By Bachaspatimayum Bisheswar
IMPHAL, March 28: Nabadwip Dham in Nadia district of West Bengal is a favourite pilgrim destination of Hindu devotees of Manipur as every year during the Holi festival devotees from the State flock to the temple of Shri Anu Mahaprabhu located in an area known as Manipur.
Nabadwip Dham is also thronged by foreign devotees.
Devotees also gather to organise tours of temples in the area which is known as Parikrama.
The main belief of the devotees is that Sri Anu Mahaprabhu was brought to Malancha Para of Nabadwip Dham in 1798 by the then Manipur Maharaj Rajarshi Bhagyachandra. However, since at the time, there was strict restriction against the worshipping of Hindu gods in Bengal, the Sri Anu Mahaprabhu was hidden inside a well. The idol was taken out and installed at Nabadwip Dham only after the restriction was lifted.
Shri Shri Gourangga Mahaprabhu’s birth anniversary is celebrated every year at the temple of Sri Anu Mahaprabhu during Holi.
The 531st anniversary of Sri Sri Gourangga Mahaprabhu this year was celebrated with colours and much fanfare organised by the Rajarshi Bhagyachandra Memorial Trust. The temple complex is still under the ownership of 6th generation of Maharaja Rajarshi Bhagyachandra constituting of six family households.
Takhellambam Irabot, a devotee said every year the number of devotees coming from Manipur. This has created much congestion due to the limited number of lodging facility available in the area, he said adding that the organisers are try to provide accommodation to all the pilgrims, but some of them had to stay at rented rooms or at the lodging facility of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
This year the number of pilgrims from Manipur reached 10000, he said.
The daily routine of the pilgrims at the Dham starts with a dip in the Ganga River. Cultural programmes like Divya Raas, Nitya Raas, Holi, Pichkari are performed by the devotees before the shrine of Sri Anu Mahaprabhu.
Devotees from Bangladesh, Hojai and mainly from the state of Manipur performed before the Sri Anu Mahaprabhu.
The feeling of devotion, holiness and love of God is felt by every visitor of the temple of Sri Anu Mahaprabhu. Many such visitors aged above 80 years expressed their willingness to visit the place as frequently as possible.