Abha Na
a arain Lambah Associaates for Gloobal Heritaage Fund
The Terracott
Temples of
Maluti
A Cons
C serva
ation
Report
t
Pr
repare
ed for
r
Glo
obal He
eritage Fund
Pr
repare
ed by
Ab
bha Nara
ain Lamb
bah Asso
ociates
The Ter
rracotta Temples of
o Malutii: A Conse
ervation Report
R
Ma
arch 20
011
1
Abha Na
arain Lambah Associa
ates for Glo
obal Herita
age Fund
Prepa
ared fo
or
Global Heritage
H
Fund
625 Emersson Streett Suite 200
0 Palo Allto, CA 94
4301
t +1.650.325.7520 f +1.650.3
325.7511; www.glob
w
balheritag
gefund.org
Prepa
ared by
A
Abha
Narrain Lamb
bah Assoc
ciates
Conservatio
on Architec
cts & Historic
c Building Co
onsultants
201 Amrit, B Wing, Cartter Road, Kh
har (W), Mu
umbai 40005
52
T
Tel:+91
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2
website:www
w.anlassocia
ates.com
The Ter
rracotta Temples of
o Malutii: A Conse
ervation Report
R
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Abha Narain Lambah Associates for Global Heritage Fund
Acknowledgements
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Jeff Morgan and the Board of Trustees of
the Global Heritage Fund for initiating this project and for their support for the heritage of this
remote village community in Jharkhand. A special thanks to Ms. Jasmine Arneja for her active
involvement and support. We are grateful to Mr. Adam Dunbar, Mr. Daniel Thompson, Mr. Jeff
Adams and the entire staff at GHF for their support on this project. A special thanks to Mr. John
Hurd and Mr. John Sanday for their support of this endevour.
Our sincere gratitude to Mr. Sourav De and Mr. Krishnendu Bandopadhyay for their deep
personal commitment towards the preservation of the temples at Maluti.
We owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Gopaldas Banerjee, a long time resident and an elder of
Maluti for his perseverance and commitment towards saving the rich temple heritage of Maluti.
His lifelong research on the history of Maluti and its legends has been an invaluable source of
information to the project team.
We acknowledge with gratitude, Dr. Subrata Chakravorty for his guidance and valuable
historical inputs.
Project Team
Abha Narain Lambah Associates
Project Leader & Conservation Architect
Abha Narain Lambah
Project Archaeologist
Shraddha Bhatawadekar
Associate Conservation Architect
Kruti Garg
Project Architects
Jiten Desai
Akshay Kulkarni
Architectural Interns – Documentation
Durgesh Sarmalkar
Priyanka Lele
Vidhya Gopal
Structural Conservation Advisor
Dr. Michael O’Connor
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
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Abha Narain Lambah Associates for Global Heritage Fund
Contents
1. Introduction
1
1.1. Location & Setting
1.2. History
1.3. The Village Setting
2. Architecture & Iconography
36
2.1. Evolution of Temple Architecture in Bengal
2.2. Terracotta Temples at Maluti: Location & Clusters
2.2.1.
2.2.2.
2.2.3.
2.2.4.
2.2.5.
Cluster 1: Sikir Taraf
Cluster 2: Rajar Bari
Cluster 3: Madhyam Bari
Cluster 4: Chhai Taraf
Cluster 5: Mauliksha Temple Complex
2.3. Sculpture & Iconography in Maluti
3. Significance & Values
110
4. Conservation of the Temple Fabric
120
4.1. Conservation of the Temple Fabric: Issues & Recommendations
4.2. Condition Inventory & Fabric Assessment
5. Approach to Site Management
189
5.1. Archaeology & Research
5.2. Sustainable Rural Development
5.3. Policy & Protection
6. Balancing Preservation & Change
205
6.1. Future Management Issues
6.2. Ensuring Sustainable Change
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
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Abha Na
arain Lambah Associa
ates for Glo
obal Herita
age Fund
1. In
ntro
oduc
ction
n
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Abha Narain Lambah Associates for Global Heritage Fund
1.1.Location & Setting
Location
The village of Maluti is located in Dumka
District (Santhal Pargana) in the state of
Jharkhand in India. The village is on the
border of West Bengal and Jharkhand, near
the North-Eastern border of Jharkhand. The
village lies about 55 kilometre East of District
headquarter of Dumka.
Maluti is 16 km from Rampurhat (District
Birbhum, West Bengal), which is to the East
of the village, and 15 km from Mallarpur
(District Birbhum, West Bengal), which is to
the South-East of the village, which are the
two nearest railway stations. The village lies
near Surichua on the Rampurhat-Dumka Bus
route.
Geographical co-ordinates
North- N 24q09’40.5”
South- N 24q09’21.60”
East-
E 87q40’32.57”
West- E 87q40’14.88”
Area of the Village
400 m X 700 m
N
Left: The village of Maluti;
Image
Source:
Google
Earth
Right Top: Context of the site
in Jharkhand State on a
geographical map of India
Right Bottom: Context of the
site in Dumka District on a
geographical
map
of
Jharkhand State
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Abha Narain Lambah Associates for Global Heritage Fund
Topography & Setting
Maluti is situated at the eastern end of the
undulated Chhota Nagpur plateau, rich in
mineral resources.
The rivulet of Chila, also called Chandan
Ghat Nala, is to the South of the village. The
river also marks the natural boundary
between West Bengal and Jharkhand.
The village is surrounded by many water
bodies. It is believed that the village once
had more than 60 tanks built by the Rajas
who ruled Maluti.
The area was once covered with dense
forest. The agricultural lands around the
village Maluti are identified by names like
Bon-kata, Bagh-bia, Harin-dhanda, Hastikanda, Shial-mara, etc, referring in the local
language to areas once covered with trees.
Left Top: Topography and setting of Maluti;
Image Source: Google Earth
Left Bottom: Water tank at Maluti
N
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
7
Abha Na
arain Lambah Associa
ates for Glo
obal Herita
age Fund
The Shika
aripara bloc
ck, in which the village
e is
located, is predominantly inha
abited by th
he
Santhal tribal comm
munities (re
eferred to as
Adivasis). Maluti, thus
t
is surrrounded by
b
Adivasi villages
v
from
m both Jha
arkhand an
nd
West Ben
ngal.
The Suric
chua aerod
drome is lo
ocated ne
ear
Maluti. The
T
aerodro
ome was used by th
he
British military during World War II, and is no
ow
under the
e Defence Ministry.
