Historic temple engulfed in fire 

​Kolkata: The famed Bhavani Pathak Kali Mandir in North Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district was gutted in a major mishap late on Friday night.  The temple is located in Sikarpur area.

Late on Friday night, major fire engulfed the temple and the locals alerted the fire brigade, which reached the spot immediately but had to battle the fires throughout the night.

The temple is 300 years old and is said to be the place where Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s famous novel “Devi Choudhurani” was based on The story of Bhabani Prasad, the protagonist of the famed novel, started from this place.Bankim Chandra has vividly described the temple and its environs in his novel.The temple was used as a hideout by freedom fighters and revolutionaries battling the Britishers.