ajmalmari Forest were divided into numbered lots and leased out to local landlords with the condition that forests be cleared for agriculture.

From the southwestern edge of Hedovanga flows the Chitari Canal. This canal also appears in the Sundarbans copperplate inscription issued by Lakshmana Sena. In that document, land from the Khari region within the Kantallapura division was donated to the Brahmin Shri Krishnadhar Devasharma, and the southern boundary of that land was marked by the Chitari channel.

Northwest of the canal once stood a temple of Ugramadhava, established by Ballala Sena.

The history of Hedovanga and Ajmalmari alone could fill an entire book. But for now, let us return to Benifeli Island.

Archaeological Observations Benifeli Island is bordered by:

The Matla River to the north

The combined Bidya–Matla waters to the east

The Kankalmari canal to the west

And Sundarikati Island to the south

The Benifeli canal separates the two islands.

Our team first visited this island in 1993. We did not find the large palace described in local stories—perhaps by then it had completely collapsed into dust. However, we did observe massive brick ruins. Another ruin contained ornamented bricks, collapsed cell-like rooms, and a ratha-style architectural layout, indicating the remains of a temple.

Some locals claimed that a stone inscription had once been seen embedded among the bricks, though we did not find it ourselves.

Several artifacts discovered from the island include:

A terracotta votive stupa

A cast copper coin

A carnelian stone bead

And a ceramic sprinkler

This sprinkler was collected from a boatman of Deulbari by Debabrata Sikdar of Jaynagar, who later contacted me after obtaining my phone number from my friend Sanjay Ghosh, a cultural anthropologist. My sincere thanks to him.
Such sprinklers were used in the 8th–9th centuries during religious rituals to spray fragrant water like a fountain, especially in Buddhist worship. Evidence of a Buddhist Monastery From the archaeological remains it is clear that a Buddhist monastery existed here from around the 8th century and continued for many centuries. Evidence also suggests that between the 11th and 13th centuries, the Sena rulers patronized and protected this monastery.The monastery was eventually destroyed and abandoned due to Turkic invasions and flooding.

After the reign of Lakshmana Sena, his feudatory Dommanapala and later figures like Suryasena fought bloody battles to preserve the culture of Bengal—including the protection of Buddhist institutions, temples, and monasteries.

The sprinkler mentioned above has also been published in my book on Jatar Deul, with proper acknowledgment of the collector and location. My heartfelt thanks again to Debabrata Sikdar.

To date, this remains the only intact sprinkler discovered in Bengal.

 

Author: Debishankar Middya
Photographs: Sundarban Archaeological Research Center