M
There arre numerou
us stone crushing
c
un
nits
near Maluti. The sto
one is brought from th
he
D
hill ra
ange.
nearby Dumka
Right
To
op:
Surichua
aerodrome
e: Context of the
Right Middle
site with the surround
ding
villages an
nd quarry siites;
Image Sourc
ce: Wikimapia
Right Botto
om: Topography
and setting of
o Maluti
The Ter
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Abha Na
arain Lambah Associa
ates for Glo
obal Herita
age Fund
Maluti can be dessignated as
a a ‘temp
ple
village’ since
s
this sm
mall village
e has over 60
temples which belong to the perio
od
between 17th and 19th centurie
es. Located in
clusters, these temples form an excelle
ent
setting with
w the village fabric, which
w
givess a
unique character to the village..
nous Benga
ali
The temples, built in indigen
style of
o
architec
cture, witth exquisiite
terracotta
a work, disp
play masterry of the loc
cal
craftsmen
n, who crreated the
ese beautifful
houses of worship…
Maluti is a small village
e with an area
a of 28 hectare
es. The temples and houses stand next
to each other,
o
forming a closely knit group.
g
The Ter
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Protection & Legal Status
Maluti lies in Shikaripara Block of Dumka
District of Jharkhand. The village has a
Gram Panchayat, the local village body,
which looks after the administration in the
village.
The village of Maluti came under Santhal
Pargana in 1855 from District Birbhum in
Bengal. In the post independence period,
the Santhal Pargana formed part of the
State of Bihar. The village finally came under
the newly formed State of Jharkhand in
2001.
N
Left: The village of Maluti;
Image Source: Google
Earth
Right: The village of Maluti
with
its
traditional
household
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
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Abha Narain Lambah Associates for Global Heritage Fund
54 temples in the village were gazetted by
the Bihar Government in 1983 under Bihar
Ancient Monuments and Archaeological
Sites’ Remains and Art Treasures Act, 1976.
At present, the temples are under the
Jharkhand Government.
Site Map of Maluti
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
11
Abha Na
arain Lambah Associa
ates for Glo
obal Herita
age Fund
1.2.Hiistory
The historic
cal text is ba
ased on the report
r
‘Templles
of Maluti’ written by Mr.
M Gopaldass Mukherjee,, a
resident of
o Maluti, who
w
has do
one extensive
research on
o the site.
The antiq
quity of the
e village off Maluti go
oes
back to pre-historic
c times. The
e pre-historic
r
off Chila prov
ve
tools found in the river-bed
that the area wass inhabited
d during th
he
Palaeolithic period. The history of the villag
ge
from the pre-historic
c period to the mediev
val
s
in
n mystery as
a there is no
n
times is shrouded
sufficient evidence to
t reconstru
uct this perio
od.
Towards the end of 17th ce
entury, Maluti
came intto limelight as the capiital of Nank
kar
Raj.
Th
he name Maluti
M
has m
many legen
nds for its
origin. It is sa
aid that the name is probably
derived from
m the wo
ord ‘Mallah
hati’. The
Malla
M
kingss of Bankkura-Vishnupur had
su
uzerainty ov
ver a vast a
arae which included
Bu
urdwan, Midnapur,
M
a
and some parts of
Chhotanagp
C
pur plateau
u, which was called
Mallabhum.
M
Th
here is ano
other proba
able version for the
na
ame. It is lik
kely that Ma
aluti is the corruption
c
of the word Mahulati orr Mohulti. Th
he area is
fu
ull of Mohu
ul trees, an
nd names of many
viillages are
e prefixed with mo
ohul. This
possibility is also
a
strengtthened by the landre
evenue rec
cords which
h mention the
t
name
Mohulti.
M
It was
w
sometim
me in the early 20th
century that the name Maluti startted being
ussed.
The village of Maluti consists of
terraco
otta temples set within
clusterss of vernac
cular mud
houses.
The Ter
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Pre-historic Layer
Maluti reveals a distinct settlement layer
from the pre-historic period. Pre-historic tools
belonging to Acheulian and Middle
Palaeolithic period have been found in the
river bed of rivulet Chila also known as
Chandan Ghat Nala. The tool bearing area
extends from a point called ‘Sadarghat’ to
an upstream point called ‘Shirali’, with a
distance of one kilometre between the two
points.
The tools include handaxes, scrapers,
blades, etc. The working edge is serrated
and is still sharp.
Prof. Dr. Subrata Chakravorty of Visva
Bharati has confirmed that these tools
belong to the Palaeolithic period.
He has divided the tools collected from
Maluti into two classes:
x
x
Acheulian
Middle Palaeolithic
Dr. Chakravorty has also described in detail
the Acheulian finds discovered from Chila,
classification of such tools collected from
the site and the raw materials used to make
those tools.
“Acheulian appeared at Maluti Sadarghat
on Chila, the rivulet that flows in BirbhumJharkhand border land. Acheulian finds
discovered from three localities, one of
them
fossiliferous
include
handaxes,
cleavers,
choppers,
scrapers,
and
unqualified waste, flakes, cores and chips
made of raw materials – traps, basalts,
quartzite, chert, jasper, etc. The assemblage
of Maluti Sadarghat shows preponderance
of various other tools such as retouched
flakes, side scrapers, end scrapers, point
borers, sundry light duty tools.”
Neolithic or Chalcolithic specimens are not
found in the village or its vicinity as yet, but
some Mesolithic artefacts are found.
Pre-historic tools found in Maluti
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
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Abha Na
arain Lambah Associa
ates for Glo
obal Herita
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Nankar Raj
Maluti iss believed to have existed lon
ng
before being the capital of the ta
axexempte
ed kingdom of Baj Basa
anta dynastty.
It was once
o
revere
ed as a great
g
seat of
learning. The mentio
on of Maluti — known as
ashi in ancient times — is found as
Gupta Ka
early as the
t
Shunga period (185
5 BC - 75 BC
C).
It is said that
t
it was at
a Maluti that the king of
Pataliputtra perform
med the Ashvamed
dh
Yajna.
V
B
Buddhists,
followers of
Later, Vajrayani
Tantrik rittuals are believed
b
to have mad
de
the dense forests off Maluti theiir abode. Th
he
origin of the village deity Maulliksha can be
b
traced back to this period
d. The deity
resemble
es Pandara
a, Shakti of
o Amitabh
ha,
worshipp
ped in Vajray
yana Buddhism.
It is belie
eved that th
he great Hin
ndu saint Adi
A
Shankara
acharya, on his way to Varana
asi,
had stop
pped over at
a Maluti. So
ome historia
ans
believe that
t
Maluti is the first place whe
ere
the Vedic
c upheavall started.
