Cooch Behar: After four months of divine rest, Chhota Madan Mohan was ceremonially awakened on the auspicious occasion of Utthan Ekadashi on Sunday.
The centuries-old ritual, rooted in royal tradition, was marked with bathing rites, special prayers and renewed offerings at the historic Madan Mohan Bari temple in Cooch Behar.
As part of the ritual, the deity was taken to the temple veranda and bathed with 108 miniature kalas (sacred pots) of water. “Chhota Madan Mohan Baba woke up after four months. He was bathed with 108 kalas of water as per the royal tradition, followed by a special puja,” said priest Shivkumar Chakraborty. “During the four months of rest, offerings of vegetables like pui shaak (Malabar spinach) and potol (pointed gourd) were stopped. From today, these will again be offered to the deity.”
Temple sources said that after the Rath Yatra, Baro Madan Mohan (Elder Madan Mohan) returned from his maternal aunt’s home at Gunjbari near Bairagi Dighi, while Chhota Madan Mohan went into divine sleep (Harishyan). On awakening, the deity was bathed with milk, ghee, honey, sandalwood, and coconut water — rituals preserved since the days of the Cooch Behar royal family.
On Saturday evening, the deities of Rajmata and Dangrai Temple arrived at Madan Mohan Bari to mark the beginning of the Ras Utsav. After the bathing rituals, Chhota Madan Mohan was taken inside, dressed in new clothes, and placed on the throne for the Utthan Ekadashi puja.
Following the ceremony, the three Madan Mohans — from Baro Madan Mohan, Dangrai Temple, and Rajmata Temple — were placed together on the temple verandah, where they will remain till the Ras Fair. On the day of the Raj Utsav (November 5), after the Pasar Bhanga ceremony, Chhota Madan Mohan will be taken back inside the temple, marking the conclusion of this sacred phase of festivities.