A large banyan tree, more than 500 years old marks the site of the famous Panihati Chida Dadhi festival (chipped rice festival) celebrating the pastimes of Raghunatha das Goswami and Lord Nityananda Prabhu.
Srila Prabhupada visited Panihati twice and expressed a desire to build a temple there. In 2013, under the guidance of HH Bhakti Charu Swami, an ancestral property on the banks of the Ganges in Panihati was acquired and a temple was established. The centre began flourishing with prasada and book distribution and large scale preaching programmes. The annual one-day Chida Dadhi festival expanded to become a five-day event. In 2022 more property was purchased and a Govinda’s restaurant was built in front of the temple. The temple has 2 ghats located on the Ganges river, offering facilities for Vedic ceremonies like sraddha (for departed ancestors) to the Vaisnava community.
Srila Prabhupada stated that Panihati would become a very important centre as it is located on the banks of the Ganges and so is easily accessible by the river. HH Bhakti Charu Swami’s plans for the project included fulfilling Srila Prabhupada’s desire of a boat service from Mayapura to Panihati, and building a large Guest house for the many pilgrims who visit this holy place throughout the year. Plans are underway to develop a Caitanya Circuit–a pilgrimage tour connecting the holy places visited by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in West Bengal.
(c) copyright by Bhakti Charu Swami