7th century that the
It was only in the 17
ame the ca
apital of Na
ankar Raj.
viillage beca
According
A
t folk lore
to
e, the kingd
dom was
awarded to Basanta Ro
oy of village Katigram
by Sultan Alauddin Husssain Shah of Gaura
(1495A.D.–15
525A.D.). So
on of a poorr Brahmin,
Ba
asanta managed to c
catch the pet hawk
of the sultan and gave it back to the sultan.
In
n lieu of the hawk (baj)), Basanta was
w given
th
he kingdom
m and hen
nce, he wa
as called
Ra
aja Baj Basa
anta. The capital of Ba
aj Basanta
was
w
Damra (8 kilomettre south of
o Maluti).
Ba
asanta
su
ubsequently
y
expand
ded
his
kingdom by bringing Ma
allarpur esta
ate under
hiis suzerainty
y. This brou
ught him in
n conflict
with
w
the king
g of the ne
eighbouring
g state of
Ra
ajnagar (Nagor). In a family feu
ud which
continued
over
g
generationss,
Raja
Ra
ajchandra, the grea
at grandson of Baj
Ba
asanta was killed an
nd his kingd
dom was
ta
aken over by
b the Raja o
of Nagor.
Mauliksha
a Temple Comp
plex
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ervation Report
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Abha Narain Lambah Associates for Global Heritage Fund
After this incident, Ramchandra and
Mahadevachandra, the two brothers of the
deceased king Rajchandra along with two
nephews
Rakharchandra
and
Prithvichandra left Damra and established
the capital at Maluti, which was revival of
Hindu culture in Maluti.
After clearing the forest, they established
their settlement at Maluti around 1680 A.D.
They divided themselves in four houses
(Chow-taraf).
Rakharchandra, the eldest son of late
Rajchandra had 1/4th share of the total
property. His house was called ‘Rajar Bari’,
i.e. house of king. Likewise with the same
share
the
house
of
his
brother
Prithvichandra was called ‘Madhyam Bari’,
i.e. house of second. Ramchandra, second
brother of Rajchandra took another 1/4th
share and it was called ‘Sikir Taraf’, i.e.
house of 1/4th share. The fourth share was
occupied by Mahadevchandra, the third
and the youngest brother of Rajachandra.
He had six sons, so the subjects used to call
that house by the name of ‘Chhai Taraf’, i.e.
house of six. Rajar Bari, Madhyam Bari and
Sikir Taraf settled in a line from west to east
and Chhai Taraf in the south of the village.
Around
1857,
Swami
Bamdev
(or
Bamakhepa), one of Bengal’s greatest
spiritual leaders, came here to be a priest
but failed because he couldn’t memorise
Sanskrit mantras. He was made to cook
food for the puja. During his 18-month stay
in Maluti, Bamakhepa used to spend most
of his time at Maulisksha temple. Here he
was first blessed. Then, he moved to
Tarapith. His trident is still preserved at Maluti.
The descendants of Baj Basanta used the
title Raja till 1900 A.D. At the beginning of
20th century they left the Raja title and then
onward they are called ‘Babus of Maluti’.
Brahmins by caste, the royal family was very
religious. Dandi Sanyasi of Sumeru Math,
Kashi (Varanasi) is believed to have helped
Baj Basanta gain the kingdom and became
the Rajguru of the family.
Goddess Mauliksha became the patron
deity of the royal family. They worshipped
her as Simhavahini. Instead of constructing
palaces, the Rajas built temples. The activity
continued simultaneously in all the tarafs,
with each taraf competing with the other.
This turned Maluti into a ‘Temple village’.
Right Top: The temple of Bamdev
Right Bottom: The trishul and shankha of Bamdev has been preserved in a temple at
Maluti dedicated to Bamdev, the ascetic who is said to have attained ‘siddhi’ from
Goddess Mauliksha
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
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Abha Narain Lambah Associates for Global Heritage Fund
Maluti in Legends
Myths and legends add to the significance
of the place and provide glimpses into a
period. Numerous interesting legends and
stories are associated with Baj Basanta,
Rakharchandra, the descendant of Baj
Basanta and the village deity Mauliksha.
There is an interesting legend which gives
an account of the acquisition of Nankar
kingdom by Baj Basanta. The story relates
that Basanta took birth in a poor Brahmin
family. His father died in his childhood. Due
to poverty, he had to tend cattle of others.
A few days before becoming king, he was
sleeping in the shade of a tree. As the sun
was setting, the shade moved away and
sun rays fell directly on his face. That time a
snake, expanding its hood, protected
Basanta’s face from the sun. Dandi Sanyasi,
the monk belonging to the Sumeru Math,
Kashi who was passing through that road
was surprised at this sight and came near
the boy.
Dandi Swami looked at the boy closely and
observed that the boy had enough signs on
his body to become a king in the near
future. He awoke Basanta and went along
with him to his house in the nearby village.
Reaching there, Swamiji came to know that
Basanta had already received diksha from
his family preceptor, but the mantra was not
suitable for him to become a king. Therefore
Swamiji wrote that mantra on a Bel leaf and
asked Basanta to immerse the leaf in a
pond. Then he gave him diksha afresh in the
Sinmhavahini mantra.
Immediately after the incident, as Alauddin
Hussain Shah, the Sultan of Gaura
encamped his troops near the village of
Basanta, while returning to his capital. It is
here that the pet bird baj of the begum
flew away.
The bird was caught by Basanta. Swamiji,
on learning that the bird was with Basanta
took him to the king and requested the king
to give some land to poor Basanta as a
prize for returning the bird. The Sultan
promised to give as much land to Basanta
as he could cover by riding a trained horse
from dawn to dusk. Acquired, such land
was made tax-free (Nankar) and the
prestigious title ‘Raja’ was also conferred on
him. Thus Basanta became a king overnight.
There is a legend that Sultan Hussain Shah
who gave Basanta the Nankar kingdom as
a gift himself was a shepherd in his
childhood. A snake also protected his face
from the sun when he was asleep on the
field. Therefore it seems that these two
ingredients of the legend are interpolated.
The story of Baj Basanta’s childhood as a
shepherd and snake covering his face from
sun appeared first in a book published by
Dandi Swami Brahmananda Tirtha from
Sumeru Math, Kashi between 1908 A.D. and
1912 A.D. The same story after minor
modification appeared in local history in
1921 A.D. Thereafter most of the
contemporary writers referred this story as
the background for formation of the Nankar
state.
