WITH 108 SHIVA TEMPLES (PIC 1) AND MANY OTHERS IN BANGLA STYLE AMBIKA-KALNA OF BURDWAN DIST. OF WEST BENGAL MAY BE A FEAST TO A TRAVELER WHO LOVES HISTORY. WHILE BISHNUPORE A TOWN ALSO IN WESTBENGAL IS FAMOUS FOR TEMPLES WITH RICH TERRACOTTA ARTS, KALNA’S TEMPLES ARE FAMOUS FOR THEIR VARIETY , SIZE AND TO SOME EXTENT RICHNESS OF TERRACOTTA ARTS.
THESE TEMPLES OF KALNA WERE BUILT MOSTLY BY ROYAL FAMILY OF BURDWAN RAJ. NOT ONLY KINGS LIKE TEJ CHANDRA, PRATAP CHANDRA ETC. BUILT THEM BUT ALSO FEMALE MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY i.e. MOTHERS. GRANDMOTHERS AND WIVES OF THE KING PLAYED MARJORE ROLE IN BUILDING THEM.
THERE ARE THREE MASSIVE TEMPLES OF 25RATNAS OR TOWERS WITH 50ft. HEIGHT NAMELY LALJEE , GOPALJEE AND KRISHNA CHANDRA HAVE SOME TERRACOTTA CARVINGS ON THEM .STRANGLY SOME OF THESE CARVINGS HAVE EROTIC SCULPTURES IN THEM.I HAVE TOLD ABOUT 1O8 SHIVA TEMPLES EARLIER.BUILT IN 1809 BY KING TEJ CHANDRA THESE AATH-CHALA TEMPLES IN TWO CIRCLES DONOT HAVE ANY TERRACOTTA ARTS ON THEM. BUT THE ONLY TEMPLE WHICH HAS LOADS OF RICH TERRACOTTA ART ON ITS WALLS IS PRATAPESHWAR TEMPLE (PIC BELOW). THIS DEUL BUILT IN 1849 BY QUEEN PYAARI KUMARI HAS EXQUISITE ORNAMENTATIONS ON ITS FOUR WALLS RANGING FROM SOCIAL,ROYAL LIVES TO SCENES FROM EPICS AND PURANA.
KALNA CAN BE REACHED EASILY BY HOWRAH-BANDEL RAILWAY.
pics by Sankha Bhattacharya
