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Bengal Temple Architecture
Bengal temple architecture is about temple styles developed and used in Bengal, particularly the ''chala'', ''ratna'' and ''dalan'' temples. Background According to David J. McCutchion, historically the religious architecture in Bengal may be divided into three periods: the early Hindu period (up to the end of the 12th century, or may be a little later in certain areas), the Sultanate period (14th to early 16th century), the Hindu revival period (16th to 19th century). "The coming of the Muslims at the beginning of the 13th century marked a sharp break with the past. After an initial century of anarchy and consolidation, marked by iconoclastic destruction and militant 'sufi' proselytiising, Hindu chiefs and Muslim overlords settled down to some sort of compromise in a common front against Delhi... Bengal, as we know it today, became an independent entity for the first time. During the following two centuries a distinctive Bengali culture took shape."McCutchion, David J., ''Late M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David McCutchion
David McCutchion (12 August 1930 – 12 January 1972) was an English-born academic, and a pioneer in a number of original strands of scholarship in Indian studies before his early death at age 41. Popularly known as "Davidbabu", in his short life, he made a major contribution to the study of Hindu terracotta and brick temples of Bengal and was also one of the first scholars to write a study of the emerging field of Indian writing in English. Early life McCutchion was born in Coventry, England, and attended the red brick-built King Henry VIII Grammar School. While there it was bombed in a German raid and he was evacuated for a time. After the war he spent a year on national service in Singapore with the R.A.F. He went up to Cambridge in 1950 to read Modern Languages ( French and German) at Jesus College. An interest in the East was whetted by his time in Malaya, and after a period teaching in schools in southern France, he decided to travel out to India. An academic in Bengal I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hangseshwari Temple
Hangseswari temple (also spelled as ''Hanseswari temple'') is a Hindu ratna temple located in the town of Bansberia at Hooghly District, West Bengal,India. The presiding deity of the temple is Hangseswari, a form of Maa adi parashakti jagatjanani dakshina Kali in Hindu mythology. In December 1799, Raja Nrisinhadeb Roy Mahasay laid the foundation stone of this temple. But after completion of the second storey in 1802, the founder died leaving this far-famed temple incomplete. His second wife Rani Sankari completed the rest of the work in 1814. The temple is known for its unique ratna architecture. Bansberia is an industrial town positioned in between Bandel and Tribeni. Rani Hanseswari was the mother of Raja Nrisingha Deb Roy, hence the deity is worshipped as Maa Hanseswari. The deity is worshipped as a form of Maa Kali Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hinduism, Hindu goddess who is consi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barakar
Barakar is a neighbourhood in Asansol, Paschim Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is governed by the Asansol Municipal Corporation It is situated at the border of the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal. The Grand Trunk Road passes through Barakar. The neighbourhood is located on the banks of the river Barakar. Geography Urbanisation As per the 2011 census, 83.33% of the population of Asansol Sadar subdivision was urban and 16.67% was rural. Asansol Sadar subdivision has 26 (+1 partly) Census Towns. Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map. . Asansol Municipal Corporation According to the Kolkata Gazette notification of 3 June 2015, the municipal areas of Kulti, Raniganj and Jamuria were included within the jurisdiction of Asansol Municipal Corporation. *For language details see Salanpur (community development block)#Language and religio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amalaka
An amalaka ( sa, आमलक), is a segmented or notched stone disk, usually with ridges on the rim, that sits on the top of a Hindu temple's shikhara or main tower. According to one interpretation, the amalaka represents a lotus, and thus the symbolic seat for the deity below. Another interpretation is that it symbolizes the sun, and is thus the gateway to the heavenly world. The name and, according to some sources the shape, of the amalaka comes from the fruit of Phyllanthus emblica (or Mirobalanus embilica), the Indian gooseberry, or myrobolan fig tree. This is called ''āmalaki'' in Sanskrit, and the fruit has a slightly segmented shape, though this is much less marked than in the architectural shape. The amalaka itself is crowned with a kalasam or finial, from which a temple banner is often hung. History The shape first appears (or survives) as an element in the capitals of columns around the time of Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE, recurring in some capitals of the 1st ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ratha (architecture)
In Hindu temple architecture, a ''ratha'' is a facet or vertical offset projection on the plan of a structure, in particular of the ''shikhara'' above the sanctum. The term has the same meaning when applied to the forms of the bases of statues. A ''ratha'' is generally carried up from the bottom of the temple to the superstructure. The corners of each ratha touch notional circles on the plan of the temple, centred on the murti or cult image inside the sanctum. The sides are oriented along the main horizontal axis of the temple (normally running east–west) or at right angles to it, generating (except around the entrance to the sanctum) a multi-faceted plan that harmonizes the square and the circle, becoming more circular in overall shape as the number of rathas increases. The rathas (facets) may be decorated with geometric figures or statues, such as statues of a gatekeeper watching outside or a niche with a statue of a deity. Sometimes, the facet of the ratha is hollowed to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sikhara
''Shikhara'' (IAST: '), a Sanskrit word translating literally to "mountain peak", refers to the rising tower in the Hindu temple architecture of North India, and also often used in Jain temples. A ''shikhara'' over the ''garbhagriha'' chamber where the presiding deity is enshrined is the most prominent and visible part of a Hindu temple of North India. In South India, the equivalent term is ''vimana''; unlike the ''shikhara'', this refers to the whole building, including the sanctum beneath. In the south, ''shikhara'' is a term for the top stage of the vimana only, which is usually a dome capped with a finial; this article is concerned with the northern form. The southern ''vimana'' is not to be confused with the elaborate gateway-towers of south Indian temples, called ''gopuram'', which are often taller and more prominent features in large temples. Forms ''Shikhara'' can be classified into three main forms: *''Latina''. The ''shikhara'' has four faces, which may include proj ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Deula