However, the part of the story that Basanta
became a king in lieu of a bird (baj) with
the help of a Dandi Sanyasi of Sumeru Math,
Kashi may be true to a great extent
because the word ‘baj’ has been prefixed
with the name of Basanta to commemorate
the event. The name ‘Baj Basanta’ is
comparatively prominent because it can
be found both in local history and
government records.
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
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Abha Narain Lambah Associates for Global Heritage Fund
There are many interesting stories regarding
Raja Rakharchandra Roy. Among them, a
story in relation to goddess Tara of Tarapith
is very popular.
It was the beginning of the 18th century that
Tarapith was a forested area and the act of
worshipping goddess Tara was controlled
by
Kaula
and
Aghori
Sanyasis.
Rakharchandra used to go to Tarapith
regularly in those days to worship goddess
Tara.
Once he went to Tarapith for a puja on a
chaturdashi tithi immediately after Durga
Puja. It was a regular practice at Tarapith to
perform puja of the image of the Goddess
outside the temple with the image facing
East. While Raja was performing puja, some
priests objected saying that the Raja could
perform puja only after the chief priest had
performed puja. The agitated Raja chose
his own place across the river Dwarka in
order to complete his puja. He filled earthen
pot with water and chanted ‘mantras’ with
great devotion. At that time, a miracle took
place when the face of the image in
Tarapith which was facing East turned to
West to the side of Rakharchandra. The
thrilled Raja brought the earthen pot and
placed that on the altar of his patron deity
Mauliksha.
The image of goddess Tara is taken out of
the main temple every year on Chaturdashi
tithi after Durga Puja and is placed in ‘Viram
Khana’ facing Maluti. Puja and sacrifice are
offered to goddess Tara from the other side
of river Dwarka on behalf of Maluti first. Only
then does the formal Puja start. This practice
is still prevalent.
Goddess Mauliksha is said to be the elder
sister of Goddess Tara of Tarapith. This is
because the renowned yogi Bamakhepa
attained his siddhi from Mauliksha first and
then from Tara. A number of miraculous
stories are heard about Maulikshatala.
Many people claim to have seen at night
the flame springing out from Hom-kunda.
Kamala Kanta, a great ascetic was thrown
out in the midnight while he was in deep
meditation before the deity. Another story
relates that sometimes at night, the sound
of sweeping with broom-stick at different
places at a time is heard from inside the
boundary of this lonely temple. Yet another
legend is there, that a large jackal appears
suddenly and disappears also likewise inside
the temple complex, though all the four
outside gates remain closed.
The idol of Mauliksha is no less miraculous. A
group of three people demand to have
seen a pale bluish ray come out of the idol
after aarti in the evening.
Goddess Mauliksha is said to be the
combination of three mahashakti. She is
believed to be ‘Pandara’ the shakti of
Amitabha established by tantric Buddhists in
bygone days. She is now worshipped as
Sinmhavahini, the patron deity of the royal
family and lastly, Raja Rakharchandra and
ascetic Bamakhepa have brought Tara and
Mauliksha closer by their flawless devotion.
Devotes from all sects of Hinduism have
continued worship of goddess Mauliksha
according to their religious doctrine through
centuries. As a result, goddess Mauliksha of
Maluti is now a living
deity to devotees
irrespective of caste
and creed.
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
17
Abha Na
arain Lambah Associa
ates for Glo
obal Herita
age Fund
1.3.Th
he Villa
age Set
tting
Domestic Architec
cture
Unlike ma
any villagess in the region which are
a
being ra
apidly tran
nsformed with
w
mode
ern
materialss and form
ms fast re
eplacing th
he
vernacular architec
ctural vocab
bulary, Maluti
largely re
character of
etains the traditional
t
an Indian
n village.
The vernacular domestic architectu
ure
consists primarily of
o mud strructures wiith
sloping ro
oofs of thatc
ch or terrac
cotta tiles. Th
he
houses ra
ange from single to two
t
storeye
ed
structuress, with the upper floo
or made of a
mud plasstered floorring supporrted on rolle
ed
twigs tied up with rope, spanning acro
oss
wooden logs.
ger houses have a fore
ecourt and a
While larg
walled garden
g
and many have
h
a fro
ont
verandah
h facing the
t
street, the smaller
houses may
m
just co
onsist of a single roo
om
tenemen
nt. While mo
ost of the houses
h
reta
ain
the tradittional form, some thatc
ch roofs hav
ve
been rep
placed with
h Galvanise
ed Iron she
eet
roofing fo
or rain prote
ection. The village elde
ers
have inssisted that new consttructions also
the
sloping
respect
ro
oof
proffile
characte
eristic of the
e village.
Top Righ
ht: A typical mud
m
house with circular cak
kes of dried co
owdung plaste
ered on the
exterior wall.
w
The roof is made of thattch.
Middle: Traditional th
hatch roofs arre often repla
aced with me
etal sheet roofs for rain
protectio
on.
Bottom: A traditional flloor construction of rolled tw
wigs tied up wiith string, span
nning across
wooden logs.
The Ter
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Abha Narain Lambah Associates for Global Heritage Fund
Typical streets lined with mud houses
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
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Abha Narain Lambah Associates for Global Heritage Fund
Even the house of the erstwhile Raja family is a modest bungalow with a
front garden and smaller huts for storing grain and agricultural produce.The
traditional tulsi plant grows in the garden in a white traditional planter that is
watered ritually each day.
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
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Abha Narain Lambah Associates for Global Heritage Fund
Typical streets lined with mud houses
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
21
Abha Na
arain Lambah Associa
ates for Glo
obal Herita
age Fund
Top Right: A traditional m
mud dwelling with a curved
d
e metal caniisters hanging
g
roof profille. Notice the
from the roof
r
alogn with
h earthen potss that villagerss
hang to giive shelter to n
nesting birds.
Left: A mu
ud and thatch hut with a tree growing outt
through th
he thatch roof.
M
constru
uction using the
t
ubiquitouss
Middle: Modern
concrete box construc
ction poses a threat to the
e
ape.
pristine village streetsca
The Ter
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Abha Na
arain Lambah Associa
ates for Glo
obal Herita
age Fund
The Villa
age Service
es
There is no electrricity provid
ded by th
he
Governm
ment and the only
y source of
electricity
y is solar panels installed in
individua
al houses.
In 1986, electricity came
c
only for 15 day
ys.
