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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}{{under construction}}
{{Use Bangladeshi English|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox deity
| type = hindu
| name = Hattanath
| deity_of = [[Sylhet|Srihatta]]
| other_names = Bateshwar
| script_name =
| script =
| region = [[Sylhet Division]]
}}
In Hinduism, '''Hattanath''' ([[Bengali alphabet|Bengali]]: হট্টনাথ ''hôṭṭônath''; [[Devanagari]]: हट्टनाथ ''haṭṭanātha''), who is also known as '''Hatkeshwar''' (Bengali: হাটকেশ্বর ''haṭkeśśôr''; Devanagari: हाटकेश्वर ''hāṭkeśvara'') or '''Bateshwar''' (Bengali: বটেশ্বর ''bôṭeśśôr''; Devanagari: वटेश्वर ''vaṭeśvara''), is the [[tutelary deity]] of the city of [[Sylhet]] (''Śrīhaṭṭa'') in present-day [[Bangladesh]].<ref>[[Amrita Bazar Patrika]], Feb. 1, 1931</ref> He is a form of [[Shiva]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Challenges of Development in North-East India|author1=Syiemlieh, David Reid|author2=Dutta, Anuradha|author3=Baruah, Srinath|year=2006|page=280|publisher=Regency Publications}}</ref>

== Origins and significance ==
According to [[Partha Sarathi Nath]], Sylhet and the [[Barak Valley]] were ruled by the Nātha dynasty of nearby [[Tripura]] between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, which promoted the early settlement of [[Nath|Nātha]]s and their cultural influence in this region. Among these influences is the patronage of ''Śrīhaṭṭanātha'' as the titular deity, from which the city of Sylhet (Śrīhaṭṭa) ultimately takes its name.<ref>{{cite news|first=Mujibur Rahman|last=Chowdhury|title=গৌড়-বঙ্গে মুসলিম বিজয় এবং সুফি-সাধকদের কথা|trans-title=Muslim conquest in Gauḍa-Vaṅga and discussion about Sufi ascetics|language=bn|url=https://sylheterdak.com.bd/details.php?id=30429|work=[[Sylheter Dak]]|date=31 July 2019}}</ref> The Nāthas are considered to be the founders of the Śrīhaṭṭa ''[[janapada]]'' and were responsible for establishing ''Śrīhaṭṭanātha'' idols across the region. The ruins of a ''Śrīhaṭṭanātha'' temple are preserved in the headquarters of the [[Kendriya Muslim Sahitya Sangsad|Central Muslim Literary Society]] in Sylhet's [[Shah Jalal Dargah|Dargah Gate]], near the hill of [[Mona Rai]] (Monarayer Tila). A Shiva temple known as ''Śrīhaṭṭanātha'' from the reign of [[Isana Deva]] has been discovered.<ref>{{cite book|title=দেশ বিদেশে নাথ তীর্থ, মঠ ও মন্দির|language=bn|author=Debnath, Prafulla Kumar|year=2012|location=[[Dibrugarh]], [[Assam]]|page=142|publisher=Shaivya Prakashani}}</ref> Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury mentions that the hill was formerly home to an ''[[akhara]]'' for [[Nath|Nātha]] [[Yogi]] [[Sannyasi]]s.<ref name=nath>{{cite journal|url=https://www.asiaticsociety.org.bd/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Humanities_Dec_2021.pdf|title=Nath Pantha Shrines and Perpetual Tradition in Bangladesh|page=209|journal=Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh|publisher=[[The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]|volume=66|date=December 2021|editor=Hussain, Akmal|issn=1015-6836|author=Nath, Partha Sarathi}}</ref>

