Madan Mohan Temple — Attraction in Kolkata

Madan Mohan Temple was built by Gokul Chandra Mitra in 1761, who can be accredited as one of the earliest settlers of Calcutta and one of the richest man of his time. The Madan Mohan deity’s history is linked to Bishnupur in Bakura. It is believed that the idol of Madan Mohan dates back to 500 years.

Gokul Mitra's Madan Mohan Mandir is famous for its Annakut festival. Every year in Annakut, newly harvested rice is offered to Madan Mohan. After a puja, the Mitras of the Rajbari fling holy rice towards all the gathered devotees who struggle to collect as much prasad as possible

The idol once belonged to a poor priest called Dharani who resided in the jungle of Bishnupur. When Raja Bir Hambir (1591- 1616) of Mallya Kingdom went for hunting he saw the beautiful idol and got immensely attracted to it. He requested the Brahmin to give away the idol to him. The Brahmin was not ready to part with his god. So the king stole the idol from the Brahmin and established it in his kingdom.

Later almost after hundred year in 1694, Raja Durjan Singha of the Mallya Kingdom had built the temple of Madan Mohan in Bishnupur. There a terracotta temple was constructed in his honor with lavish carvings. During the reign of Raja Gopal Singha (1730 – 1745), the Maratha soldiers under the leadership of Bhaskar Rao started attacking their kingdom. The Mallya soldiers could not resist the attack. It is said, that Gopal Singha ordered everyone in his kingdom to lock themselves inside the Bishnupur Fort and recite the name of Madan Mohan. Legend has it that when the 'bargi' or Maratha raiders attacked Bengal and the Malla king was about to be defeated , a strong man of fine features was seen in the battlefield who lifted up the huge Dalmadal cannon in one hand and fired it to drive the enemy away . Folklore attribute this heroic task to none other than Madan Mohan himself who is said to have defended the king . The local people of Bishnupur still believe that Madan Mohan had saved the lives of their ancestors that night.

During 1770, there was a great famine in the kingdom. The treasury was almost empty. Raja Chaitanya Singha was then the king of the Mallya Kingdom. He was a pious man and engaged himself in devotional activities. Due to his absence from the day to day work, his minister Kamal Biswas started looking after the daily chores of the kingdom. Taking advantage of this situation, his cousin Damodar Singha conspired against him. He hired soldiers from Shiraj-ud-daulah to attack Bishnupur but could not succeed. Later, he again attacked Bishnupur by hiring soldiers from Mir-Zafar and ultimately captured Bishnupur from him. Chaitanya Singha fled to Calcutta to seek justice from the British. During his flight he had only brought his home deity Madan Mohan along with him. The British advised him to file a case against his brother, Damodar Singha. But to file a case in the British ruled Calcutta, Chaitanya required a lot of money. He helplessly sought financial help from Gokul Chandra of Baghbazar. He required Rupees 1.3Lakh to fight his case. He mortgaged his only belonging, the idol of Madan Mohan to Gokul Mitra against the money. As per the understanding between Gokul Mitra and Chaitanya Singha, the later was supposed to pay off the loan and take the idol back after a given period.

Some believe, due to the failure of paying off his debts, Gokul Mitra did not...

ESTD: 171 AD. Situated in 520, Rabindra Sarani, stands tall the 300 years old Thakur Dalan of Madan Mohan at Chitpur Road near #Kumartuli in #Baghbazar area. Although varied with time, the grand thakur Dalan with its gigantic doric #pillars, huge ball rooms and the remarkably wide marble stairways still hold the stories of the erstwhile Calcutta. Here stands on the silver throne the statue of Madan Mohan (Lord #Krishna) playing his flute with #Radhika standing left to him, mesmerized in the celestial tune of his divine flute. #jaishrikrishna #srikrishna #krishna #janmastami...

The Madan Mohan Temple in Kolkata is a historic Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Krishna, also known as Madan Mohan. Built in the traditional Bengali style of architecture, it dates back to the late 18th century. The temple is especially notable for its exquisite terracotta relief work depicting scenes from Hindu mythology, including the life of Krishna and the Mahabharata. Located in the Baghbazar area, it attracts many visitors, especially during festivals like Janmashtami. This temple serves as a cultural and religious landmark, reflecting the deep spiritual...