The wires were stolen in triba
al dominate
ed
Shikaripa
ara area. The
T
powerr connectio
on
was ne
ever restorred. The village has
individua
al-owned so
olar power units. Lack of
electricity
y has be
een identiffied by th
he
villagers as one of the major reasons of its
current backwardn
ess and migration fro
b
om
the villag
ge. In 2010
0, new possts are bein
ng
erected by the Government.
ery rudimen
ntary villag
ge
Apart frrom a ve
dispensary with a lon
ne compou
under, there
e is
no docto
or and no other
o
health facility in th
he
village. People
P
hav
ve to travel 16 km to
Rampurh
hat in West Bengal to
t get bassic
treatmen
nt.
In spite of
o these fac
ctors, the litteracy rate in
Maluti is surprisingly
y high, with
h almost 90
0%
h
at lea
ast basic ed
ducation. Th
he
people having
Middle Sc
chool in the
e village wa
as establishe
ed
in 1875. However, the
t
school has recently
introduce
ed Hindi as
a the firsst languag
ge.
Therefore
e, the students mostly
y go outsid
de
the statte to We
est Bengal villages of
Kastagorra or Masra
a as Bengali is taught in
these sc
chools. The nearest college
c
is in
Rampurh
hat or Mallarpur.
Above: With no electricity in the village, solar panels are th
he
principa
al source of ligh
hting. While ele
ectrical poles were
w
installed in
1986, these are red
dundant as e
electricity was not provide
ed
beyond the first 10 day
ys in 1986. The
e redundant ellectric poles are
a
n in Chhai Taraf
still seen
om: Left: The middle
m
school in the village that
t
has Hindi as
Left Botto
its principal language.. Therefore, ap
part from the triibal communitty,
the Beng
gali communitty do not use this school an
nd travel acro
oss
the state
e boundary to Bengali educa
ation schools.
Right Botttom: Dish-ante
enna atop a v
village hut
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Abha Narain Lambah Associates for Global Heritage Fund
The village produces biomass energy
through the use of cowdung cakes that are
used for fuel.
There is no proper system of solid waste
management and sewerage management
in the village. As part of the Nirmal Gram
(Clean Village) Scheme, the Government
had provided some public toilets in the
village. However, this scheme failed within a
year and the toilets are dysfunctional.
While some houses of the more prosperous
do have attached toilets, these are with
individual septic tanks and are not
connected to any sewage system. Most
villagers living on the fringe of the village still
go out to the fields to defecate in the open.
There are open drains at the periphery of
the village along the road near Mauliksha
temple but not within the village streets.
Left: Large quantity of biomass is produced in the
village through cow dung cakes used for fuel.
Below: The walls of houses provide the surface for
drying cow dung cakes
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
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Abha Narain Lambah Associates for Global Heritage Fund
There is no piped water supply in the
village and the principal source of
water are the rain water ponds in the
village, which are used for washing
and irrigation. Handpumps are
provided by the government for
drinking water. There are more than
25 deep tube wells. No system of
water purification is available in the
village. There are bore wells in the
village at regular intervals.
Apart from a health centre with a
lone paramedic, no other health
facility is available in the village.
People have to travel 16 km to
Rampurhat in West Bengal to get
basic treatment.
Images showing the sources of drinking
water from handpumps and bore wells
to fresh water wells. People travel a
distance to carry water back to their
homes. Clothes are often washed from
the water in the water ponds dotting the
village.
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
25
Abha Na
arain Lambah Associa
ates for Glo
obal Herita
age Fund
The Village
V
Com
mmunity
There
e are over 400
4 househo
olds in Malu
uti.
The 2001 ce
ensus estiimated
th
he
popu
ulation of the villag
ge at 357
75.
Howe
ever, these numbers are
a dwindlin
ng
as an
n increasing
g number of the loca
als
have left the village in se
earch of jobs
and education and they return to th
he
village only durin
ng the Kali Puja.
P
b
of
Since the village iss on the border
West-Ben
ngal, the v
village pop
pulation is
essentially Bengali and peop
ple in the
village fo
ollow all pra
actices and
d festivals
of Benga
al. The male to female ratio in
the villag
ge is 52:48. The Rajas of Maluti
were up
pper caste Brahmins, but the
villages around
a
main
nly consisted of tribal
Santhal population.
p
Left: A sari sa
alesman sells his
h
wares to the local women in
the village.
The Ter
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Abha Na
arain Lambah Associa
ates for Glo
obal Herita
age Fund
Top Left:
Ladies of a
household
d
Bengali
e traditionally
y
wearing the
draped Bengali sari.
Above: A tribal Santhali
k
woman ridiing a bullock
cart with he
er child in herr
lap. Tribal women work
k
with their men
m
folk in all
agricultural activities.
oup of village
e
Left: A gro
women. Wh
hile the tribal
women are
e clustered to
o
the left, the Bengali
d
woman, wiith her head
covered
stands
s
to the
e
right. The difference in
n
draping the
e sari signifiess
the commun
nity.
The Ter
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ervation Report
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Abha Na
arain Lambah Associa
ates for Glo
obal Herita
age Fund
There are differen
nt commun
nities in th
he
village. The
T
village
e is domina
ated by th
he
upper caste Hindu
us such as the Bengali
Brahmins. Other dw
wellers inclu
ude Adivassis,
Harijans and backw
ward caste
es. There are
a
commun
nities such as Baodi, Dom, Had
di,
Dhobi, ettc. These communitiess specialise in
different activities su
uch as Baod
di, Dom, Ha
adi
nly involved in agricultural activitiess.
are main
Top Left: A
Adivasi tribal wo
omen
Above: Yo
oung women standing at their
doorway. As moderrnization ma
akes
inroads in
nto the villag
ge, the youn
nger
women a
are beginning
g to adopt the
Salwar Kam
meez (seen worn
w
on the rig
ght)
over the tra
aditional sari.
al babu, a village elder expla
ains
Left: Gopa
a narrativ
ve panel of iconograp
phy
depicted o
on the temple.
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Abha Na
arain Lambah Associa
ates for Glo
obal Herita
age Fund
The com
mmon lang
guage of the
t
village is
Bengali, but most people
p
can
n understan
nd
and spea
ak Hindi.
Top: Adiva
asi tribal wome
en
Above: A father
f
draws water
w
from a ha
andpump for his
h son to bathe
e
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Rituals, Customs & Practices
The large number of temples for different
gods and goddesses at Maluti are a
testimony to the significance of the village
in the past. Today the religious fervour has
diminished comparatively but the tradition
has not been lost. It can be seen through
puja and seva of numerous deities both
male and female.
