When one thinks of a temple town in West Bengal, it is unsurprisingly Bishnupur that first comes to mind. However, there is another town in a neighbouring district that surely is a contender for the same title. If a far wider array of temple architectural styles is what you’re looking for, then this town is probably unbeatable.
Amika Kalna, located in the East Burdwan district, is a treasure trove for temple enthusiasts. From deul style to atchala, Pancha Ratna to 25-pinnacled structures, Ambika Kalna has the lot. The town is probably at least a thousand years old, evidence of its antiquity has come from the remains of Vishnu temples dating back to the 10th and 11th century CE, recovered from the Bhagirathi river that flows close by.
Ambika Kalna flourished as a prosperous port town in medieval times and reached its pinnacle during the late 18th century under the patronage of the Maharaja Tej Chand Rai (b.1764 – d.1832) who constructed numerous temples here.
The highest concentration of temples can be found inside the Rajbari temple complex, an enclosed area within the old palace compound right in the heart of the city. Having entered the Rajbari complex, the first temple you come to is the Pratapeswar Temple on your left-hand side.
This deul-styled temple was a bit of a surprise, it wouldn’t look at all out of place in Odisha rather than West Bengal. It was built in 1849 under the supervision of Pearykumari Devi, the first wife of Raja Pratap Chand (the only surviving son of Maharaja Tej Chand Rai).
The temple is a awash with elaborate terracotta depictions on all four external elevations. Here we have the battle of Ram and Ravana with Goddess Durga as Mahishashurmardini in the centre, Rama as king of Ayodhya with Sita seating beside him, and a huge horizontal panel showing the various forms of Krishnalila.
There are social scenes depicted as well, and note that three of the four doors are actually false stone doors, and not made of wood at all.
The inner sanctum also has terracotta ornamentation, this time painted, although these were difficult to record as access in to the temple interior is not permitted. The roof is made in the ridged rekha duel style, which is popularly known as Bishnupur-Bardhaman style.
There’s an interesting anecdote attached to this temple that very few people seem to have commented on. Raja Pratap Chandra, who this temple is named after, apparently disappeared during the lifetime of his father, and was never heard of afterwards. It is thought that he went missing either through some petty annoyance or in search of adventure. Several years afterwards a pretender impersonating him suddenly appeared, but after a searching investigation his claims of being the only heir to Maharaja Tej Chand Rai was dismissed by the Civil Court. In 1832 Maharaja Tej Chandra died, leaving everything to an adopted son.
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Categories: Ambika Kalna, India, Pratapeswar Temple - Amika Kalna, West Bengal
Kevin Standage 