Lakhs of devotees, filled with faith and belief, are drawn to the more than four-century-old Radhaballav Temple at Serampore during Rashyatra. The Radhaballav Temple was built around 1677 by Rudraram with the assistance of other disciples. Later, after the temple was abandoned for some years, the present aatchala temple was built by Nayanchand Mullick in 1764. The temple, along with the naatmandir, is quite large. Within the temple premises, there is also a rasmancha.

The main festival here is Rashyatra, which is normally held in November every year. An octagonal rasmancha dedicated to Radhaballavji is situated a little away from the temple, by the side of the Ganges. The rasmancha is placed on a higher pedestal. There are eight domes on the eight walls. It is said that Rudraram Pandit of Chatra used to worship at Ballavpur, which is about two kilometres from Serampore. At that time, the area was covered with forests.

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Lord Krishna was pleased with Rudraram’s worship and appeared to him in the form of an ascetic, asking him to bring a stone from the Sultan of Gaur and carve an idol of him. The stone was a touchstone, and three Krishna idols were made from it ~ Radhaballav, worshipped in Serampore (the place is named Ballavpur after Radhaballav); Shyamsundar, worshipped in Khardah and Nandadulal, worshipped in Saibon. Old places of worship in the district, carrying the history, culture, rituals, faith, and beliefs of Bengal, had been neglected over time. However, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has taken an initiative to preserve these ancient places of worship, buildings, and monuments, and to promote them on the world tourism map.

Many of these ancient constructions and buildings have been declared heritage sites by the state heritage commission. Prodesh Chakraborty, the president of the Radhaballav Temple Trust Board and a descendant of Rudraram Pandit, said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has sanctioned over 5 crore rupees for the complete renovation of the four-century-old temple, the construction of a pilgrim’s rest house, and the beautification of the surrounding area. Work is currently underway. Dr Sudipto Roy, the Serampore MLA, is the chairman of the Radhaballav Temple Trust Board.