Temple Tales : Brief History of known & unknown temples of ancient Bengal

Temple of Bengal possess rich history as well as architectural brilliance. Some of these historical temples are well-known thus well maintained and some of are placed away in an alley inside the village waiting for utter testament of time to crumble down. We explored some of these temples with our fellow travelers (from Kachha Kachhi Pothe Prantore https://www.facebook.com/groups/itsKKPP/) in recent times between April to December 2017. Below are the tales of these temples as gathered from various sources & witnessed during the visit.

Gaja Lakshmi temple at Amragari, Howrah :

Gaja-Lakshmi temple at Amragari

The temple has a “Aat Chala” (eight eaves) design and most likely built on 1729 by Roy family of Howrah. The temple is abandoned and thus puja offerings are also being stopped for quite some times. As a result, the temple is in ruinous condition and gradually decaying down to complete demolition.

The main idol Gaja Lakshmi (goddess Lakshmi riding an elephant) is shifted to an adjacent building where it's worshiped.

Terracotta works on the temple

Interestingly Gaja Lakshmi temples, idols as well as worshipping Gaja Lakshmi is rare in Bengal. Gajalaxmi Puja is widely celebrated in Odisha with great passion especially in Dhenkanal district. Gajalakshmi is also worshiped in many places in Goa and Konkan as a fertility goddess.
In Gaja Lakshmi idol goddess is depicted seated on a lotus, flanked on both side by an elephant (gaja). Goddess usually seated in Padmasanayogic posture, and has four arms. In each of her upper pair of arms, she carries a lotus, and the lower hands are generally shown in abhya (gesture of fearlessness and also the gesture of reassurance and safety) and varadamudra (indicates a gesture by the hand and symbolizes dispensing of boon). The elephants flanking her are shown as pouring water from their trunk over the goddess.

Dadhi Madhav Temple at Amragari (Amta - Howrah) :
This is also an eight eaves designed temple that was built on 1764 by the Roy family.

Dadhi-Madav temple and its beautiful terracotta worked walls

Janaki Ballav Temple (Tilantapara, Midnapore):

Janaki Ballav Temple at Tilantapara

Terracotta decorated wall

Janaki Ballav Temple was built on 1810 by Maity Zammindar family of Tilantapara, Midnapore. This seldom-visited temple has constructed in pancharatna style. 
This unfamiliar temple contains rich terracotta works of its four walls. Three facades the decoration is in terracotta, while on the fourth side it is in pankha or plasterwork. The terracotta works depict stories from the great Indian epic Ramayana. Also there are references of daily life as well such as people sailing on a boat, hunting with elephant etc. are also can bee seen.

Beautiful terracotta panels in Janaki Ballav Temple

We found the temple is well maintained and regular warship & puja offerings is also evident. The temple is newly painted and thus has lost the original charm of terracotta colors. The mansion of the Maity Zamindars are also almost ruined and waiting for complete demolition over time. Only some skeleton of the structure is still standing and carrying out the lone existence of history. 

Sribati Shiva Temples (Sribati, Burdwan) :

Sribati Shiva temple at Sribati, Burdwan

Sribati is a little village situated in the midst of Burdwan district, near Katwa town. It’s a small and quaint village wrapped in history with number of temples housing the terracotta wonders. These beautiful terracotta temples are built by the Chandra family who were once very rich traders and residents of Sribati. It is said that the family had their origins in Gujrat and their forefathers came to Bengal about 300 years ago and set up trade at this village. The family prospered and they owned several barges and boats which sailed upstream and downstream with various merchandise including salt. In a very short span of time the Chandra family earned enough to build themselves a huge mansion, and several temples dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Terracotta panel at Sribati Shiva temple

The Shiva temple we visited is located right beside the mansion. 
The temple courtyard consists of three temples. Left: Bishwashwar, Centre: Bholanath Right: Chandaneshwar

The Centre temple is built in Pancharatna Style (five tips each at the four corners and one at the center). The centre temple is flanked on both side by two Deul style temples. The right hand one contains octagonal base and the left consists of a square base. The central temple houses the white Shivalinga of Bholanath. The octagonal and the square temple respectively contain the black Shivalingas of Chandaneshwar and Bishwashwar respectively. These temples are believed to be more than 200 years old.

