Mahesh Jagannath Temple

Getting there

• By road

  Serampore is on State Highway 6, also called Grand Trunk Road.

Why devotees come here

Mahesh Jagannath Temple stands in Mahesh, a historic locality within Serampore in Hooghly district, West Bengal. It is the home of the Mahesh Rath Yatra, said to be the oldest chariot festival in Bengal.

The temple worships Jagannath along with Balarama and Subhadra, whose chariots are used in the festival. The Mahesh Rath Yatra is said to have been celebrated since 1396. Legend says Jagannath pawned an armlet to buy a mihidana sweet at Mahesh, and that is the story behind the bala. Another legend tells of the sadhu Drubananda, who decided to fast until death after he was denied the chance to offer bhog to Jagannath at Puri.

The first temple at Mahesh was built by the King of Sheoraphuli, because the area fell under his territory. The modern temple was built in 1755 by Nayanchand Mallik of Pathuriaghata, Kolkata. Kamalakar Piplai, a disciple of Chaitanya, is credited with starting the chariot festival more than 600 years ago. The present chariot was built in 1885 by the Martin Burn Company under Krishnaram Basu. It is a Nabaratna temple with nine shikharas. It is four storeys high, 50 feet tall and 125 tonnes in weight.

Festivals

• Full moon day before the Rath YatraSnan Yatra

  Held on the full moon day that comes just before the chariot festival.

• A grand fair is held at that timeRath Yatra

  The chariot travels from the temple to Gundicha Bari, also called Masir Bari, and returns within eight days. The procession starts when a neelkantha bird flies away from the chariot.

Tips for your visit

• The festival is said to draw 200,000 to 300,000 people every year.
• The temple also celebrates Nabakalebara, the ritual renewal of the idols, every eight to twelve years.
• Mahesh Jagannath Ferry Ghat is one of the popular ferry ghats on the Hooghly in Serampore.

Questions people ask