Faridpur SriDham SriAngan Ashram
(the site developer's visit to Sri-Angan in February 2001)

Faridpur SriDham SriAngan was the primary abode of Prabhu Jagadbandhu (1871-1921). It is where He spent almost about 17 years self-confined in His cottage room and maintained absolute silence during this period. The room still exists as the Gambhira Temple with the structure of a traditional Indian temple with a long red colored portion tapering to the peak and pointing to the sky through the lush green high trees that stands as the backdrop of Faridpur SriSham SriAngan Ashram.

This is where Jagadbandhu had left His mortal body in an unprecedented death situation described as the "thirteenth state " (a state of static-dynamic physical state) in 1921. He Himself defined this thirteenth state long before He decided to attain a self-imposed death inside the cottage room where the present Gambhira Temple now stands. Faridpur SriAngan is the primary place where Prabhu Jagadbandhu had been involved displaying His many "Lilas" (Godly manifestations) to his associates, followers and devotees.

This is one of the two SriDhams where continuous "kirtans" (devotional songs in the names of Krishna, Sri Chaintanya and Prabhu Jagadbandhusundar) are reverberating the air since Prabhu left His human body in 1921. As Prabhu Jagadbandhu wished, this "Kirtan-Yagna" (the ceremonial festivities of international impact to religion of all human beings) will continue on forever incessantly in SriDham SriAngan.

SriDham SriAngan is located right on the edge of the Jessore Road highway to and from Dhaka. The tall red Gambhira Temple of Prabhu Jagadbandhusundar is distinctly visible even from inside the bus above the skyline of the tall leafy trees and surrounded by brick wall . The bus terminal for Barisal, Pabna and many other parts of Bangladesh is located at a walking distance from the entrance door of SriAngan. There is virtually no provision for a visitor's overnight stay in SriAngan, except that a room may be available with a special permission but with no other sleeping facilities, like pillows, blankets etc. The overnight stay is of course okay for a visitor carrying his own bedding. But there is a residential hotel very near to SriAngan. It is named "Deluxe Hotel" located on the same side of Jessore Road highway as that of SriAngan and at a minimal distance. The rate for a one-bedroom suite is 300 Bangladeshi Takas (as of February 2001). The hotel looks reasonably clean and minimally crowded. It is the only place for overnight stay in SriAngan area for foreign visitors.

The highlights of SriAngan are the Gambhira Temple itself at the front , the temple of SriPad Mahendraji in the rear, the "samadhi" (grave) of Bakulal Biswas, a district magistrate and a very close associate of Jagadbandhu, the centennial shrines of Prabhu Jagadbandhu located beside the Chalta tree attached to the Gambhira Temple, the shrine of Sripad Mahendraji, and Digambari Temple facing the pond inside the SriAngan arena, and the extended backyard with a skyline of tall leafy trees, and in separate locations, the Bakul and Chalta Trees that have a special significance, the 24-hour kirtan abode, Nyayaratna-Bamadevi Temple, Panchabati (plants of five trees, such as Aswatha, Bat, Bilva, Dhatri and Asoke in a group), Prabhu's original plying boat. This boat is kept inside the wide white but of a rather small height house located on the left of Nyayaratna-Bamadevi temple and the cow-shed.

Prabhu used accompany His associates and followers in this boat plied by his bhaktas (devotees) in and around the water passages of Faridpur. The Bakul and Chalta trees are parts of SriAngan since Jagadbandhu established the Angan in Faridpur. These trees are the sacred witnesses of many of Prabhu's lilas that had transpired in front of them.

Bandhukunda is a pond that still exists just outside the walled arena of Faridpur SriAngan at the present time located northeast of Sri-Angan. It is the pond where Prabhu used to float in his "Lotus Seat" position. Bandhukunda's water is still almost crystal clear, although neighbors take a bath here on a regular basis and it is large enough to have a good swim. Bandhukunda extends further beyond the Jessore Road highway through a cemented inlet through the Darbesh Bridge above on the highway.