Panihati

Panihati is a city and a municipality of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is close to Kolkata and also a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). There is a legendary belief that Maharaja Chandraketu of Deganga established a garh (fort) at Panihati in the 13th century. There is an association of goddess Bhawani with the fort. In the early days when river transport was the primary means of communication, Panihati was a major trading and business centre, then known as Pannyahati (Emporium for Merchandise). Scholars feel that the name has come from the word Pannyahatic. Panihati is mentioned in several Vaishnava Padavali literary texts – Chaitanya Mangal Kavya by Jayananda and Lochandas in the 16th century, Sri Chaitanya Bhagawat by Brindaban Das in 1548, Bansi Bistar by Nityannda, Vaishnava Namdeva by Debaki Nandan, Sri Chaitanya Charitamritam by Krishnadas Kabiraj in 1580–1610, Bhakti Ratnakar and Chaitanya Chandroday.[1] Panihati Municipality was established in 1900.[2] This place is said to be visited by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu on his way to Puri & later by his close associate Nityananda too, due to which Gaudiya Vaishnavas consider this place holy.