Directed by Sayantan Ghosal, “Kauriburi: The Cursed Temple” is based on the very popular novel by Avik Sarkar. The series follows an astrologer, Bhairavnath, who also has the ability to see people’s past and future to some extent. Just when he is about to go on a trip to North Sikkim, Bhairavnath has to make a change of plans because his childhood best friend, Madhuri, is suffering from a sickness that doctors cannot cure. When he reaches Madhuri’s place, he discovers the dark truth about the Deori tribe of Assam. Madhuri’s sickness is tied to the secret of this tribe, and if Bhairav has to save her, then he needs to be prepared for the evil that is awaiting to haunt him. [Spoilers Ahead]
What Happened 400 Years Ago?
Deori tribe is one of the most famous tribes of Assam. It has subdivisions that include Dibongiya, Borgoya, Tengaponiya and Patorgoya. Among these four, the Patorgoya faction was best known for its rituals and black magic. The Deori tribe has been flourishing, but it was not always like this. Around 400 years ago, the tribe was afflicted by a mysterious disease – it was contagious, people were dying everyday, one after the other. The number of dead and infected people increased, giving rise to an epidemic. The members of the tribe found no antidote to the disease; their only hope was to pray to the Gods and Goddesses to get rid of the epidemic. Despite their efforts, nothing improved, and the tribe kept on suffering. Unable to witness the misery of her own people, one ordinary woman came up with a solution during this fatal crisis. She introduced the idea of worshipping the Goddess Kauriburi, which is the fierce form of Goddess Dhumavati. She is one of the ten Hindu Tantric Goddesses and is always hungry. There is a myth that Goddess Dhumavati once consumed Lord Shiva to satiate her hunger. Worshipping Kauriburi was not child’s play; instead, it required sacrifices. The Deori woman, who came forward with the solution, knew that she had to sacrifice her husband to the Goddess in order to placate her and receive her blessings. She did not fear the misfortune of losing her husband to the ritualistic sacrifice because she knew it would save the entire clan from dying. After the sacrifice was completed, Kauriburi blessed them with Golokpushpa, the flower that would treat the people suffering from the disease and save them. As the woman was successful in saving the entire clan, she became their high priestess. Since then, the tradition continues- the high priestess, after giving birth to her eldest daughter, would have to sacrifice her husband to receive Kauriburi’s blessings. After growing up, the eldest daughter would become the next high priestess and continue the ritual as time went by. This tradition continued for almost two centuries until it was broken by the high priestess of that age. She did not want to sacrifice her husband to the Goddess, so she ordered him to flee with their daughter to safety. The high priestess was successful in saving her family, but she was not ready for the consequences that followed- all the members of the clan were once again affected by the disease, and they died on that very night. This was the first and last incident of such a kind; high priestesses did not dare to go against the angry Goddess after that.
Why Does Bhairavnath Decide To Visit Madhuri After All These Years?
Bhairavnath and Madhuri have an old relationship. They were best friends when they were young, and they used to stay with each other all the time. Young Bhairavnath was certain about his feelings for his best friend. He even kept the little gift that she gave him on his birthday safely. Nevertheless, his happiness was short-lived because the day he wanted to confess his feelings to Madhuri, he found a big lock hanging on their front door. It was informed to him later by his father that Madhuri and her family had shifted to Assam because of Madhuri’s father, Sadananda’s transfer. Bhairav was heartbroken, and he never looked at another woman with the same gaze as he looked at his best friend, whom he also considered the love of his life.
Although he is an adult now, he cannot seem to let go of his first love. Bhairav keeps his birthday gift that he received from Madhuri safe inside his closet even today. He cannot forget Madhuri, which is why, when his father informs him about her illness, he immediately cancels his trip to North Sikkim and rushes to Assam to visit her. Upon arriving, Madhuri’s father tells him that his daughter is extremely ill, but the doctors believe that she has no physical or psychological illness. Sadananda could not find anyone better than Bhairav to share Madhuri’s story with because he was the only one who could fix her. Bhairav learns that Madhuri was married to her colleague, Anirban, whom she fell in love with while working as a primary school teacher, but one night she left her in-laws and moved in with her parents. Madhuri does not reveal what happened between her and Anirban that night, but she is certain that she does not have much time left in this world. When Bhairav touches Madhuri’s hand, he gets a vision- an old, creepy man with a rotten body that was marked all over, attacking her. He mentions that the Goddess wants her and that she is going to die a sacrificial death very soon. This man is none other than Bhuvan, the father who was supposed to be sacrificed but was ordered to flee with his daughter by the high priestess. Since he had escaped his ritualistic sacrifice, he was cursed to live in a rotten body and work as an ally of the present high priestess of the clan. The vision leaves him rattled, and he cannot stop thinking about it. To find the connection between the vision and Madhuri’s impending death, Bhairav does not waste a single second and visits the cursed cave. There, he encounters the high priestess and comes across the Golokpusha for the first time ever. Enraged at Bhairav for trying to touch the sacred flower, the high priestess sets a murder of evil crows and Bhuvan behind him. However, he fails to harm Bhairav because he starts to chant a sacred mantra given by his mentor Krishnananda Moitra, who already knew that he would be in danger.
