Kantanagar Temple

Kantanagar Temple AN eighteenth century brick temple, settled within the peaceful island hamlet of Kantanagar (Kantanagar), regarding twelve miles north of Dinajpur city, and a couple of mile west of Dinajpur-Tetulia road across the Dhepa stream. it's gained eminence as an impressive monument in geographic area for its fabulous terracotta embellishment. This nava-ratna or 'nine spired' Hindu temple, currently stripped off its original 9 spires atop its corners throughout the devastating earthquake of 1897, exhibits the exuberance of terracotta art at its best in Bangladesh.

The confusion regarding the date of its construction are often settled from the record of a chronogram within the Indo-Aryan stone inscription, mounted on the northeast corner footstall of the temple. It records that prince Prannath of Dinajpur began its construction regarding 1722.

His adopted son prince Ramnath completed it, in Shaka era 1674 (1752 AD) so as to settle the consort of Rukmini in fulfillment of his father’s want. However, within the early twentieth century prince Girijanath Bahadur restored it considerably, aside from the missing 9 spires.

This impressive pointed temple rose in 3 receding terraces ANd was topped with 9 decorative spires or ratnas (jewels) on the corner of the 3 terraces that imparted to that AN look of an enormous ratha or an ornate chariot resting on a high footstall. it had been supplied with arched openings on all four sides so as to modify devotees to envision the immortal enshrined within from all directions.

The 15.84 sq kilometre temple stands within the centre of AN rectangular court (73.15m ' 36.57m) self-enclosed by a pilgrim shed with a furrowed tin roof. Its main cloth pivots around a nuclear sq. cell (3.04m), popping up to a height of regarding fifteen.24m higher than its one.005 m high footstall of stone, believed to possess been quarried from the traditional ruins of Bannagar close to Gangarampur in Dinajpur. 3 alternative sq. outer shells in hierarchical heights are side to that, the maximum amount to variegate the arrange on strengthen the central cella that carry atop a colossal tower. the opposite eight decorative towers, currently missing, occupied the eight roof corners of the lower 2 stories.

The curving cornice of the bottom floor, sharply drooping at the corners, rise within the middle to a height of seven.62 m from the footstall, whereas that of the primary floor rises to four.56m which of the second floor to one.83 m. There area unit little sq. cells at every of the four corners of the bottom and initial floors for supporting the serious load of the ornate polygon corner towers higher than.

The temple accommodates four rectangular corridors on the bottom floor round the prayer chamber measurement nine.17 m × 1.53 m and 4.57 m×1.22 m. On the bottom floor, there area unit 3 multi- cuspate arched entrances on both sides, every separated by 2 richly embellished brick pillars. the quantity of arched doorways within the ground floor disposed in its four shells is 21; that of the primary floor is twenty seven. The reduced second floor has solely 3 entrance doors and 3 windows. A slim strip of stairs, merely 0.70m wide, designed into the western second passageway, finishes up through its dark passage to the primary, second, and third stories.

A small derelict single spired temple, currently overgrown with rank vegetation, stands regarding 100 yards north of the most temple on the far side the pilgrim shed, that is believed to possess been erected by prince Prannath in 1704 wherever he at first put in the Krisna icon, brought from Brindaban. The icon was later transferred to the 'nava ratna' temple once completed. it's currently AN abandoned shrine. it's a 16-sided temple rising to a height of regarding twelve.19 m and supplied with a multi-cusped arched entrance on the south.

Terracotta Decoration each on the market in. of its wall surface from the bottom to the crest of its 3 stories, each within and out, pulsates with an incredible richness of patterned and floral art in unbroken succession.

The large array of material embody the stories of the sacred writing (Mahabharata) and therefore the Ramayana (Ramayana), the exploits of Krisna, and a series of very fascinating up to date social scenes portraying the favorite pastimes of the landed aristocracy.

The second register depicts animated looking scenes of untamed games, royal processions of elephants, horses, camels, and dainty ox-carts of the nobility with their retainers in Mughal dress and arms.

The richly clothed majestic elephants and splendid stallions, their chariot and harness area unit vividly delineated; obese zamindars area unit seen squatting in their gilded palanquins puffing from luxurious hukkas with long curving pipes. Still alternative panels portray stream cruises on long slim boats packed with revellers; squads of troopers typically carrying European dress also are shown walk with drawn swords and even muskets.

