Let’s go to poet Vijay Gupta’s Mansa Mandir

The Mansa temple founded by the poet Vijay Gupta is still there, there is that Ghat, the worship is going on in the temple. I was talking about the Mansa Mandir, where the memory of poet Vijay Gupta, author of Manasamangal, is enmeshed. This famous temple of subcontinent is located in Goila village of Agailjhara upazila of Barisal district. Vijay Gupta’s residence was here. It was sitting here that the poet Vijay Gupta wrote the immortal words of Mansamangal Kavya.

Vijay Gupta is one of the greatest poets of medieval Bengali literature. Vijay Gupta composed this Mangalkavya in about 1494 AD after being inspired by Mansadevi. The greatness and worship of the goddess is the main theme of this poem. Reciting this poem in the language of the poet will bring wealth to the poor and children to the childless, and the patient will be freed from disease and the prisoner will be freed from bondage. The poet wrote the poem based on the story of Behula-Lakshminder. His father was Sanatan Gupta and mother Rukshini Devi. The poet’s abode was on the southern bank of Dighi known as Mansakunda. The poet established this temple near that residence. The temple which is almost 500 years old is still alive today with the utmost love of Sanatan religious people.

The temple is located at the east-south corner of Mansakunda Dighi. If you stand in front of the temple, you will see many things including the Satan tree, ashram, rest house, where Vijay Gupta’s memory is entwined. The temple has a one tonne idol of Maa Mansa made of brass. It is known that during the liberation war in 1971, the Pakistani invaders destroyed everything including the idols of the temple. After many years, the present brass statue of Mansa was re-established with the financial donation of some Sanatan Dharma devotees staying abroad.

At present the main altar of the temple is made of white marble stone. The place of worship of the snake goddess is surrounded by transparent glass walls. Kavi Vijay Gupta’s Smriti Raksha Mansa Mandir Preservation and Development Committee has been formed with locals to manage the temple. At present, the responsibility of all kinds of maintenance of the temple is entrusted to the said committee. Annual Mansa Puja is held in this temple on the last day of Bangla Shravan month every year. At this time many tourists from home and abroad go. Apart from this, hundreds of visitors visit the temple every day from Madaripur, Faridpur, Gopalganj, Torquay. So make time to visit Mansa Temple of Poet Vijay Gupta.

Travel: You can go to Gournadi by Gourandi bus from Dhaka’s Sayedabad or Gabtali. Then go to Goila by local vehicle. Or you can take a bus from Barisal city to Goila bus stand. It will take approximately one hour and 20 minutes to go. This temple founded by the poet Vijay Gupta can be seen in front of the half kilometer road by a local van from Goila Bazar.