Mānikyaḍihi

Śrīpāṭa of Śrīla Mādhavendra Purī Gosvāmī's son Śrī Viṣṇu Dāsa

Mānikyaḍihi is situated in the district of Nadia. One can get down at Palāśī station by train from Seāldaha, Rāṇāghāṭa, Krishnanagar and other stations. From there through national-highway-34 one has to come by rickshaw-van to the road going to Kāligañja cross- ing. From there one can travel eight kilometers to come to Kāligañja crossing and from there by van at a distance of three kilometers one can come to Mānikyaḍihi village which is situated near the Bhāgīrathī River. One can also come to Kāligañja crossing by bus from Palāśī towards Debagrāma. This Śrīpāṭa is located in the house of Ānanda Gosvāmī.

After Mahāprabhu’s sannyāsa līlā the home-Deities Śrī Raghunātha Śilā and Bāla-gopāla came through disciplic succession in the hand of Śrīla Mādhavendra Purī Gosvāmī’s son Śrī Viṣṇu Dāsa. Afterwards this Śilā was worshiped by his son Jayakṛṣṇa. Along with that Śilā, Śrī Nṛsiṁha Śilā of Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita and Lakṣmī- Nārāyaṇa Śilā of Śrīla Mādhavendra Purī Gosvāmī were also worshiped. At present, Navanī-gopāla Jīu installed by Viṣṇu Dāsa, Śrī Rādhā-vallabha Jīu installed by his son Jayakṛṣṇa and Śrī Rādhā-Gopīnātha Jīu belonging to a local great soul named Bāmana Dāsa, are exhibited here. Besides all these, another six Śālagrāma-Śilās are also present in this temple.

Standard of worship does not seem to be good. The present Sevaka-gosvāmīs introduce themselves as the successors of Mādhavendra Purī and Viṣṇu Dāsa. Śrī Viṣṇu Dāsa, son of Mādhavendra Purīpāda, was a well-known person in the society of Vaiṣṇavas. His name has a place in Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala and Caitanya-caritāmṛta. One book named ‘Sītāguṇa- kadamba’ written by Viṣṇu Dāsa has been edited and published by Paṇḍita Ṛṣīkeśa Śāstrī.