Kshira Chora Gopinath Temple - Remuna

India - Holy places

The Kshira Chora Gopinath Temple is located in Remuna. It is a small town 9km east of Balasore (Baleshwar), about halfway between Calcutta and Puri. The name “Remuna” is derived from the word “Ramaniya,” meaning “very beautiful.” It is said that Sri Rama carved Gopinath with his arrow and that Sita worshiped this Deity in Citrakoot. King Langula Narasingha Dev, the king of Orissa, brought this Deity to Remuna in the 13th century from Citrakoot. This king also arranged to dig the two large tanks, Brajapokhari and Kutapokhari.

Sri Gopinath is the Krishna Deity who stole sweet-rice for Madhavendra Puri. Pilgrims can purchase the famous and delicious kshira here (amrita-keli). The Gopinath kshira is a preparation of condensed milk, sugar, and cream, with a sprinkling of raisins. It comes in pots of various sizes and is distributed to the public. Sri Gopinath is known as Kshira Chora Gopinath because he stole and hid a pot of kshira in order to have it delivered to his devotee, the Vaishnava acarya Madhavendra Puri. Chora means “thief.”

Western devotees are permitted in the temple. Rasikananda renovated the present temple after Muslim invaders destroyed the original temple. Rasikananda found the Gopinath Deity in a pond 4km from the temple, where he had been hidden to protect him from the Muslim king.

Bookmark/Search this post with