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{{Short description|Pilgrimage in Hinduism}}
{{Infobox recurring event
| name = Ramkeli Mela
| native_name = <small>রামকেলি মেলা</small>
| native_name_lang = bn
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| status = active
| genre = Fair, Religious gathering
| frequency = Every years
| prev = 2022
| next = 2025
| venue =
| location = Ramkeli, [[Malda district]], [[West Bengal]]
| coordinates = {{coord|24.8894498|88.1287061|type:event|display=inline,title}}
| country = [[India]]
| participants =
| attendance =
| area =
| budget =
| activity =
| sponsor =
| website =
}}
'''Ramkeli Mela'''{{sfn|Mitra|1969|pp=8 and 10}} ({{langx|bn|রামকেলি মেলা}}) is a [[pilgrimage]] and [[fair]] of [[Hinduism]]. On the occasion of this fair, devout Hindus come to Ramkeli.<ref name="anandabazar1"/> Generally the Ramkeli fair is organized every year at Ramkeli. Ramkeli is known as the ''Gupto Vrindavan''{{sfn|Mitra|1969|p=8}} (Secret Vrindavan), an important pilgrimage site for the [[Vaishnavism]].{{sfn|Mitra|1969|p=10}}

The fair starts every year on [[Joishtho]] [[Sankranti]] of [[Bengali calendars|Bengali calendar]],<ref name="millenniumpost"/> and lasts for 7 days.<ref name="anandabazar1"/> It is the largest fair and religious gathering in [[Malda district]] and one of the largest in [[West Bengal]].

==History==
[[Rupa Goswami]] and [[Sanatana Goswami]], known as Mahavaishnavas, were included in the cabinet of Gauda ruler [[Alauddin Husain Shah|Husain Shah]]. They established the Madanmohan Temple at Ramkeli in 1509. During his journey to [[Vrindavan]], [[Chaitanya Mahaprabhu]] met two Mahavaishnavas Rupa Goswami and Sanatan Goswami. On 15 June 1515, he met on Jaishtha Sankranti under the [[Mitragyna parvifolia|Kelikdamba]] (''Mitragyna parvifolia'') and [[Diospyros montana|Tamal]] (''Diospyros montana'') trees adjacent to the Madanamohan temple at Ramkeli village.{{sfn|Mitra|1969|p=8}} Festivals or fairs have been held at Ramkeli for more than 500 years to celebrate this meeting of Mahaprabhu and Rupa-Sanatan.<ref name="anandabazar1">{{cite web |title=পয়লা দিনেই সরগরম মালদহের প্রাচীন রামকেলি মেলা |url=https://www.anandabazar.com/west-bengal/north-bengal/historical-ramkeli-fair-begins-1.628637 |website=www.anandabazar.com |publisher=Anandabazar Patrika |access-date=27 October 2023 |location=Malda |language=bn |date=15 Jun 2017}}</ref><ref name="Get-Bengal1">{{cite web |title=Ramkeli – the Vaishnava heartland of Bengal famous for devotional fair |url=https://www.getbengal.com/details/ramkeli-the-vaishnava-heartland-of-bengal-famous-for-devotional-fair |website=www.getbengal.com |publisher=Get Bengal |access-date=27 October 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="bongodorshon1">{{cite web |title=চৈতন্যদেব ও গৌড়ের সুলতান হোসেন শাহ্‌র স্মৃতি বহন করছে মালদার রামকেলি |url=https://www.bongodorshon.com/home/story_detail/ramkeli-in-malda-carries-the-memory-of-chaitanyadev-and-sultan-hossain-shah-of-gour |website=www.bongodorshon.com |publisher=Bongodorshon |access-date=27 October 2023}}</ref><ref name="bangla-hindustantimes1">{{cite web |last1=Mitra |first1=Anamika |title=রামকেলি মহোৎসব: রয়েছে কোন মাহাত্ম্য, প্রচলিত কাহিনি কী ? |url=https://bangla.hindustantimes.com/astrology/ramkeli-utsav-2022-know-its-significance-31655111047077.html |website=bangla.hindustantimes.com |publisher=Hindustantimes Bangla |access-date=27 October 2023 |language=bn |date=13 June 2022}}{{dead link|date=February 2026|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

==Dates and Location==
[[File:Ramkeli the temporary home of Lord Sri Chaitanya 21.jpg|250px|thumb|right|alt=Ramkeli is famous for being the temporary home of Lord Sri Chaitanya, the great religious reformer of Bengal, where he had stayed for a few days on his way to Brindaban|Madanmohan Jiu temple, where [[Chaitanya Mahaprabhu]] met Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami. The fair is organized around this temple.]]
===Dates===
The fair is usually held on June 15 to mark the arrival of [[Chaitanya Mahaprabhu]] on Joishtho Sankranti at Ramkeli.{{sfn|Mitra|1969|p=8}}<ref name="millenniumpost">{{cite web |last1=Roy |first1=Avijit |title=Ramkeli Mela to start in Gour on June 15 |url=https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/ramkeli-mela-to-start-in-gour-on-june-15-522167 |website=www.millenniumpost.in |publisher=MillenniumPost |access-date=27 October 2023 |date=14 June 2023}}</ref> According to tradition, the ''Mahat Utsaba'' (grand festival) lasts for three days, and the fair lasts for 7 days.<ref name="anandabazar1"/>

===Location===
The Ramkeli Mela is held at Ramkeli village,<ref>{{cite web |title=Ramkeli, Malda District, India |url=https://malda.gov.in/tourist-place/ramkeli/ |website=malda.gov.in |access-date=27 October 2023}}</ref> which belongs to the area of the medieval Bengal capital city of [[Gauḍa (city)|Gauḍa]]{{sfn|Mitra|1969|p=8}} and is close to the [[Bangladesh–India border|India–Bangladesh international border]].<ref name="bongodorshon1"/> The site belongs to [[Malda district]] of West Bengal. The fair is organized around the [[Ramkeli Madanmohan Jiu Mondir|Madanmohan temple]].<ref name="bongodorshon1"/>

==Rituals==
===Kirtan===
The kirtan festival starts from the first day of the fair, and continues till the third day. This festival is attended by devout Hindus of the [[Vaishnavism]]. Vaishnavas and Vaishnavees attend the kirtan festival. A large number of ''Akhara'' are also constructed for the Vaishnavas and Vaishnavees throughout Ramkeli village.<ref name="anandabazar1"/>

===Maternal Pinda===
Generally in Hinduism the [[Pinda (riceball)|pindas]] is offered to paternal lineages. But, in the Ramkeli Mela there is a tradition of Maternal Pinda, and offer pindas to maternal lineages by women. Women devotees from [[Bihar]], [[Jharkhand]] and [[Odisha]] attend the fair, and they offer pindas to maternal lineages. Pindas are offered to maternal lineages runs from 5 am to 12 pm.<ref name="bongodorshon1"/>

== References ==
{{reflist|3}}

===Bibliography===
* {{cite book |editor-first=Ashok |editor-last=Mitra |editor-link=Ashok Mitra |title=পশ্চিমবঙ্গের পূজা-পার্বণ ও মেলা |trans-title=Puja-parbans and fairs of West Bengal |edition=First |url=https://ia601503.us.archive.org/7/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.336858/2015.336858.Pashchim-Banger.pdf |year=1969 |orig-year=1958 |language=bn |volume=1}}

[[Category:Fairs in India]]
[[Category:Hindu festivals]]
[[Category:Culture of West Bengal]]
[[Category:Tourism in West Bengal]]

Ramkeli Mela - Revision history

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