History of Mahesh Mandir

Jagannath is a sanskrit word, compounded of jagat meaning "universe" and nath meaning "master" or "lord" thus, Jagannath means "Lord of the Universe". Jai Jagannath is the word which can solve all the problems, sorrow of the person whom chanting this from core of the hearts. As we know that Puri Jagannath Temple in Odisha is the oldest Jagannath Temple in the world. There is another oldest Jaganath Temple is situated in the world which is our "Mahesh Jagannath Temple". This temple is the oldest Jagannath Temple of West Bengal. The CHARIOT of lord jagannath is the tollest chariot in the world. The idols of lord jagannath, balabhadra dev & maa subhadra is also the oldest idols in the world. The idols made by the famous sage Shree Dhrubananda 1396 AD which still worshiping now.

Mahesh Jagannath temple is the 2nd largest Jagannath temple in the world,which was established on 1396 AD. Like other legends of the Jagannath cult,Mahesh temple too has an interesting myth. According to the temple’s priest, Drubananda Brahmachari, a great Bengali sage went to Puri for pilgrimage on the fourteenth century. He prayed to the lordships ,Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra at Puri, desiring to offer them the food that he had cooked with his own hands.The pandas had stopped him from offering ‘bhoga’ directly to the Lord, doubting his credentials. The broken hearted Drubananda then decided to fast until death. Lord Jagannatha becomes greatly pleased with Dhruvananda. On the third day, he heard the Lord’s voice in his dream, “Drubananda, go back to Bengal. At the bank of Bhagirathi, you will find a place called Mahesh. There I shall send you a huge Daru-Brahma (Neem trunk). Make Balarama, Subhadra and my idol with this trunk. I am eager to have ‘Bhoga’ in your hand.” After that he returned to Mahesh and started his Sadhana. After a few months, in a stormy rainy night, the Daru-Brahma appeared, floating down the river. Drubananda jumped into the water and retrieved the log and made the Idols of the Holy Trinity and established a small Temple.With the time age caught up Dhruvananda and he found it increasingly difficult to take care of the deities nicely. To relieve him of his anxiety, Lord Jagannatha appeared in his dream again and instructed him to hand over the duties of deity worship to a devotee person when the time comes.
On the other hand After taking sanyas, Sri Chaitanya left for Puri.In his way to Puri, he reached at Mahesh and visited Drubananda’s Temple. Old Drubananda requested him to take charge of the temple.After that by the Lord’s arrangement, the great devotee Kamalakara Pippalai, who happened to be one of the twelve Gopals and an intimate associate of Nityananda Maharabhu, came to meet Dhruvananda. Dhruvananda,following the Lord’s orders ,handed over the responsibility of the deities to Sri Kamalakara and then died.Since then Kamalakar Pippalai began worshipping the deities of Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra maharani here at Mahesh.

It is about 253 years ago,when the west coast of Bhagirathi was eroded. The devotees at that time feared that the temple might be lost in the Ganges. At the same time, in 1855, Nayanchand Mallick, a devotee of called Danbir, a resident of Pathuriaghata, Kolkata, built the present temple on the west side of the road at a safe distance from the highway.
When the temple was built at that time, the devotees of that time did not bring idols to the temple. Because since the temple was established by obramhin. Meanwhile, Nayanchand Mallick, a devotee, had a strong desire to establish a temple in his own name and he also wanted to arrange for the devotees to live around the temple and provide permanent establishment, but the condition is the same - to establish and resolve the temple in his own name.But the ministers did not agree to this tempting offer. That is, the devotees remained steadfast in their decision that idols should not be placed and resolved on the altar of the temple in the name established by obramhin and offerings should not be made. Therefore there is no idol in the temple. The temple was later left empty. Meanwhile, Nayanchand Mallick is lying on his death bed.Every day Jagannath comes to his dreams and with a heavy heart he prays to the Lord for forgiveness. Nayanchand Mallick, lying on his death bed, said to his son Nimai Charan Mallick, "Listen son, all my wishes have been fulfilled but one wish remained unfulfilled." I built a temple but no idol was placed in the temple.That night Nimai Charan Mallick came to Mahesh with a barge of his father to fulfill his father's last wish. He contacted the ministers and listened to them and understood everything. He immediately accepted all the offers of the ministers.The end was the turn of the debate, the refuge of peace. He went to his father and told him that his last wish was about to be fulfilled. The devotees then brought idols to the temple and installed them. Since then, the seva puja of this idol has been held smoothly in Mahesh's Sri Sri Jagannath temple. A few days later, Nayanchand Mallick Mahasaya set out for heaven with absolute certainty. (Taken from the Mallick family.)