Howrah District

Ancient Howrah formed part of Bhurishrestha (Bhurshut), a historically important region of Dakshin Rarh. The Bhurishrestha kingdom extended across parts of present-day Howrah, Hooghly, Burdwan and Midnapore. Its history is closely connected with the Damodar, Saraswati and Bhagirathi river systems and the commercial routes leading towards Saptagram and Tamralipta. The village of Bhurishrestha, identified with present-day Bhurshut, was associated with the philosopher Sridhara, whose Nyaya Kandali, a commentary on Prashastapada’s Padarthadharmasangraha, was composed in 991–92 CE. Jagatballavpur, Betor and surrounding settlements formed part of this wider historical landscape. Medieval Bhurishrestha also produced the celebrated ruler Bhavashankari, remembered in regional tradition as Raybaghini for her military resistance. The changing courses of the Damodar and Saraswati eventually transformed the old riverine commercial landscape, leaving modern Howrah with the archaeological, literary, and geographical memory of ancient Bhurishrestha.