Jhikurberia Baba Boro Kachari Temple – History – Story Bhuter Kachari - Devotees Write Grievances In Paper And Offer

In the village of Jhikurberia in Bengal, located in South 24 Parganas — a neighboring district of Kolkata — stands the temple of Baba Boro Kachari. It is not merely an active place of pilgrimage but also the center of a mysterious local legend! Devotees believe that prayers and petitions made to Bhutnath here are surely fulfilled. Worshippers write their wishes or grievances on small slips of paper, tie them with red thread, and attach them to the temple walls or the sacred peepal tree. These petitions are believed to be “cases” submitted for divine judgment and resolution! 

This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. According to popular belief, Lord Mahadev himself presides here in the form of Bhutnath (“Lord of Spirits”) to hear and judge the appeals of his devotees.

For this reason, the pilgrimage site or temple came to be known as Boro Kachari, which literally means “the Greater Court.” The temple is also popularly called Bhuter Kachari, or “the Court of Ghosts.” Folklore says that when the divine court convenes here, spirits and ghosts are present — and it is before them that Bhutnath delivers his judgments!

This sacred place is located about 30 kilometers from Kolkata and can be easily reached by road.

Jhikurberia Baba Boro Kachari Temple  History

According to legend, during the reign of Nawab Alivardi Khan, in the year 1740, the Maratha Bargis invaded Bengal. To escape the raids, the villagers of this area took refuge in a forest near a cremation ground. Some time later, a holy man or ascetic came to live in that forest.

It is said that the villagers, burdened with troubles and hardships, would go to this saint for help. The sage, known for his divine speech and wisdom, would offer them solutions and guidance.

Over time, as the villagers greatly benefited from him, they began to regard the saint as an incarnation of Bhutnath himself — a manifestation of Lord Shiva, who is known as the Lord of Spirits. Thus, the fame of this form of Shiva spread throughout the region.

After peace was restored following the Maratha invasions, the saint eventually passed away. The villagers, instead of cremating him, buried his body near the cremation ground. A few days later, a peepal (sacred fig) tree sprouted from the site of his burial. The locals came to believe that the tree embodied the saint’s spirit and began to worship a Shiva lingam beneath it.