Radha Ballav Temple of Ballavpur - Kolkata

Present day Thakurbari was built and in the year 1886 and the deities of Radhaballav Jiu Thakur and Radharani Jiu Thakurani were installed in 1887 at the present premises. In the adjacent area houses were built by Ghoshes, all connected through a private passage with the Thakurbari so that the ladies could visit the deities freely without having to go outside.

Nice temple with good ambiance and large area. Is very neat and clean, people can get married at this temple.

Radha Ballav Temple is one of the oldest Temple in the SERAMPORE city. It is a sacred and holy place and there are numerous religious festivals are celebrated in this place through out the year. The Temple is located in the Thakurbati Street in Maniktala. The idol of the Temple is basically Radha Krishna. The Temple is very old and famous for Janmasthami and Raas Festival.

The present temple at Ballavpur was built by Nayan Chand Mullick of Calcutta in 1764. The popular folklore says that the earlier temple near the bathing ghat, the ruin of which can still be seen, was destroyed by Robert Clive while returning from his famous victory in Battle of Plassey. Why he did so is not known. I guess it was in a fit of celebration that he fired a few shells as target practice from his boat on the river! In any case Nayan’s son Nimai arranged for a daily puja from 1837 onwards. This temple is one of the big “atchala” or eight sided temples of Bengal. It’s dimensions are 60 ft height, 50 ft length and 40 ft width. On high base the idols face south. In the “garvagriha” the idols of Sri Radhaballav and Sri Radha are placed. In the next room idols of Lord Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra are placed. In 1973 Birla Janakalyan Trust made extensive repairs of this temple. Throughout the year various Vaishnava festivals are celebrated here. It is very peaceful place for prayers. Get into any Bandel bound train from Howrah and get down at Srirampur station. From there get into a bus or auto or toto and reach your destination via GT Road and onto Thakurbati Street. One can visit this temple along with Srirampur College, Baptist Church, St. Olav’s Church and the iconic Denmark Tavern in a day.

Very nice temple...

Wow. Very nice place to worship Lord Shri Krishna. You will feel spiritual connection in this place. The idol of Pravu Shri Krishna is so beautiful that you can not move your eyes from him, you can stare for hours. One come here will get eternal peace. Jai Shri Krishna.

My Hindu upbringing has left me with a deep sense of spirituality. As part of our tradition, we celebrate Durga Puja twice a year at our place. Once during Durga Puja in autumn and once during Basanti Puja in spring. The rituals have been passed down to us since childhood. By some stroke of luck, I got into the study circle at Advaita Ashrama when I was in class eight. I learnt the Vaidik Chanting and also a wee bit of Chandipath! I always got goosebumps listening to us all chant the scriptures together! In college, all these spiritual activities took a back seat to my studies. I was obsessed with getting the best grades in university. I took part in the proverbial rat race and had my fifteen minutes of fame too. It was a flash in the pan, though, and was immediately followed by a rough patch. I was in a cleft stick. Hardship robbed me of my energy and fatigue snowballed every day. In a dog-eat-dog world, one must always be productive. I met Tanaya in college and ever since she became an integral part of this journey. She was always there for me through thick and thin. She helped me navigate the rocky road of my life when I needed it the most. Together, we weathered the storms. I may not be on the crest of a professional wave right now, but my life is at peace with me. Spiritual practice was the entry point into self-reliance from insecurity. And Radhaballav Ji's Temple played a cardinal role in this transition. It lies at the heart of Serampore. If you're around this temple, never miss the Arati. It's transcendental. My favourite time to visit the place is during Holi to revel in the festival rituals. A career is vital to our existence. Yet, as I've realised, it's not the be-all and end-all of life. Upon death's door, we won't think about the paycheck or the harsh words used against us. We'll rather be content if we're surrounded by those who care about us. Life is about sharing love, much more so than any worldly possession.

It is a great place to visit. It is a Hindu temple for Radha-Krishna (Sri Sri Radhaballv Jeue). The entrance is a bit narrow however small four wheeler can go smoothly. Four car can be parked easily inside the temple premises. If you want to come via train then from Serampore station you can avail toto / auto to come here. You can take vog proshad at lunch time.