Sonatala is situated in the Santhia Upazila of present Pabna district of Bangladesh, beside the river Ichamati. It is a very large village. Sri Kalyani Dasa, an associate of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, came to preach here.
In Vraja-lélä, Kalyani Dasa is Labaìga, one of the twelve prominent cowherd friends of Kåñëa. He appeared in Akaihat to aid in Gaura pastimes, taking birth in the Barendra class of brähmaëas family in the lineage of the sage Bharadvaja. Çréla Våndävana däsa Öhäkura mentions in Caitanya-bhägavata (Ädi-khaëda 5.470):
rasiddha kälakåñëa-däsa tribhuvane
gauracandra labhya hoy jahar smarane
“Sri Kalyani Dasa is famous in the three worlds, remembering whose name one can attain Gauracandra very easily.”
Sri Kalyani Dasa was a very simple devotee. When Mahäprabhu was preparing to travel to South India, Särvabhauma Bhattacharya sent Kalyani Das to accompany and serve Him.
During those travels, Mahäprabhu visited the temple of Çré Raìgath Jéu in Botapanik of Mallar province and stayed a night there. In this place there was a sannyäsé community known as Bhattathari, whose members used to practice tantric philosophy with alcohol and women. They bewildered Kalyani Dasa with women and took him to their camp. When Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu could not find Kalyani Dasa, He went to the Bhattatharis and said to them, “You are sannyäsés, I am also a sannyäsé, so why have you captured My servant?” The Bhattatharis tried to hit Mahäprabhu with weapons, but instead they themselves were struck by their own weapons and they started crying. Mahäprabhu then caught the hair of Kalyani Dasa and took him from the Bhattatharis.
After returning to Puré, Mahäprabhu described everything to Nityänanda Prabhu and said, “This is your Kalyani Dasa, take him. I am not going to take any responsibility for him. Best that he not come to Me again.” Hearing this, Kälakåñëa däsa cried incessantly. Discussing with Särvabhauma Bhattacharya and other devotees, Nityänanda Prabhu decided to send Kälakåñëa däsa to Bengal so that he could share the news of Mahäprabhu’s South India travels. He also took prasädam in the form of Lord Jagannätha’s clothes.
In Bengal, Kalyani Dasa described everything to Çacémätä, Advaita Äcärya, Candraçekhara Äcärya, Çréväsa Öhäkura and others about Mahäprabhu’s travels. Then he took up residence in Akaihati near Katoa. It is important to note, however, that Çréla Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvaté Öhäkura mentions in his Anubhasya that the Kalyani Dasa of Akaihati and the South India travel companion Kälakåñëa däsa are different persons. Later, Kälakåñëa däsa left Akaihati and settled in Sonatala near Ichamoti River to preach the names of the Lord Hari.
His kinsmen also settled in Sonatola. He married there, and his wife gave birth to a son named Mädana-mohana däsa. When the child was old enough, Kalyani Dasa left for Våndävana with his family. There, Kalyani Dasa constructed a deity similar to Govinda Jéu and named the deity Kalachandji. Kalyani Dasa had another son named Gauräìga das in Vrindavan. Later, Kala Krishna das sent the Kalachandji deity to Sonatala with Gauräìga das. The two brothers then served Çré Kalachandji with great joy and enthusiasm. Their descendants served Kalachandji for a long time.
Now only the homestead, some bricks from the old temple, and a wharf on the temple pond can be seen. The previous deity of Kalachandji is not there anymore. Çré Guru Govinda Gosvämé, a descendent of Kalyani Dasa, appointed his disciples the responsibility of caring for the temple and then left this material world. When Çréla Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvaté Öhäkura visited Sonatala, Vijaya Govinda Gosvämé, the father of Guru Govinda Gosvämé, was still alive. This place, behind the local market, is still known to the villagers as the Kalathakurer Vita.
How to Go There
Take the Dhaka-to-Pabna bus and get down at Sathia, and then take an auto-rickshaw to Sonatola.
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