Deula ( ''deuḷa'') is an architectural element in a Hindu temple in the Kalinga architecture style of the Odishan temples in Eastern India. Sometimes the whole temple is also referred to as ''Deula''. The word "deula" in Odia language means a building structure built with a particular style that is seen in most of the temples from Odisha. ''Deul'' is also used in English, though the deul temples are also of a different form in the Manbhum region of Western Bengal. There are three types of ''Deulas'':http://orissa.gov.in/e-magazine/Orissareview/nov2005/engpdf/Orissan_Temple_Architecture.pdf p. 45-47 In terms of the general north Indian terminology, the Rekha Deula (rekha deul) is the sanctuary and the tower over it, respectively the garbhagriha and the shikhara, the Pidha Deula (pida deul) is the mandapa where the faithful are present. The Khakhara deula is an alternative form of tower over the sanctuary, which in shape resembles the oblong gopuram temple gatehouses in southern ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Puthia Upazila
Puthia ( bn, পুঠিয়া) is an Upazila of Rajshahi District in the Division of Rajshahi Division, Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Geography Puthia is located at . It has 30484 households and total area 192.64 km2. This is a historical & traditional place in Bangladesh for Puthia Rajbari & Shiva Temple Complex. Demographics According to 2011 Bangladesh census, Puthia had a population of 207,490. Males constituted 50.64% of the population and females 49.36%. Muslims formed 93.93% of the population, Hindus 5.27%, Christians 0.48% and others 0.33%. Puthia had a literacy rate of 49.58% for the population 7 years and above. As of the 1991 Bangladesh census, Puthia has a population of 342,405. Males constitute 51.16% of the population, and females 48.84%. This Upazila's eighteen up population is 81679. Puthia has an average literacy rate of 25.5% (7+ years), and the national average of 32.4% literate. Administration Puthia Upazila is divided into Puthia Municipality and six Union ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Puthia Temple Complex
The Puthia Temple Complex consists of a cluster of notable old Hindu temples in Puthia Upazila, Rajshahi District, Bangladesh. Located 23 km to the east of Rajshahi city, it has the largest number of historic temples in Bangladesh.McAdam, Marika. (2004''Lonely Planet's Bangladesh''.pp. 114-115. The temples were built by Hindu Zamindars Rajas of the Puthia Raj family who were noted philanthropists of Rajshahi. The temples have been built in terracotta in a variety of styles combining the typical Jor-bangla architecture with other influences. The Rajbari or Palace of the Raja of Puthia and the Dol Mancha are part of the complex. The temples are laid out around a lake with a sprawling lawn. The Puthia Raj family was established by a holy man named Bhatsacharya, who lived in the 16th century. Raja Man Singh, governor of the Mughal emperor Akbar, confiscated the Jagir of the refractory pathan jagirdar of Rajshahi named Lashker Khan and bestowed the Zamindary on the saintly Bhatsa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cooch Behar
Cooch Behar (), or Koch Bihar, is a city and a municipality in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Cooch Behar district. It is in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas at . Cooch Behar is the only planned city in the North Bengal region with remnants of royal heritage. Being one of the main tourist destinations of West Bengal, housing the Cooch Behar Palace and Madan Mohan Temple, it has been declared a heritage city. It is the maternal home of Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur. During the British Raj, Cooch Behar was the seat of the princely state of Koch Bihar, ruled by the Koch Kingdom of often described as the Shiva Vansha, tracing their origin from the Koch tribe of North-eastern India. After 20 August 1949, Cooch Behar District was transformed from a princely state to its present status, with the city of Cooch Behar (Koch Behar) as its headquarters. Etymology The name ''Cooch Behar'' is derived from two words—''Cooch'', a corrupted form of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Panchrol
Panchrol is a village and a gram panchayat in the Egra I CD block in the Egra subdivision of the Purba Medinipur district in the state of West Bengal, India. History In the Egra copper plate inscription recovered at Panchrol, it is mentioned that Ekatakaksha was an administrative centre during the rule of Shashanka. Geography Location Panchrol is located at . Urbanisation 96.96% of the population of Egra subdivision live in the rural areas. Only 3.04% of the population live in the urban areas, and that is the lowest proportion of urban population amongst the four subdivisions in Purba Medinipur district. Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map. Demographics According to the 2011 Census of India The 2011 Census of India or the 15th Indian Census was conducted in two phases, house listing and population enumeration. The House listin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Narajole
Narajole (also referred to as Nij Narajol) is a village and gram panchayat in Daspur I CD Block in Ghatal subdivision of Paschim Medinipur district in the state of West Bengal, India. History According to Binoy Ghosh, Narajole's ruling clan, belonging to the Sadgop(Yadav) community, was founded by Uday Narayan Ghosh. His great grandson, Raja Kartickram, was honoured with the title ‘Roy’ by the Mughal emperor. The family used the title till in the eighth generation, when Raja Balwant was honoured with the ‘Khan’ title for some praise-worthy achievement. Thereafter, they used that title.Ghosh, Binoy, ''Paschim Banger Sanskriti'', , part II, 1976 edition, pages 86-90 , Prakash Bhaban, Kolkata. Raja Ajit Singh, the last king of the Midnapore zamindari, with its headquarters at Karnagarh, died childless in 1749. They were close to the rulers of Narajole. His two queens, who inherited the Midnapore zamindari, ran into great difficulties during the Chuar rebellion and sought ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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