Pilgrimage site Kheturi Dham in Rajshahi tense: : Administration on alert to maintain peace
Shahinur Rahman Sona, Rajshahi
Tension is high at "Kheturi Dham," the largest pilgrimage site for Hindus in Bangladesh, located in Kheturi village of Godagari upazila in Rajshahi district, which holds over 400 years of tradition.
General Hindu devotees fear that a bloody conflict may erupt at any moment. However, the administration is reportedly prepared to prevent or handle any untoward incident.
Kheturi Dham is managed by a designated trustee board. A 12-member trustee board is formed for a fixed term, consisting of a president, a secretary, and 10 trustee members. One member of the previous committee was expelled, supported by 10 members.
The expelled trustee, Sunandan Das Ratan, was a leader of the Awami League in Godagari upazila. He was a close associate of former four-time MP and State Minister of Rajshahi-1 (Godagari-Tanore) and powerful Awami League leader Omar Faruk Chowdhury. Behind Kheturi Dham, Ratan Das had two bighas of arable land. He wanted to construct a 12-foot road through the Dham to make the land suitable for sale as plots. But he tried to do it forcefully without trustee board approval. When the board opposed it, he became reckless and began disrupting the Dham's peaceful operations. Ultimately, he lost his position and political backing, becoming desperate and resorting to various manipulations. He reportedly declared, “If I am not in the Dham, there will be no peace in the Dham.” Since then, a series of disturbing incidents have occurred. Initially, he ran propaganda against the current trustee board among devotees. When that failed, he attempted to take control with a group of miscreants. Locks were placed on Dham rooms, which were later recovered with help from locals and authorities.
Most recent incident heating up Kheturi Dham:
On June 12 at 3:40 PM, a letter was sent to the trustee board president/secretary on the pad of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Welfare Front, Godagari Upazila branch, signed by convener Shri Upendranath Mondal, seeking permission to organize a "Hindu and Indigenous Sanatani Community Gathering." However, that night, a Facebook ID named “Adhunik Sanatan Dharma” along with multiple posts announced, “A program has been organized against the corrupt trustee board of Godagari Premtali Gouranga. All Sanatani brothers are requested to attend on 13.06.2025 at 10 AM, and Prasad will be served. Everyone please come together.” Afterward, threats emerged from various sources that Kheturi Dham would be taken over the next day. Upon hearing this, police and top administrative officials rushed to the site. Police are still deployed there, although the event has not taken place. A bamboo frame was partially erected for a pandal, but no one has been seen since.
When asked, Sunandan Das Ratan said, “I have no ongoing conversation with anyone regarding Kheturi Dham. I was a trustee from 2010 to 2024; now I am not. Regarding the land and road, I have about one and a half bighas of arable land. I wanted to build the road for the convenience of visiting devotees. I submitted written complaints to the trustee board about various corruptions at the Dham. Instead of taking action, I was expelled on February 8, 2025. I later informed the UNO and other relevant authorities in writing, but it was of no use. I want Kheturi Dham to be free of corruption and misconduct, and that true devotees may receive service – this is my wish.”
Convener of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Welfare Front, Godagari Upazila branch, Shri Upendranath Mondal, said, “We wanted to organize a gathering for all Hindu castes and communities in our area. Due to their obstruction, we couldn’t do it. BNP Standing Committee member Babu Gayeshwar Chandra Roy was supposed to attend as chief guest. Now I want an end to all corruption at Kheturi Dham and justice for this humiliation.”
In this regard, Godagari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Faisal Ahmed told The Country Today that the matter is being addressed through the Deputy Commissioner, and necessary directives have been given. For security purposes, Assistant Commissioner (Land) Md. Shamsul Islam has been appointed as Executive Magistrate. The local police station has also been given necessary instructions to monitor the situation and maintain law and order.
Locals believe such contentious activities could jeopardize the long-standing religious coexistence in the area. As a result, there are increasing calls for immediate action by higher authorities to preserve the sanctity of the religious site and maintain peaceful cohabitation.
It is mentioned that the 400-year-old historic “Kheturi Dham,” located in Kheturi village of Godagari upazila in Rajshahi, is where the three-day Thakur Narottam Das Tirobhav Tithi Mahotsav is held annually. Devotees begin arriving days in advance, and the area becomes vibrant with activity. From sunrise, eight-phase continuous chanting of “Harinam Sankirtan” takes place. On the second day, Dadhimangal in the early morning, Bhog Aarti at noon, and Mahant’s farewell mark the conclusion. The crowd around Gouranga Bari temple and nearby villages becomes so dense that there is hardly space to move. It is said to be the largest gathering of Hindus in Bangladesh.
To ensure smooth festivities, the trustee board makes all preparations in advance. Security is reinforced over a five-kilometer radius. A mobile court and hundreds of trustee board volunteers operate on the ground. Medical camps are set up for visiting devotees. Of the six main “Dham” for Hindus worldwide, five are in India and only one is in Bangladesh – Kheturi Dham. Every year, 500,000 to 700,000 devotees from across Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Myanmar visit the Dham. To accommodate this massive turnout, arrangements are made for prasad, clean water, and hygienic sanitation. The road from Premtali Bazaar to Kheturi Dham, about three kilometers, is decorated with lights.
From the brief biography of Thakur Narottam Das: Born in 1531 in Gopalpur village on the banks of the Padma in then Garherhat Pargana (now Godagari upazila), to zamindar Krishnananda Das and Narayani Rani. After spending his childhood in Gopalpur, he journeyed to Vrindavan, became a disciple of Loknath Goswami, and later returned to establish structures at Kheturi. He organized the first Mahotsav here. Disciples came from afar for initiation. On the Kartik Krishna Panchami of 1611, expressing his wish to enter Nityalila, he asked his disciples Gangnarayan and Ramkrishna to bathe his body in Ganga water. As they did so, his body transformed into a white milky liquid and merged with the Ganga.
Thus, Thakur Narottam Das lived for 80 years. Since then, Vaishnav followers of the non-violent path have gathered at Kheturi Dham annually, post-Durga Puja, to seek his blessings.
