We are mostly accustomed to visiting Hindu temples constructed with hard rocks like basalt as in the Deccan region, granite, sandstones and bricks elsewhere especially in south India. Have you ever heard of beautiful terracotta Hindu temples made from reddish clay soil? Yes, such temples do exist in large numbers in West Bengal and they stagger our imagination. The temple town of Bishnupur in Bakura district about 200 km from Kolkata city has numerous terracotta Hindu temples (built in the 17th and 18th centuries) of different shapes, each surpassing the other in beauty, albeit their simplicity. Bishnupur, synonymous with God Vishnu, has exquisite temples dedicated to ''Sri Krishna'', a form of Sri Vishnu. You may call it a ''Land of Sri Krishna.'' Most of them are located at a short distance from the town.
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| Jor Bangla terracotta temple, Bishnupur, WB.financialexpress.com |
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| Terracotta temples of Bishnur, W. Bengal, in.pinterest.com |
There are more than 20 or 25 temples in clusters with some built in isolated places; example: the Pancha Ratna temples. With respect to its design and style, it is a total departure from conventional temple architectural norms and style like Nagara which is quite common in the state of Odisha. No traces of Dravida, Chalukya or any other southern Indian temples. No elaborate garbagriha with a particular design and no grand or long prathaksshna path (prakara) around the sanctum. Also absent are the flagstaff (Dwajasthambham) and entrance gate with a tower above or shikara or amalaka above the sanctum, mantap or arthamatap as in traditional temples. No mystic animals like Yali or dwarapalas (sentinels) at the entrance common in south Indian Vishnu and Hindu temples or Amman temples. Not even Kalasa on top. Yet they are attractive and inspiring, and never fail to get our attention. The mandirs or temples in W. Bengal focus more on bhakti devotion to a deity or two, prompting harmony among the communities living around the temples. The architectural concept is different from the rest of India. You can not see a variety of gods or goddesses in the Hindu pantheon. No navagraha shrines on the temple premises either .
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| Terracotta temple, Bishnupur, WB.stockphoto.com |
What is unique about these terracotta temples is the basic construction material and the presentation of filigree on the walls. The construction material is reddish laterite clay soil formed as a result of chemical weathering of laterites (rich in iron) locally available in plenty. It is the main material for making terracotta tiles, jewelry, figurines, pottery and other decorative artefacts for which this town is well-known.
These temples are not multi-tiered massive structures that require sound foundation. Rather, most of them resemble like red-colored huts in a rural setting. Some have slanting roof around with a small dome like feature atop. They have quite impressive nicely carved and molded terracotta decorations with certain themes. The molded optimally baked clay panels were fixed on the structures raised with clay bricks. Filigree is a form of delicate decorative work commonly used by artisans like jewelers. Here, on the filigreed terracotta tiles are meticulously depicted various episodes from the puranas - Hindu epics like the Ramayana, Mahabharata, the Bhagawata Purana. The depiction on the structures bears testimony to the ingenuity, artistic talents and imagination of the workers of the past era. It is a time consuming job executed with proper pre-planning. .
The vernacular temple architecture is mostly clay based, reason being the Bengal region lacks outcrops of hard rocks and it forms the the Gangetic plain. The available material for building contraction is the reddish clayey soil - lateritic clay along with and burnt-bricks. The roofing style of temples of this region is related to traditional old-style mud plastered thatched rural huts with paddy on top. It may consist of one or more distinct layers of slanting rounded roofs. The Hindu temples built between the 16th and 19th century in this region resemble those rural structures - simple to look at, but elegant in style. They showcase multiple artistic influences prevailing in this region and their limitless stretch of imagination and native techniques. The terracotta exteriors with rich carvings are the hall mark of Bengal temples.
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| Bishnupur, west Bengal, India..mapsofindia.com/ |
What made the ruler of this place build such simple but wonderful temples of beauty and grandeur without going after large and grand temples? The ruler Birhambir (of the Malla dynasty) was once a bandito and indiscriminate looting was his calling. A fortuitous encounter with a Vaishnava saint/ scholar Srinivas Acharya of the Sri Chaitanya tradition of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1533; founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, marked by intense devotion to Sri Krishna) had a deep impact on his mind.
The bandit mistook the bundles of religious manuscripts on Vaishvavism that the Acharya had carried for jewelry. The Acharya elucidated him the stories of Sri Krishna and the benefits of Bhakti. Realizing his folly and the past untold miseries he caused to countless people in a moment of aberration of mind, he decided to make amends and became a Vaishnavite, dedicating his life to the service of Sri Vishnu (Bishnu; in Tamil Perumal ). He further granted a large land to the saint and build a center for Vaishnava worship in this part. The ruler, on his part, resolved to build many Vishnu and Sri Krishna temples in that area. After his death, his descendants followed suit.
It was the Cultural renaissance in the areas of art work and temple construction between 17th and 18th centuries changed the socio-cultural scenario of this region which was once an island town with eight interconnected embankments and artificial lakes. They served dual purposes - they beautified the town and also acted as a protective moat to prevent raids by neighboring powers.
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