Why Does The High Priestess Want To Kill Madhuri?
Things become a little complex here because the high priestess has romantic feelings for her own brother, Anirban. When Anirban and her sister were little, she was extremely protective of her brother. She did not want to live a single second without Anirban, but he was unaware of her feelings for him. One night, Anirban witnessed his mother sacrificing his father inside the same cursed cave, in front of Kauriburi’s idol. He was terrified and wanted to reveal his mother’s secret to everybody, but she warned him not to go against the Goddess’ will. After growing up, Anirban believed that his elder sister would not follow their mother’s path because she got married and started to live a life of her own. However, he was wrong because it was she who took the position of the high priestess after their mother’s death. Anirban remained detached from his sister, now high priestess, for years, during which he got married to Madhuri, but his life turned upside down after her return. While the elder sister started to live with them, she had plans in her mind. She gave Madhuri a pot of cursed vermillion to use, which slowly poisoned her all this time. Madhuri was unaware of her plans and intentions, and she believed Anirban’s elder sister. However, the elder sister, who is now the high priestess, used her powers to hypnotize her brother. One night, the high priestess was caught getting intimate with Anirban, who was in a trance, by Madhuri. She did not waste a single second and left her in-laws’ house that very night and remained quiet about the incident the whole time. The high priestess wants to kill Madhuri because she is married to the love of her life. Even though it is incestuous (and very much wrong, not to mention), the high priestess believes that Anirban is made only for her and nobody else. She uses Kauriburi’s blessings to empower herself with supernatural abilities so that she can finish off Madhuri. The high priestess even uses the Bhuvan to kill Madhuri, but she is saved from his hands by Goddess Dhumavati herself. The high priestess does not know it yet, but Goddess Dhumavati is trying to save Madhuri from her clutches.
Why Does Bhairav Need The Golokpushpa?
Bhairav needs the Golokpushpa to save Madhuri because she is rapidly getting consumed by the poison from the cursed vermillion, the power of which becomes more potent after Bhuvan spits at her. It is about to be the night of the new moon; the Maha Chandal Yog will begin soon, and Bhairav has to get the sacred flower before sunrise in order to save Madhuri. Golokpushpa, Kauriburi’s blessing, is one such flower that the high priestess uses to make poison and hypnotizing incense sticks, but it is also the only flower that can nullify its own poison. There is no other medicine on Earth capable of saving Madhuri. Bhairav cannot let her die because he loves her. Krishnanda tells him that there is no antidote greater than love in this world, and if Bhairav decides to save Madhuri, he will be able to do it anyhow because of his love for her. Without delaying for a single minute, he immediately reaches the cursed cave to get the Golokpushpa to save Madhuri.
What Happens To Madhuri And Bhairav In The End?
While Anirban and the high priestess abduct Madhuri and take her to the cursed cave in order to kill her, Bhuvan is given the task to finish off Bhairav. However, Bhuvan is unsuccessful because Krishnananda Moitra enters the scene and uses his powers to weaken him. The sound of his sacred conch shell debilitates Bhuvan’s powers, and he vanishes into thin air. Bhairav is saved by his mentor, who then reveals the real identity of Kauriburi, which is Goddess Dhumavati. Krishnanada tells him that in order to stop the curse and prevent the high priestess from misusing Kauriburi’s powers, he will have to perform a puja. He will have to placate the Goddess before the high priestess does it inside the cave and awakens Her evil side. Krishnanda sends Bhairav to the cave so that he can save Madhuri; meanwhile, he starts to perform the ritual. After Bhairav enters the cave, he witnesses that Anirban is completely under the high priestess’ control. Upon learning about Bhairav’s presence inside the cave, the high priestess sends Anirban to behead Madhuri, but Bhairav kicks him out of the scene and makes Madhuri drink a potion that will keep her alive for some more time. On the other hand, Krishnanda pleases Goddess Dhumavati with his positive energy and receives Her blessings. Goddess Dhumavati takes his shape and visits the cave to punish the high priestess for all her wrongdoings. The Goddess touches the high priestess’ forehead, making her vanish; She gives Bhairav her own trident to eliminate Anirban, who is now suffering from the same curse as Bhuvan, that he transferred to him before disappearing from the face of Earth for good. Bhairav launches the trident at him, killing him instantly. He then takes Madhuri in his arms and leaves the cave, which falls apart in no time. However, he completely forgets about the Golokpuhspa. When he finally remembers, it is too late because the cave is already falling in rubble. Nonetheless, fate does not disappoint him because he finds the flower inside Madhuri’s fist, who took it before losing consciousness. Two years later, Madhuri and Bhairav are now married, but the story does not end here because Bhairav is handed over a mysterious key that gives him visions of the Deori curse once again. This only means that there is a possibility of season 2 in the near future, but it has not been confirmed as of now.