Ananndamoyee Temple at Sukharia ( Sukharia, Somra Bazar Hoogly ) :

Mansion of Mitra-Mustafi family at Sukharia, Hoogly

Anandamoyee temple at Sukharia

The village of Sukharia is associated with the Mitra Mustafi family. Mitra is a Hindu surname & Mustafi is a title. As per history this title was given them by none other than Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1704. The Mitra-Mustafis were accountants or treasurers to the Mughal Badsha’s ( Kings).

The Mitra-Mustafi’s financially flourished quite a bit during their tenure as a Dewan of Mughal Empire and built quite a few mansions and temples in Ula Birnagar & Sripur. Soon the Mitra-Mustafi’s zamindari territory expanded to Sukharia, Gopinagar etc. in subsequent generations. 

Mitra-Mustafi’s owns Sukharia on 1757 and maintained their tradition to build temples and mansions there as well thus making Sukharia as one of the temple village in ancient Bengal.

In this temple village, the most glorious of the lot is the 25 pinnacled Ananda Bhairavi temple also known as Anandamayee temple The Anandamayee temple complex was constructed around 1813 by Bireswar Mitra-Mustafi. The temple, dedicated to Goddess Kali. Beautiful terracotta works are crafted all over the walls of the temple.

Terracotta works of the temple

The images that adorn the walls are primarily of gods and goddesses and mythological in nature. Also there are references of daily life as well such as people sailing on a boat, Master taking their food and being fanned by women and even soldiers marching with arms.

The Kali temple is flanked by two parallel sets of smaller temples, featuring six temples in each row. Two out of them are pancha-ratna (5 pinnacles) and the rest are aat-chala (8 roofed). One of those pancharatna temple is dedicated to Lord Ganesha and the remaining eleven belongs to Lord Shiva. Just beside the temple complex, a big pond is also present which gives a wonderful mirror image of the entire temple complex.

Anandamoyee temple courtyard and surrounding smaller temples

The Siddheswari Kali temple – the oldest temple of Sukharia, Somra Bazar :

Ananta Basudev Temple, Banshberia – Hoogly:

The temple complex has another temple — Ananta Basudev temple — besides the main temple.

Ananta Basudev temple

In 1656, the Mughal emperor appointed Raghab Dattaroy of Patuli (a village in Burdwan district) as the zamindar of an area that includes the present-day Bansberia. It is said that Raghab’s son Rameshwar cleared a bamboo grove to build a fort, inspiring the name Bansberia. 
Raja Rameswar Datta, was a keen disciple of Vaishnavism. He left Patuli in 1673 and settled in Bansberia.  As per history he received a huge piece of land (around 401 acres) from Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb as gift. for his loyal service of procuring tax from other zamindars. He constructed Ananta Basudev temple in 1679 in this land and dedicated to Lord Krishna as an expression of his devotion towards Vaishnavism.

The Basudev temple is constructed in the traditional ekaratna style with curved molding in the top corners and contains an octagonal tower. 

Terracotta panels as seen in the temple

Three sides of the one-stored temple are richly decorated with terracotta panels. The terracotta works depict stories from the great Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, as well as from lilas of Krishna. Also cultural reference such as singing, dancing at stage and in boats as well are evident from the terracotta work.

Rameshwar Roy’s grandson Raja Nrishingho Debroy believed more in Tantrik (occult) powers and he built the Hangseswari temple just beside this Basudev Temple.

o

View of Hangseshwari temple from Ananta Basudev temple 

Hangseshwari Temple, Banshberia – Hoogly:

This is a Kali temple built by Raja Nrishingho Debroy at Bashberia in Hoogly around 1814. Hangseshwari was name of the king's mother. The main deity is the blue neem-wood idol of the four armed goddess of Hanseswari, a manifestation of Goddess Kali.

Hangseshwari temple at Banshberia

The then king of Bansberia Nrishingho debroy got started the construction of the temple in 1801 and was completed in 1814 under the guardianship of the second queen Sankari Devi at a cost of five lakh rupees. Five story’s built according to Tantric theory indicating five parts of human body namely - 1. Ira,2. Pingala,3. Susumna, 4. Bajraksha,5. Chitrini. The towers are created like lotus buds and wood is used at several places of the facade.

Shutterbugs can also get wonderful mirror image of the temple from the pond situated just beside the temple complex.