Located 13km south-west of Ambika Kalna in West Bengal, the small village of Baidyapur has a plethora of heritage buildings that are well worth exploring. This little known village was once dominated by Zamindars belonging to the Nandi family dynasty, who settled in Baidyapur initially to trade in salt, cereal, pulses, rice and lime. Their fortunes rapidly grew, as did their family network, amassing great wealth which is reflected in many of the buildings to be found here. There will be a number of blog posts highlighting these structures, as I unexpectedly spent a lot more time here than I was initially planning, and there’s still a few hundred photos to go through !
The most famous temple in Baidyapur is undoubtedly the Jora Deul, two deuls joined together which is unique in West Bengal and probably one of the most unusual temples to be found anywhere in India. The main larger temple faces east, the smaller temple faces north, connected within via a small passage.
The exterior walls of the temple are richly carved with decorative bricks. These are mostly geometric and floral motifs, but there is a wonderful battle scene between Ram and Ravana depicted either side an inscription above the entrance to the main east-facing deul. The figures here have been carved with a natural flow, quite different to similar images one can find at later temples built at places like Bishnupur.
The ASI noticeboard gives an estimated construction date of 1550 CE, which is slightly different to the date of 1598 CE given by David McCutchion, who closely studied terracotta temples in Bengal in the 1960s. I have also read elsewhere that this temple was built by Subhananda Pal, but I am not convinced of the accuracy of that attribution.
Right – Entrance to the smaller north-facing temple
Originally these temples were on square bases, so it would seem some reconstruction has taken place at some point. More recently in 2022/2023 the roofs of the temples have been rebuilt, as earlier images I have seen show quite a lot of vegetation growing out from dilapidated roofs. Quite a lot of bamboo was lying around beside the temple, no doubt the deconstructed scaffolding for the repairs that were undertaken.
In recent years there has been some debate amongst scholars as to whether the Jora Duel really is two joined temples, suggesting that perhaps the smaller duel served as a jagamohan, or assembly hall. The temple’s original idol is unclear as well, some locals claim it was Lord Krishna, but the image and other valuables were looted by the Marathas in the mid 18th century.
The Jora Deul is a great starting point for a more extensive exploration of Baidyapur’s wonderful heritage sites. It is both centrally located in the village, and offers ample car parking. One should set aside at least half a day to see everything here, and it is well worth taking your time. The locals are also immensely friendly, without their enthusiastic help I would not have gained access to some of the buildings.
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Categories: Baidyapur, India, Jora Deul, West Bengal
Kevin Standage 