Worship disrupted at Madan Mohan Temple over unpaid dues

Cooch Behar: For the first time in centuries, the Madan Mohan Temple in Cooch Behar experienced a disruption in its daily worship rituals due to the non-payment of dues. The supply of pigeons, essential for the sacrificial rituals, was halted for three hours on Tuesday, sparking outrage among devotees and priests.

The incident has caused significant unrest, with temple priests staging a sit-in protest. Worship resumed only after the temple staff arranged for pigeons to be brought in. Devotees expressed their disappointment over the interruption of the centuries-old tradition.

The Madan Mohan Temple, built by the Maharaja of Cooch Behar, conducts daily worship of deities Madan Mohan Dev, Anandamayi Kali Maa, and Jai Tara Maa.

As part of the rituals, pigeons are sacrificed to Anandamayi Kali Maa and Jai Tara Maa, a practice that has been followed for generations. However, Prabhat Shil, a Bhetaguri resident responsible for supplying the pigeons, had stopped the supply due to unpaid dues amounting to over Rs 7 lakh, pending for 24 months.

Despite prior notice, no action was taken to resolve the issue, leading to the disruption. “I have been worshiping at this temple for the past 40 years, and this is the first time such an incident has occurred,” said Khagobati Mishra, a temple priest.

Devotees, like Geeta Sarkar, voiced their frustration: “The worship stopped suddenly due to the lack of pigeons. This is a deeply upsetting event. The administration should prioritise preserving the temple’s historical traditions.”

All temples from the Cooch Behar Maharaja era are under the Debuttor Trust Board, chaired by the district magistrate. Regarding the issue, district magistrate Arvind Kumar Meena stated: “The issue was resolved immediately after being brought to our attention. I was unaware of the pending dues, but the amount will be paid soon.”