Kumārapura or Kumāranagara

Śrīpāṭa of Vaṁśīvadana Dāsa, grand disciple of Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī and Śrīpāṭa of Śrī Gopāla Chakravartī, grand disciple of Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura

Kumārapura or Kumāranagara is situated in Murshidābād district. One should get down at Murshidābād station in Seāldaha-Lālgolā railway route. From there one can reach this Śrīpāṭa by rickshaw at a distance of three kilometers via Teṅtulatalā. Other route is from Baharampur to Teṅtulatalā by bus towards Jiāgañj and from Teṅtulatalā one can walk one kilometer to reach this Śrīpāṭa. The name Kumārapura is engraved on a piece of stone at Teṅtulatalā bus-stoppage with a sign of an arrow towards the temple. Presently this Śrīpāṭa is situated on the eastern bank of Mati Jhila (Lake).

Vaṁśīvadana Dāsa Mahāśaya, grand disciple of Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī brought Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava Deities from Vṛndāvana by walking and established this Śrīpāṭa here. Coming over here, he kept Rādhā-Mādhava underneath a Mādhavītalā and while taking rest, Rādhā-Mādhava told him in a dream, “You don’t loiter here and there any more with us. You keep us here and serve.” From that time Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava is present in Kumārapāḍā. The Deity of Śrī Gaura-Gadādhara is present in one room of the temple. It is described in the tenth vilāsa of Śrī Narottama-vilāsa about Kumārapura-

kheturi nikaṭa grāma kumārapurete

Kumārapura village is situated near Kheturi.

It is described in Bhakti Ratnākara (1/249-250)-

bhāgirathī tīre grāma kumāranagara
aneka vaiṣṇava tathā basati sundara

sei grāme cirañjīva senera basati
vivāha kariyā khanḍe karilena sthiti

Kumāranagara village is situated on the banks of the Bhāgirathī and many Vaṣṇavas were residing there nicely. Cirañjiva Sena was a resident of that village and started his family life in Khaṇḍa after his marriage.

Another name of Kumārapura or Kumārapāḍā is Kumāranagara. It is described in the fourteenth vilāsa of Śrī Prema-vilāsa about the question-answer of Śrīnivāsa Ācārya while Śrī Rāmacandra Kavirāja came to Yājigrāma leaving his house-

āra dina ṭhākura kahaye tāṅhā prati
kheturi haite katadūra tomāra basati
tiṅho kahe cāri krośa nivedana kari

Another day Ṭhākura asked him, ‘How far is your residence from Kheturi?’ He replied it is four krośa (eight miles).

This place is situated on the banks of the Ganges at a distance of twelve kilometers from Kheturi. This is also the Vihāra-bhūmi (frolic ground) of Śrī Cirañjīva Sena, Śrī Rāma Candra Kavirāja, Śrī Govinda Kavirāja, Śrī Viṣṇudāsa Kavirāja, Śrī Gopala Kavirāja and other associates of Śrī Gaurāṅga. More has been described in the twentieth vilāsa of Prema-vilāsa-

āra śākhā viṣṇudāsa kavirāja ṭhākura,
vaidya-vaṁśa tilaka bāsa kumāranagara

Viṣṇudāsa Kavirāja Ṭhākura as a branch belonging to Hindu medical caste was residing in Kumāranagara.

Here is the Śrīpāṭa of Śrī Gopāla Cakravartī, disciple of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa Ācārya and grand disciple of Ṭhākura Narottama. It is described in the twelfth vilāsa of Narottama-vilāsa-

kumārapurete śrī gopāla cakravartī
sakala lokete yāṅra gāya guṇa kīrti

All the people glorify Śrī Gopāla Cakravartī of Kumārapura.

To spoil the influence of Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura, Nṛsiṁhadeva, the king of Pakkapally, alongwith some learned people came to Kumāranagara on the way to Kheturi. The purpose of his visit to Kheturi was to defeat Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura with the help of some learned scholars. When Rāma Candra Kavirāja and Gaṅgā Nārāyaṇa Cakravartī heard this news, they arrived at Kumāranagara. They were sitting in a market place, one in the guise of a Kumāra (Potter) and another in the guise of a Vārui (a caste dealing in betel-leaves). When the learned scholars came to this market place, they started talking with them in Sanskrit language and crushed their pride of high education. In that night itself, mother Caṇḍī, while glorifying Narottama, came in the dream of the king as well as of the learned scholars with a sword in her hand and told them, ‘You all are proud of your education and want to disregard Narottama. Immediately surrender unto his feet, otherwise nobody can protect you.’ According to the order of the Devī, the king of Pakkapally and all the learned scholars went to Kheturi and took shelter of the lotus feet of Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura. They became his disciples. This transcendental pastime was exhibited in this Kumāranagara.

There is a bathing platform at the northern side of the temple here. Every year on the full moon day of Jaiṣṭha month (May-June) Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava is brought on top of this bathing platform and a great bathing ceremony is performed. On this occasion, a big fair is held here.