Gods such as Vedic Gods like Narayana in
the form of ‘Shaligram Shila’, Shiva in the
form of shiva-linga and goddesses like
Durga, Kali, Lakshmi and Saraswati are
worshipped with great enthusiasm. At the
same time, people worship Manasa and
Dharmaraj, the two local gods. The coexistence between Vedic and local gods is
unique. Above all goddess Mauliksha, the
patron deity of the royal dynasty receives
highest adoration. She is considered to be
the elder sister of Tara of Tarapith and draws
a great number of pilgrims throughout the
year.
Image showing different
ways
of
religious
practices in Maluti
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
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Abha Narain Lambah Associates for Global Heritage Fund
The word Mauliksha derives its origin to a
union of two words mauli and iksha. Mauli
means head and iksha denotes darshan i.e.
to see. The goddess has a well-carved stone
face, while the rest of the body is absent.
She has been placed on a platform inside
the ‘garbhagriha’ of Ek Bangla temple.
Goddess Mauliksha is worshipped as
‘Sinmhavahini Durga’.
The area of Bengal, Bihar came under the
influence of Vajrayani Buddhists probably
sometime around the 7th-8th centuries. In this
respect Dr. Binoytosh Bhattacharya states
“the influence of Vajrayani was much more
in the whole of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. The
idols of Buddhist gods and goddesses are
available in maximum quality at these
places.”
Being so close to Bengal, the language, art,
culture and numerous customs and festivals
of West Bengal have greatly influenced the
lives of the villagers residing at Maluti.
Goddess Durga is generally worshipped
throughout Bengal. Durga Puja is the prime
festival of the people of the state. Like any
other village of Bengal, this village also
celebrates
Durga
Puja
with
great
enthusiasm. In place of an image, a paper
picture is placed. Other performances
carried out include sacrifice of goats, sheep
and buffalo-calves. One image of Durga
can be seen in this village established about
a century back by a monk named
Sukhadananda
Brahmachari
for
the
common people of the locality.
Looking from this angle, the icon of
Mauliksha has some similarity with Pandara,
the Shakti of Amitabha. Vajrayani Buddhists
regard Amitabha as Dhyani Buddha, who
are believed to have come from Adi
Buddha or Vajradhar. Incidentally the icon
of Mauliksha is facing westward. Her colour
is red. A lotus-designed halo is present
behind the icon. So taking all these factors
into account, there is a probability that the
icon had been established earlier by the
Buddhist monks inside the forest before the
village became the capital of Nankar Raj.
Right: Goddess Mauliksha is the most popular deity in Maluti and also the surroundings
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
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Abha Narain Lambah Associates for Global Heritage Fund
Kali Puja is the main festival of Maluti.
People from different villages around Maluti
gather here during the Kali Puja. All the
villagers settled elsewhere and those who
migrate to the city in search of jobs, return
to the village during the festival to be part
of the festivities.
This puja is performed on the Deepavali
night. Goddess Kali is worshipped at eight
places. The image of the Goddess is
installed on the platforms which are
permanently installed in the temples. Before
installing the idols of Kali on platforms, it is
the custom of the village that the women
worship goddess Mauliksha first in the
evening. The idol of Kali is worshipped from
midnight followed by animal sacrifice in
front of the temples.
The next day, in the afternoon, idols are
taken out in procession for immersion. A few
idols of Kali from Adivasi villages are also
brought to Maluti and they join the
immersion procession. A fair remains here for
about a week, which is attended by the
villagers, their relatives, visitors, and Santhals
from surrounding villages turning the whole
environment into a festive mood.
Other than goddesses Durga and Kali and
local gods Dharmaraj and Manasa, there is
a temple of Yogi Bamakhepa inside the
village. It is believed that this ascetic
attained siddhi from goddess Mauliksha. His
trishul and shankha are preserved in this
temple.
The chief priest of Sumeru Math, Kashi visits
Maluti every year and is revered by the
villagers.
Apart from the Durga Puja and Kali Puja,
Sankranti is celebrated in the village
wherein people of the village come
together and have a feast in the Mauliksha
temple.
Right Top: Worship is offered daily in the Kali temples
Right Bottom: The head priest of Sumeru Math in Maluti
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
32
Abha Na
arain Lambah Associa
ates for Glo
obal Herita
age Fund
Econom
my & Subsisttence
The main
nstay in the village iss subsistenc
ce
With
farming.
s
small
land
d
holding
gs,
agriculture is merely
y for subsiste
ence and th
he
farms are
e small fam
mily holding
gs that bare
ely
allow su
ubsistence. Almost 30%
3
of th
he
populatio
on is engag
ged in cultivation.
The farming is depen
ndent on ra
ain water an
nd
there are
e many rain
n-fed waterr tanks in th
he
village, some
s
of which
w
are used
u
for th
he
purpose of cultivatio
on. The land
d is fertile but
b
since the
ere are no
o irrigation canals, th
he
agricultural season is
i entirely dependent on
o
the ann
nual rains and the village ha
ad
suffered crop failure
e due to poor
p
rains th
his
year. The
e crops gro
own are mainly
m
padd
dy,
wheat, mustard
m
and
d vegetable
es.
To
op: A round mud
m
hut with a
co
onical thatch roof acts as a
grrain
silo
to
t
store
the
ag
gricultural prod
duce.
Above: Cows are revered in
Hiindu custom and prized ffor
th
heir milk.
ottom: A wom
man chaffing ric
ce
Bo
hu
usk.
The Ter
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Abha Na
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ates for Glo
obal Herita
age Fund
Another source off income is quarryin
ng,
which ta
akes place near Malu
uti. The ston
ne
crushing units have
e provided a source of
employm
ment to ma
any and to
oday peop
ple
have mo
oved out of Maluti, wh
hich has also
resulted in
i dearth off agricultura
al labourers in
Maluti.
als used to produce finely
f
crafte
ed
The triba
utilitarian
n craft itemss made up of date palm
leaves and palm le
eaves, but most
m
of the
ese
traditionss were lostt since wo
orking in th
he
sttone-crushin
ng
re
emunerative
e.
units
became
e
more
Jh
harkhand being
b
the most mineral rich state
of India, has a large n
number of industries
with
w
a majorr presence in Jharkhan
nd, which
is likely to provide more em
mployment
h is being
opportunitiess. Howeverr not much
done to pre
eserve and promote traditional
t
craft skills and building c
crafts.
Top: With no other sourc
ce of employm
ment in the reg
gion, villagers have
h
no other option but
n the stone cru
ushing units, in
nhaling fine sto
one dust in the
e absence of any
a
health
to work in
and safety
y gear.
