Rathayatra of Mahesh
rathayatra mahesh bengali মাহেশের রথযাত্রা oldest chariot festival bengal said celebrated since first temple jagannath deb built raja manohar roy sheoraphuli raj also donated large portion land establishing jagganathpur mouza held mahesh historical locality within serampore indian state west bengal weeklong festival grand fair held time people throng share pulling long rope rosshi attached chariot lord jagannath balarama subhadra journey temple mahesh gundicha bari masir bari back within th day raja manohar roy sheoraphuli donated land entrusted jagannathpur mouza service lord jagannath initial mandir built mahesh king sheoraphuli fell territory fourteenth century drubananda brahmachari great bengali sage went puri pilgrimage desire offer lord jagannath ‘bhoga’ hand temple authority prevented brokenhearted drubananda decided fast death third day heard lord’s voice dream “drubananda go back bengal bank bhagirathi find place called mahesh shall send huge darubrahma neem trunk make balarama subhadra idol trunk eager ‘bhoga’ hand” drubanada returned mahesh started sadhana scary rainy night darubrahma appeared mahesh jumped water received made idol holy trinity established temple taking sanyas sri chaitanya left puri way reached mahesh visiting drubananda’s temple lost sense absorbed deep samādhi sri chaitanya christened mahesh naba nilachal meaning new puri later old drubananda requested take charge temple request made kamalakar piplai fifth twelve gopalas sebait temple day dhrubananda died kamalakar piplai mentioned earlier fifth twelve gopalas sri chaitanya son zamindar khalijuli sunderbans came navadwip study logic later became favorite mahaprabhu joined ministry first mohantas taking charge mahesh temple remained started famous chariot festival year ago heir still life mahesh kolkata sebait ‘adhikary’ temple ratha neither temple kamalakar existed modern temple made nayanchand mallik pathuriaghata kolkata cost r nothing first ratha known devotee baidyabati donated ratha temple sri ramakrishna’s famous disciple balarama basu’s grandfather krishnaram basu donated another ratha son guruprasad basu renewed ratha year ratha burnt kalachand basu made another one day person committed suicide inside ratha taking sign evil biswambhar basu made different ratha also got burnt dewan krishnachandra basu ordered ironchariot martin burn ratha still inexistent present ratha chariot constructed patronage krishnaram basu martin burn company cost construction two million rupee ratha nabaratna temple nine shikharas ratha steel framework wooden scaffolding fitted twelve iron wheel measuring twelve inch circumference ratha four storied measuring foot height tonne weight two copper horse attached front snanayatra held full moon day preceding rathayatra day snanyatra idol jagannath balaram subhadra bathed generous quantity milk ganges water believed idol suffer fever due heavy bath three physician one arambag goghat ghatal summoned treat deity offer liquid mixture medicine administered idol gradually fever lapse regain normal health unlike idol puris jagannath temple changed every twelve year idol prepared founder kamalakar pipilai used till date however two day snanayatra two week rathayatra angaraga ceremony held threeday ceremony idol repainted using herbal pigment behind closed door artist cover face hair painting idol one vegetable meal day three day doesnt charge money service day rathayatra jagannath sworn king day rathayatra jagannath idol placed highest storey ratha idol balaram subhadra also placed ratha neelkantha bird brought made sit topmost shikhara chariot bird fly away procession start festival oldest also biggest ratha jatra bengal nearly lakh people come see monthlong fair lord go gundicha temple remains till punarjatra ultorath popularly known bengal sri ramakrishna paramahamsa wife sarada devi dramatist girish chandra ghosh others came visit famous fair lord bankim chandra chatterjee’s famous novel ‘radharani’ consists wonderful description mahesh rathayatra radharani little heroine novel got lost fair found future lover bankim’s description give vivid picture festival also gave fair romantic literary charm said even today one feel brokenhearted girl’s sorrow mahishadal rathayatra guptipara rathayatra dhamrai rathayatra rathayatra mahesh – video anandabazar official facebook