In 1984, a Krishna devotee named Shree Gour Mallick was divinely commanded in a dream to set up a temple at a particular holy place(Prembag) where Shreel Rup Goswami and Shreel Sanatan Goswami stayed in the past. Another devotee named Shree Nimai Mustafi was also inspired in a dream to set up a temple at the same place. Both of them discussed the mysterious matter with some other devotees of their locality and decided to set up a temple at the holy place. But the owner(!) of the land did not allow them to do that. Then they decided to build the temple at another suitable place of the same administrative area a few kms away from Prembag. Actually, I am saying about the renowned shrine, Shree Shree Rup-Sanatan Smriti Tirtha in Jessore, Bangladesh. It is also known as `Shree Shree Rup-Sanatan Dham’ or `Ramsara Dham’. In fact, it is one of the beautiful Hindu Vaishnava temples in the world.

The temple was first built in 1985 naming after Rup and Sanatan, two disciples of Shree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. In 1999, the current large temple was built replacing the previous smaller one. The planner and engineer of the temple was Nishtula Pravu, an Australian and devotee of Iskcon. Shreel Jaypataka Swami Maharaj, a prominent Iskcon Guru, opened the temple on the auspicious Rama Navami of that year fetching sacred dust from Prembag, few kms away from the temple complex. Shree Shree Rup-Sanatan Smriti Tirtha is located at Ramsara in Sundali union of Abhaynagar upazila under the district of Jessore. The total area of the temple complex is 7.50 acre. The large artistic gate at the eastern side marks the entrance to the temple premises. The main temple has three tombs. The middle tomb is higher than two others. There is a large hall(Nat Mandir) infront of the main temple for devotional dancing and musical performances. It is 62 feet high. There are three beautiful altars in the main temple. Each altar has three steps. Idols of Shree Shree Radhamadanmohan, Shreemati Radharani, Shree Goursundar, Giriraj, Shree Radhagovinda –and Shreemati Radharani and Shreel Abhaycharanavinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad on different steps and Shreemati Tulasi Devi in a pot are worshipped regularly following the rituals of Iskcon. Beside the idols there are also some nice religious paintings on the temple walls. At the western side there are large and small idols of Gour-Nitai on the top step, the idols of Rup and Sanatan and painting of Sharagoswami on the middle step and paintings of Shreel Abhaycharanarvinda Bhaktivadanta Swami Prabhupad, Shreel Bhaktisidhanta Saraswati Thakur, Shreel Gour Kishore Das Vavaji Maharaj, Shreel Bhakti Vinod Thakur Mahashay and Shreel Jagannath Das Vavajee Maharaj on the third step. At the eastern side there are the idols of Jagannath, Valaram and Subhadra, the painting of Panchatattva and the small idols of Jagannath, Valaram, Suvadra and Nrisingha Dev on the middle step. The third step here is empty. In fact the interior decoration of the entire temple is very attractive. One can also see Parikrama temple, Shiva temple, Griha, Rup Sagar, Sanatan Sarovar, Radhakunda etc in the temple premises (watch video).

Shree Shree Rup-Sanatan Smriti Tirtha holds one of the major religious attractions for the Hindu devotees.

Talker: Krishna Das