The Ter
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Abha Narain Lambah Associates for Global Heritage Fund
2. Architecture & Iconography
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
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Abha Narain Lambah Associates for Global Heritage Fund
2.1. The Evolution of
Temple Architecture in
Bengal
“Evolving in intimate association with the
changing phases of the life and faith of the
people, temple architecture of Bengal with
its varied styles, decorative designs and
graceful terracotta works of floral, animal
and human forms is a great legacy.”1
The temple architecture of Bengal has a
special place in the history of Indian art and
architecture. Though certain established
forms were adopted in Bengal, what was
unique about the temple architecture here
was the development of an indigenous style,
unique to Bengal. The style spread outside
Bengal
and
also
influenced
late
architecture of Burma, Siam, Java,
Cambodia and Nepal.
Maluti, being on the border of Jharkhand
and West Bengal shares its cultural ties with
West Bengal rather than identifying itself
with the culture of Jharkhand. The temple
architecture which developed in Maluti is
also the product of the temple building
activity which started and developed in
Bengal.
The geography, topography and climatic
conditions of Bengal were instrumental in
determining the architectural style of the
region. Rivers such as the Ganges and
Brahmaputra contributed to the fertile
alluvial plain in most parts of Bengal. Only
some parts of Bengal such as the western
part of Midnapur, Bankura, Burdwan,
Birbhum and also Dinajpur, Rajshahi,
Maldah, Bogra districts have laterite tracts.
Due to non-availability of stone, brick and
terracotta became important materials for
temple construction in Bengal and thus
contributed to the unique character of the
temples.
Development of Temple Architecture in
Bengal
The history of religious architecture in Bengal
can be divided into as described by David
McCutchion2 :
1) Early Hindu (until the end of the 12th
century, later in the western areas)
2) Sultanate (14th to early 16th century)
3) Hindu Revival (16th to 19th centuries)
During the early phase, which can be
attributed to the Gupta period, several
literary references of the existence of
temples are found in the accounts of the
reputed Chinese travelers Fa-Hien and
Hiuen-Tsang in the illustrations of early
Buddhist manuscripts and in later inscriptions.
There is however, no surviving evidence
except the remains of Paharpur. Further
remains have been unearthed at places like
Bangarh and Dinajpur. which have been
mentioned as temple cities. Mention may
also be made of the ruins of a big temple of
Gupta times at Chandraketugarh. Temples
constructed during this period were made
of stone and brick.
Between the 13th and 15th centuries, with
the Turkish conquest and establishment of
the Islamic Sultanate, the Indo-Islamic
architectural style and craftsmanship
influenced the development of Bengal’s
indigenous architectural tradition.
A regeneration of Hindu culture took place
in Bengal in the 16th century through the
efforts of Shri Chaitanya (1486-1533 A.D.)
who popularized the Vaishnava cult. It
elevated the status of common man and at
the same time, provided impetus to the
David McCutchion. Late
Medieval
Temples
of
Bengal:
Origins
and
Classification.
Calcutta:
Asiatic Society. 1972.
2
Bimal Kumar Datta. Bengal Temples. New Delhi:
Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 1975.
1
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
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Abha Narain Lambah Associates for Global Heritage Fund
growth of literature, art and architecture.
Temple building activity received royal as
well as local patronage and temples were
built by men from mostly the higher classes;
Zamindars, Brahmins, Kayasthas, landlords or
by wealthy traders, and merchants. The
temples were built to attain religious merit
and fame, to commemorate an important
landmark or event and also on burial
grounds of saints and nobles. Most
terracotta temples of Bengal were built
during the period from late 16th through 19th
century. Hundreds of temples were built at
places like Vishnupur, Bankura, Bardhaman,
Birbhum and Nadia.
Types of Temples
Varied architectural styles were adopted in
Bengal.
The temples of Bengal can be classified
under the following heads3:
1. Rekha (Traditional)
2. Pirha (Traditional)
3. Bangla (Hut style)
4. Chala (Hut style)
5. Ratna (Indo-Islamic)
6. Domed (Indo-Islamic)
7. Spired (European-influenced)
8. Octagonal
9. Flat-roofed temples
10. Porches
11. Dolmancha, Tulsimancha, Rasamanch
12. Temples outside regular classification
x
Rekha (Traditional)
Predominant in the Western districts
bordering on Orissa and Bihar, also
extending east into Hoogly and north-east
into Burdwan district. The characteristic is its
Shukanasa Shikhara and its finial of
3
Amalaka-Shila which caps the tower and
carries the kalasha.
x
Bangla (Hut style)
There are two types in this style: Ek-Bangla or
do-chala and Jor-Bangla. Both are more
common in East Bengal. The fully developed
Ek-Bangla may have either a single
entrance or triple entrance on typical twin
columns,
with
or
without
extensive
terracotta decoration. It has a do-chala
roof, i.e. roof sloping from two sides and is
surmounted by three finials. Jor-Bangla
temples have two chambers with usually a
common roof on them.
x
Chala (Hut style)
…there was an indigenous style of building,
approaching a kind of folk architecture,
which was widely prevalent in southern
Bengal. Characterized by a freshness and
spontaneity, this type of structure was
clearly derived from the thatched bamboo
hut so common in most parts of Bengal. The
curved cornice and eave, which are a
special feature of these temples, are
directly descended from the bamboo
framework of the huts of these people,
originally bent into this shape in order to
throw off the frequent heavy rain.
Most commonly found in Birbhum and
Murshidabad districts and in isolated
examples further East, the chala style was
mainly based on imitation of the common
village house in Bengal. The number of roofs
were varied from two, four and eight layers
of slanting roofs, thus described as do-chala,
char-chala and at-chala temples. The
sloping roof was adopted as being best
fitted to resist excessive rainfall and
damage caused by vegetation growth.
These temples were built on a raised
platform. The body of the temple consisted
of a sanctum which is oblong or sometimes
cubical.
Ibid.
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The tradition of this type goes back to 2nd
and 1st centuries B.C. and still survives in
today. It also inspired certain important
features of the Mughals and through the
media of Mughal architecture it passed on
to Rajputana and Punjab.
The multiplication of temples of the same
size and on the same platform was also very
common. The number increased from two
to twelve and from twelve to one-hundred
and eight.
x
Ratna (Indo-Islamic)
The pinnacle or ratna type has the same
lower structure as the chala series- a
rectangular box with curved cornice, but
the roof is more or less flat (following the
curvature of the cornice) and is surmounted
by one or more towers or pinnacles called
ratna. The simplest form has a single central
tower (eka-ratna), to which may be added
more towers by increasing the number of
stories and corner turrets. The number can
be increased through nine, thirteen,
seventeen and even twenty-one upto a
maximum of twenty-five.
x
Flat-roofed temples
Another category is constituted by the flatroofed temples. They emerged from a long
tradition Indo-Islamic palace and temple
architecture, but in the 19th century, came
strongly under European influences and lent
themselves easily to modern building
techniques. These too may be domed
internally, more usually spanned by a
shallow vault, and later with a flat-ceiling.
