CALCUTTA: PAST AND PRESENT
made their headquarters in the village of Govindpore, dashing out in swift little boats to attack and plunder rich cargo-boats as they lay at anchor on the fog-bound river in the dark nights of the rainy and cold seasons, or, turning inland, to fall on and rob footsore and wayworn pilgrims as they toiled on the last stage of their pilgrimage to the shrine of Kali at Kalighat.
The pilgrim route, which here passed through the jungle, is clearly traceable, from the point at Chitpore, where it enters the boundary of modern Calcutta, along Chitpore Road, through Bentinck Street, and so by Chowringhee and Bhowanipore to Kalighat. In Bentinck Street, between Waterloo Street and British India Street, the road crossed "the Creek," and from there, till it reached Bhowanipore, it was called Chowringhee's Road, after Jungal Gir Chowringhee, a pious worshipper of Kali's great consort Shiva. Jungal Gir Chowringhee was the founder of a sect who were known by his name, and who worshipped at a small and very ancient temple of Shiva which stood on the bank of the Govindpore Nullah (Tolly's Nullah) a little above the Zeerut Bridge. This temple was afterwards deserted, and, falling into ruins, was long a decaying landmark in that part of the town, remaining till late into the nineteenth
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