Mythological scenes on the third register depict the nativity of Krsna (krishna); the demon King Kangsa; sequential tries to kill the child Krsna; Krsna's killing of the Putana ogre and therefore the Bakasura or crane-demon; the lifting of Govardhana mountain, the killing of Keshi; the prevention of the snake-demon, Kaliya, and Krsna's pleasure ride on an extended slim boat with revellers. The south face of the temple additionally presents stories from the Ramayana in an exceedingly somewhat confused sequence. Ramayana stories continue on the east face. Here the exile of Ramachandra, Sita, and Laksmana within the Panchavati forest; Laksmana's hanging off the nose of Shurpanakha; the kidnapping of Sita by Ravana from Dandakaranya; Jatayu's futile conceive to hinder the chariot of Ravana; the captivity of Sita in Ashoka Forest; the fight between island and Sugriva with their monkey followers for the throne of Kiskindhya; Ramachandra's sapta Western Samoan monetary unit religious writing and Sugriva along with his monkey followers and their palaver with Ramachandra area unit shown in hanging details.

The north face preponderantly portrays scenes of Krsna and Rama. therefore Krsna's numerous marriages and cowgirls carrying milk and curd pots in shika (string bags) suspended from pole etc area unit shown. within the second register a motivating European battle ship is delineate in nice details with troopers and a cannon.

The entire western face of the third register depicts numerous episodes from the Krsna legend, ending within the murder of Kangsa, the demon king of Mathura. It includes the annihilation of Kuvalayapida, the monstrous killer elephant of Kangsa; and Radha's fainting fits on her failing to deter Krsna from taking part in Kangsa's sport tournament in Mathura. Of specific interest could be a cluster of cowherds carrying milk and butter in string baggage, suspended from a pole on shoulder, that continues to be a well-recognized scene in rural geographic area.

The elaborate panels over the spandrels of multi-cusped arches exhibit animated battle scenes from the good epics and additionally rasa-mandala, with recreation Radha-Krsna couple inside circles, and a bunch of accent figures. The spirited battle scenes of Kuruksetra and Lanka area unit delineate with nice vitality and invention by the folks artists.

In the ostensibly inexhaustible store of terracotta mural decoration on the temple wall, the folks artists, principally from Krsnanagar, typically have left behind the imprint of their keen awareness of the setting during which they lived. The deities they delineate in panels were generally treated with AN astonishing sense of reality and as intimate and acquainted members of their society. as an example, an especially fascinating series of upright western panels on rock bottom register of the western face depicts Krsna plucking coconut from the tree and handing them over to at least one of his companions rise halfway up the trunk, who, successively is delivering these to a different companion waiting on the bottom. it's a well-recognized scene in geographic area wherever the immortal is intimately shown mutually of the members of society. Individual plaques typically show individual compositions like the one found at the inner face of the passageway on the south face wherever Radha-Krsna area unit shown recreation on AN elephant terribly smartly composed of a dozen human figures. Again, on the northern face, Krsna is delineate with one in all his new married bride seated on a pidi (low wood stool) beneath a cover wherever she is coyly holding her veil with one hand her head and shyly peeping at her lord. This, of course, is AN loveable acquainted wedding scene in rural geographic area. within the unclear crowd of friezes, one could even realize Krsna squatting nonchalantly with accordion knees, tied with a gamchha (a strip of cloth) around the knees and back, in an exceedingly posture altogether uncommon among Bengalees, however common among the operating categories in adjacent Bihar.

However, one clearly pleasant facet of the fabulous terracotta ornamentation of the Kantanagar Temple (Kantaji Mandir) is its restraint in portraying sexy scenes. In this, it's in contrast to Orissan and South Indian temples.

The endless panels of terracotta art embellishing the wall surface of the Kantaji Mandir, have a life and vitality of their own and area unit deeply imbued with the spirit nourished for thousand years on the silt-laden soil of Bangladesh. in an exceedingly country like Bangladesh, being shaped by huge volumes of fertilizing soft alluvion, the event of AN autochthonal terracotta art was a logical outcome, given the absence of stone. The tradition of this art is stock-still within the early historic amount, particularly throughout the Pala-Chandra amount, once Buddhist temples at paharpur (Pahadpur), mainamati, bhasu vihara, Sitakot and alternative monuments were enlivened with floral and patterned terracotta art. These plaques area unit but, massive and frequently archaic, however the terracotta elaborations on the Kantanagar temple walls area unit of altogether completely different nature. They represent a extremely subtle mature art with a really fastidiously integrated theme of decoration. Contrary to the sooner tradition of isolated and somewhat unrelated composition, the art during this temple was composed of many individual plaques, integrated into AN extended composition so the whole area followed a rhythm. The impact typically is additional sort of a richly embellished carpet or adorned tapestry than AN fine arts composition.