Gopinath Temple in Agradwip: Where the Lord Himself offers Pindaana to devotees

Agradvipa was the first island or land that was created by riding in Bhagirathi's womb. Agradwip, ancient and prosperous village. Vaishnaviteertha founded the Gopinath temple at Agradwip by Nadiaraja Krishnachandra Roy. The temple is built in the building architecture style. The temple stands on 8 round pillars. The height of the temple is about 20 feet. Gopinath built in rough stone is installed in the temple, next to it is Radhika idol. The beautiful Gopinath Idol of Hard Rock is 500 years old, the height of the Idol is about 2 feet. A sculptor from Daihat built the temple.

Agradwip, East Bardhaman, is a town steeped in history and tradition, with memories of Gopinath and Vaishnava saint Govinda Ghosh intertwined. Within a few kilometers of Katowice is Agradwip village. The name of the village is as an advanced village built on the banks of the Ganges. A fair is held here every year on the Ekadashi tithi of the Krishna Paksha of the month of Chaitra. The fair is known as Gopinath's Fair of Agradwip. This fair is centered around Saint Gobind Ghosh and his beloved Gopinath. The popularity of the fair has grown tremendously in the last five-six years. Ten to twelve lakh people visit this fair every year. Four hundred to five hundred akharas are made for devotees. The fair is at least five hundred years old. According to legend, Sri Chaitanya came to Govinda Ghosh in the month of Falgun in 1515. Sri Chaitanya made a Krishna Vigraha and established it here. It was Chaitanya who gave the name Gopinath to Krishna. Shri Chaitanya left Gopinath's service to Govinda Ghosh.

According to another legend, Govinda Ghosh, a devoted devotee of Lord Chaitanya, died in 1588 on the Ekadashi tithi of Krishna Paksha in the month of Chaitra. This Govinda Ghosh was one of the Ashta Parshads of Sri Chaitanya. He was a servant of Gopinath. To commemorate that tithi, the Chire Mahotsav is organized every year as Govinda Ghosh's Paraluka. Gopinath himself fasted for a month. He holds the Shraddha. This arrangement is for Pindadaan of Govinda Ghosh's miraculous work. According to legend, Govind Ghosh went mad with grief after the death of his infant son. Then Gopinath appeared to him in a dream. He assured him that he would do the Shraddha of Govinda Ghosh as his son. Following that, Gopinath worshiped Govinda Ghosh after his death. Many people say that God worships devotees only here. That practice continues today.

Agradwip is famous for the Bathing Festival of Varuni. This bath takes place on the Troyodashi tithi of the Krishna side in the month of Chaitra. According to legend, this festival has been going on long before the appearance of Lord Chaitanya. People from Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and other parts of Bengal used to come to Agradwip to bathe in Varuni. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Varuni Baths of Agradwip were more famous than the Gangesagar Mela. Here too it was customary to sacrifice children in the Ganges.

The Gopinath temple in Agradwip, built by Krishnachandra Roy, was swept away by the Ganges in a devastating flood in 1828. Where Gopinath's temple is now, there used to be a cloth mill. About a mile north-west of the present temple was the Gopinath temple built by Krishnachandra Roy. The next temple was built by Gopinath Poddar, a resident of Jessore's Bagchar. He donated about five thousand rupees. Kaliprasad Poddar is also known to have made a road for Bangladeshi devotees to visit Gopinath's fair in Agradwip and the festival at Baruni's bath. Kaliprasad Poddar is said to have built another twenty mile long road from Bananavgram to Chakdah.

The temple is famous for the fair, which is organized on the occasion of Shraddha Divas of one of Sri Chaitanya's Parsads, Govinda Ghosh. This fair is also known as Shraddha-Mela of Govinda Ghosh Tagore. Sri Chaitanya's faithful companion was Govinda Ghosh, who was later abandoned by Sri Chaitanya due to material addiction and began living on the banks of the Ganges in Agradvipa. Even though he left asceticism and practiced samsaradharma, Govinda Ghosh continued his sadhana with Gopinath Vigraha. However, Gopinath lost his wife and son within a few days. According to popular legend, he was haunted by the fear of death in his old age. He was engrossed in his miraculous actions, after which the Lord himself promised to complete his sraddhas. The festival will begin here with Chidre Mohotsav. The Gopinath idol was brought from the temple to Govinda Ghosh's Samadhi temple. Kush and pindana of the human father are performed by the hands of the gods. This temple is a witness to such a rare event of worshiping the father of man by dressing the deity. Following the traditional rules, the village people also observe Arandhana on that day. Anna Mahotsava is celebrated on the second day, Ganga bathing on the third day, Gopinath Dole is celebrated locally on the fourth day.