{{Quote box|title=হট্টনাথের পাঁচালী (Panchali of Hattanath)|quote=<poem>পুনির বিল ছাড়িয়া রাজা ছিলটেতে গেল
punir bil chhaṛiya raja silôṭete gelô
''From the beel of Puni, the King went to Sylhet''
অট্টনাথের পূজা দিয়া ঠাকুরালি পাইল।
ôttônather pūja diẏa ṭhakurali pailô
''Giving [[Puja (Hinduism)|Puja]] to Hattanath, he gained mastery''</poem>|source={{snds}}A poem written by 18th-century poet Ganesh Ram Shiromani.<ref name=potro>{{cite web|url=http://www.desherpotro.com/%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A3%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF/|script-title=bn:আর হাতে রণতুর্য|language=bn|last=Mahmud|first=Hasan|publisher=Desher Potro|date=18 February 2019}}</ref>}}

Other researchers considered Sylhet's titular deity of Hattanath to have been introduced by the [[Nagar Brahmin]] who worshipped ''Hāṭkeśvara'' and its presence in Sylhet (''Śrīhaṭṭa'') is mentioned in the Mahalingarchana [[Tantra]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.2613/page/n121/mode/2up|title=Early History of Kamarupa|pages=88|year=1933|publisher=Don Bosco Industrial School Press|location=[[Shillong]]|author=Baruah, Rai K. L.|chapter=Kamarupa of Bhaskaravarman}}</ref> The Nagar Brahmins later settled down in [[Gujarat]], which can be supposed from [[Padmanath Bhattacharya]]'s analysis. Both Hattanath and its alias Hatkeshwar are considered to be idols of [[Shiva]], and they can be found in various parts of the [[Sylhet District]] such as in [[Kulaura Upazila|Bhatera]], [[Beanibazar Upazila|Panchakhanda]], [[Wards of Sylhet City Corporation|Gotatikar]] and [[Sylhet|Chutkhal]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/socialhistoryofk03vasuuoft/page/154/mode/2up?q=Hatakesvara|title=Social History of Kamarupa|pages=113-115|year=1922|editor=Vasu, Nagendranath|publisher=Bisvakosh Press|volume=III|location=[[Calcutta]]|author=Nath, Partha Sarathi|chapter=The Nagara Brahmanas in eastern India}}</ref>

In the 18th-century, Ganesh Ram Shiromani compiled a series of semi-legendary Bengali ballads which claim to detail the early history of Sylhet.<ref>{{cite book |author=Choudhury, Achyut Charan |author-link=Achyut Charan Choudhury |title=Srihatter Itibritta: Uttorangsho |year=2000 |orig-year=1916 |publisher=Kotha |location=Kolkata |language=bn |url=https://bn.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE:%E0%A6%B6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%9F%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9F%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0_%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%83%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4_(%E0%A6%89%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%B6)_-_%E0%A6%85%E0%A6%9A%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A3_%E0%A6%9A%E0%A7%8C%E0%A6%A7%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%80_%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A7%E0%A6%BF.pdf/%E0%A7%AB%E0%A7%AD%E0%A7%AD}}</ref> Though the book does not hold much authenticity, it is popularly known as the Panchali of Haṭṭanāth,<ref>{{cite book|title=Sylhet: History and Heritage|pages=388-389|publisher=[[Bangladesh Itihas Samiti]]|year=1999|editor=Ahmed, Sharif Uddin}}</ref> and mention of Sylhet's final Hindu king [[Gour Govinda]] worshipping Haṭṭanāth after returning to Sylhet can be found.<ref name=potro/> Govinda's predecessors were also known to have held convocations to worship Haṭṭanāth,<ref>{{cite journal|publisher=Bhartiya Pragtisheel Shiksha Parishad|journal=Shodhak|page=91|volume=8|year=1979|title=Nomenclature of Sylhet: A Study|author=Lahiri, Dilip K.}}</ref> particularly a notable one was held in [[Brahmachal]] to rectify those who had deviated from the path of Haṭṭanāth.<ref>{{cite book|title=East Pakistan District Gazetteers: Sylhet|pages=52-54|year=1970|publisher=East Pakistan Government Press}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[History of Sylhet]]

==References==
{{reflist|23em}}

[[Category:Regional Hindu deities]]
[[Category:Hinduism in Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Forms of Shiva]]
[[Category:Sylhet Division]]
{{Sylhet District}}

Hattanath - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article