There are countless terracotta temples spread across the villages of Bengal. Some are famous and some are not. Although these temples are small in size like other temples in India. This terracotta art is a unique style of Bengal. These temples are a specific archaeological document of the time.
At the time when the temples were generally built, India was under Muslim rule. And Bengal was also under Muslim rule. But in some special parts of Bengal, a tradition of temple construction has developed in favor of independent Hindu kings, which has continued even under Muslim rule and British rule in remote villages.
The picture on the left is the Radha Govinda temple in Antpur. It is a terracotta temple. It is the tallest and second largest terracotta temple in India. Krishnaram Mitra, the Dewan of the Maharaja of Burdwan, had this temple built in 1786 AD. The bricks of the temple’s foundation were made of Ganga clay. The temple has extraordinary terracotta craftsmanship. The east-facing Radha Govinda temple is a brick-built atchala (eight roofed) temple with a chachala (four roofed) Jagmohan in front. The picture on the right is the terracotta reliefs of the Radha Govinda Temple depict English soldiers on the battlefield with cannons and English soldiers on horseback. This temple was built when the Muslim rule was declining and the power of the British was increasing. Antpur, Hooghly, West Bengal, January 15, 2025.
Built in various architectural styles, these temples covered with various decorations are the artistic wealth of Bengal. These temples of Bengal were built mainly according to the three styles of shikhar, chala and ratna. Rekh Deul can be seen as a temple. The artists who built these temples were skilled in clay, wood, stone and painting.
The temple artists were from the Sutradhar community of Bengal and the builders were Brahmin landlords. Sutradhar is a caste of West Bengal and Bangladesh. The majority of Hindu Sutradhar belong to the Vaishnava sect. Vishwakarma is regarded as their patron deity.
The terracotta panel of the Radha Govinda Temple depict the Hindu goddess, Kali. She is the symbol of power and is associated with time, hence she is Kali. Kali is one of the most worshipped goddesses of Bengali Hindus. Antpur, Hooghly, West Bengal, January 15, 2025.
These terracotta temples decorations mainly depict the childhood pastimes of Krishna, the Radha Krishna, especially Raslila, the Ramayana, especially the war of Ram-Ravana, and the stories of the Mahabharata. These are especially seen in the temples of the 17th century. In some temples, the lion-armed Durga, Kali, Dasamahavidya, Shiva, etc. are found. In addition, motifs of flowers, birds, creepers, and hunting scenes are seen.
Radhabinod Temple in Keduli, Birbhum. It is the first Navaratna temple in West Bengal. This south-facing brick-built nabaratna temple houses the idols of Radhabinod and Radhika and has excellent terracotta works on its facade. Unlike other temples, this temple is not built on a raised platform but is almost at ground level. There is a legend that the present temple was built by Maharani Nairani Devi of the Burdwan royal family in 1683 or 1692; however, according to the ASI signboard, the temple was built in 1683 by Kirtichand Bahadur of Burdwan. It is also believed that the present temple is located on the site where the famous 12th century poet Jayadeva had his house. Keduli, Birbhum, West Bengal, August 30, 2024.
The life of the common people has come to the temples of the 18th and especially the 19th century. Today, many temples in the remote villages of Bengal have been neglected and have become ruins. Once upon a time, these temples were the center of social life in rural Bengal.
The role of temples was paramount in the ancient civilization and culture of India. For Hindus, temples are not only places of prayer, but are still associated with the livelihood of various professions in society.
The picture on the left is a notable example of a Deul-style temple. This is the Pratapeswar Temple in Kalna. It was built in 1849 under the supervision of Pearykumari Devi, the first wife of Raja Pratap Chand. This Rekha Deul is an architectural style of temple in Bengal. This style developed sometime between the 6th and 10th centuries AD. The picture on the right shows the battle between Rama and Ravana in a terracotta relief on the Pratapeswar temple, which is from the Indian epic Ramayana. Goddess Durga is between Rama and Ravana. In the Ramayana of the Bengali poet Krittivas Ojha, Rama worshipped Goddess Durga. She is the symbol of power. Goddess Durga is worshipped by Hindu Bengalis. Durga Puja is the greatest festival of Bengal. Kalna, Bardhaman, West Bengal, January 16, 2025.Terracotta artwork inside the Lalji Temple in Kalna. The idols of Radha-Krishna are worshipped here. This idol is made of wood which is an example of woodwork of Bengal. There was an ancient tradition of woodwork in Bengal in the past. This temple was built by Maharaja Kirti Chand Roy for his mother Braj Kishori Devi in 1739 AD. Kalna, Bardhaman, West Bengal, January 16, 2025.The terracotta panel of Lakshmi Janardan temple at Ilambazar showcasing Raslila motif surrounded by several Krishnalila scenario. This temple was founded in 1846 by Kshudiram Bandopadhyay. Raslila is part of a traditional story narrated in Hindu texts such as the Bhagavad Purana and the Gita Govinda, in which Krishna dances with Radha and the gopis of Braja. Radha-Krishna is a symbol of love for Hindus. It is the combined form of the Hindu god Krishna and his power Radha. Vaishnavism is a sect of Hinduism. Their main deity is the idol of the couple Radha-Krishna. This Raslila has a deep philosophical theory which is part of the Vaishnavite practice. Ilambazar, Birbhum, West Bengal, January 20, 2025.The picture on the left shows Frieze decorations at the entrance arch pillars and the picture on the right shows a man smoking hookah at the Mangalchandi Temple in Bali Dewanganj, built in the 19th century. Bali Dewanganj, Hooghly, West Bengal, January 22, 2025.Terracotta relief depict A bird feeding its chick on the Gopinath temple of the Biswas family of Dashghara. These Biswas were the landlords of the village of Dashghara. This temple was built in 1729 by Sadananda Biswas of this family. Dashghara, Hooghly, West Bengal, January 22, 2025.This terracotta panel of the Gopal & Lakshmi Janardan Temple in Ghurisha, shows a giant idol of Tripurasundari. Here the goddess is sitting on a large lotus which is coming out from the navel of Shiva. The other figures are also prominent. The temple was founded by Kshetranath Dutta in 1739 A.D. Tripura Sundari is worshipped primarily in the Hindu Shakta tradition and one of the goddess of the ten Mahavidyas. Ghurisha, Birbhum, West Bengal, January 25, 2025.The picture on the left is the Gopalji Temple in Kalna. scene of hunting at the Gopalji temple in Kalna. It was built by a noble named Shri Krishnachandra in 1766 AD during the reign of King Tilakchandra. This Temple is one of three 25 pinnacled (panchavimshati-ratna) temples to be found in the city. The uniqueness of this style of temple architecture is confirmed by David McCutchion, who in the 1960s recorded just five such examples throughout the whole of West Bengal. The picture on the right is a hunting scene on the Gopalji temple. Kalna, Bardhaman, West Bengal, January 29, 2025.
Kaushik Sengupta is a self-taught photographer from Kolkata. He worked as a freelance photographer for Reauters and later for the Associated Press. He has… More »
