The post-lunch lethargy was instantly ripped off when the relaxed atmosphere was interrupted by the host’s announcement of a tour of the terracotta temples of Murshidabad’s Baranagar, as a fitting tribute to the Murshidabad Heritage Festival 2025.
The club finally took off from the shore of the House of Sheherwali, Murshidabad’s Azimganj, on a boat towards Murshidabad’s Baranagar. Our host, Pradip Chopra, owner of the House of Sheherwali, narrated a brief history of the temples alongside our visit.
Char Bangla temple
Rewinding the clock, the Char Bangla, devoted to Lord Shiva, was constructed around 1760 by Rani Bhabani, the queen of Nator. Natore, now a part of Bangladesh, was a province in India until the country gained independence.
Rani Bhabani, after the death of her husband, Raja Ramakanth, in 1748, took over the Zamindari post and effectively governed her province, taking advantage of Murshidabad’s thriving trading economy during her reign. Driven by the desire and zeal to enrich Baranagar economically, socially and culturally, she began constructing temples in the region as early as 1755.
The name originates from how four individual temples, each referred to as “ek-bangla” (“bangla” meaning bungalow in Bengali), are clustered in and together are called “Char Bangla”. Each temple is in “do-chala”, or two-roofed style, and is set on top of 1.5-foot platforms in the four cardinal directions. Each has three red doors and houses with one Shiva linga inside.
The northern temple has the most ornamental appeal. There are carvings portraying the battle between Ram and Ravan above the main entrance. Walls have sculptures of deities such as Durga, Kali, Shiva, Nandi and Bhringi; scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata; and also of daily lives of common people, soldiers marching for battles, various animals, and floral and leaf motifs. The western temple is carved with scenes of Puranas, Bhagavata, Ramayana and Mahabharata. The eastern temple has scenes of the battle of Kurukshetra along with sculptures of Radha-Krishna. The southern one has the least carvings when compared with the other three.
Back when the temple was built, the Bhagirathi River used to flow at least a kilometre away. Unfortunately, after the construction of the temple, the Bhagirathi changed its course several times and eroded its banks, destroying life, property and farmland. Today, the temple is barely 10 feet away and locals fear that the river’s turbulence might wither the temple more, as boundary walls have already been eroded.
Bhavanisvar Temple
The inverted lotus-like dome-shaped octagonal temple is famous for its rare design. Devoted to Lord Shiva and dedicated to her, Rani Bhabani, Tarasundari Devi, completed it in 1755.
The temple has arched open gateways in all directions decorated with religious figures between the arch and the roof. This is an 18-metre-tall temple with a circular corridor around the inner sanctum. Instead of red terracotta panels, it is decorated with detailed carvings of lime and mortar. The temple has sculptures lined up against the edge of the hexagonal base on the outer walls of the inner sanctum, ranging from mythological motifs to flowers and animals.
Gangeshwar Temple
The Gangeshwar Temple is built in a “jor-Bangla” style (jor meaning joint in Bengali), which are two “ek bangla” temples built together side-by-side sharing a common wall. Terracotta temples similar to these can also be found in Bankura. Built around 1753 by Rani Bhabani, it has three Shiva lingas made of black stone inside the sanctum.
The front part of the temple has three arches, with intricately designed pillars depicting scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata, along with elegant floral motifs and scenes from the daily lives of common people. Though consecrated to Lord Shiva, the carvings on its walls mostly depict the life and ‘leela’ of Lord Krishna. Additionally, the trees surrounding the temple make it look nostalgic and naturistic.
(Photographs by PURBASHA KARMAKAR and ANWESHA SANTRA)