Almost invariably, they have a porch on two
or more pillars, initially of the traditional
faceted kind, but in the 19th century, they
were gradually replaced by the clustered
pilaster type. The arches are cusped and
the facades patterned like those of the
chala and ratha designs, initially with
terracotta
decoration,
subsequently
plasterwork. Gradually, the type lost its
traditional characteristics, becoming a
mere Pakka Ghar, indistinguishable from
modern
domestic
architecture.
Innumerable such temples have been built
in the late 19th and 20th century.
Another common type of flat-roofed
temple is the Durga or Kali Dalan built for
the annual pujas, which were established in
the 16th century. For the annual pujas, such
large halls may also house permanent
deities. The temple architecture soon in this
case ceased to be distinguishable from
domestic architecture.
x
Dolmancha, Tulsimancha, Rasamancha
Tulsimancha, Dolmancha and Rasamancha
are the three types of mancha or platform.
Rasamancha is larger than the other two.
The prime purpose of this type of temple is
to enable the deity to be seen from all sides.
Generally, it is octagonal in shape and
stands on a high plinth with archway
openings on all eight sides. It is generally
used for installing images of Radha-Krishna.
Inscriptions
B.K.Datta described the peculiar style of
giving dates of construction to temples of
Bengal. The dates are given in words
representing symbolically the respective
numerical figures on a slab of brick or stone
placed on the front door jamb. These plates
either written in Sanskrit or both in Sanskrit or
Bengali or in Bengali scripts record the
name of the donor, name of the deity to
whom it is dedicated and rarely the name
of the architect.
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
38
Abha Narain Lambah Associates for Global Heritage Fund
Temple Building Activity
Mukul Dey who made an extensive study of
temples in Birbhum talks of the existence of
guilds in Bengal. 30-40 men trained in a
particular craft lived and worked under a
master artist or craftsman. The master
known as Sthapati took the responsibility for
the erection of temple and for terracotta
decorations. The Sutradhara had the broad
knowledge and was an expert in measuring
accurately. The Vardhaki specialized in
painting and Takshaka in carpentry.
Gradually, they achieved mastery in stone,
metal, wood, terracotta and ivory. The
temple builders worked as a group
consisting of several families and formed a
travelling group of artisans, who spread art
and culture from village to village.
B.K. Datta notes “The heads of these groups
had readymade master plans of temples of
varied sizes and shapes and they used to
carry these plans with them. Planning
according to the donor’s choice, and even
details regarding arrangement of terracotta
bricks according to the theme and pattern
used to be completed and necessary
instructions were issued by the leader
before the commencement of the
construction work. This statement is further
confirmed by the discovery of bricks written
or marked with a thick needle.”4
Top Right: A vegetal motif seen in terracotta
at Maluti shows a strong influence of the
Islamic art of the medieval Sultanate
Left: The arched motif seen at the entrance
doorway to the temple is an arcuate form,
alien to the Hindu construction vocabulary
until the advent of Islam. The floret designs
along the arch are evocative of the Khalji
arch at Alai Darwaza. Guilds of craftsmen
often travelled from place to place,
carrying
influences
across
different
patronage.
Bimal Kumar Datta. Bengal Temples. New Delhi:
Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 1975.
4
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39
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Building Materials
Stone temples are very rare in Bengal. Stone
is found employed mainly in door jambs,
lintels and pillars, and also sometimes in
carving. Besides black basalt, sandstone
and granite, laterite stone known as phulpathar in some cases black marble was
used.
Since the land of Bengal is mainly a deltaic
land, large deposits of clay are available,
which are used for manufacture of bricks.
Bricks were thus extensively used in
construction of temples. Glazed tiles as
discovered from the ruins of Gaur were also
used from medieval times.
Wood and bamboo were also used as
building materials, since good timber was
procurable in many parts as also bamboo.
Wood carving was also practiced widely in
Bengal. Seasoned Sal, Seguna, Neem,
Sandal wood were generally used. But there
are very few surviving examples due to the
perishable nature of wood.
Lime was used in the beginning for
concreting the floor, but later it was used as
a mortar. Mud mortar was also used in
places like Paharpur. With the introduction
of domes, and lintels in the Muslim period,
mortar played an important part and the
size of the bricks became smaller. Lime was
also used as a plaster.
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
40
Abha Narain Lambah Associates for Global Heritage Fund
Terracotta Art
“Being deeply involved with the art of clay
the artists and craftsmen of Bengal worked
again with zeal in medieval and postmedieval times when brick temples
embellished with terracotta plaques and
mouldings evoked memory of myths and
post epochs and vied with monuments of
stone as gems of architecture.”5
Clay as a medium of expression has been
employed from ancient times. The plasticity
and large availability of clay has made it a
universal vernacular medium. The terracotta
art can be traced from Indus Valley
Civilization. There was a gradual spread of
this art eastwards and it flourished in Bengal.
Terracotta plaques were used on temples
from early times. Many such plaques have
been discovered at places like Paharpur,
Rajshahi, Mahasthangarh, Mainmati and
Bangarh.
Top Right: A terracotta detail interspersed with lime plaster
Above: A terracotta panel on a temple in Maluti depicting the war between Lord
Rama holding a bow and arrow and the ten headed demon Ravana.
S.S. Biswas, Terracotta Art of Bengal. Delhi: Agam Kala
Prakashan. 1981.
5
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
41
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The second activity in terracotta art started
especially around the 16th-17th century and
terracotta art expressed itself in full vigour
during this period. The art was patronised by
the ruling class as temples were built with
profuse terracotta work on the façade. The
height of excellence was reached in or
about the middle of the 18th century when
temple building activity spread all over
Bengal, particularly in the districts of
Burdwan, Birbhum, Bankura, Nadia, Hooghly,
Murshidabad, and Jessore and it became
the fashion of the day among the landlords
and petty chiefs.
The terracotta of the period was
characterized by simplicity, unsophisticated
virgin beauty, and a dynamic vitality. The
plaques were larger in size compared to the
earlier period, of deeper reliefs and crafted
in the modeling method.
B.K. Datta describes how terracotta plaques
were made.
“The artists used to prepare clay models first
and from these modellings moulds were
prepared. These moulds were then burnt in
fire and used for turning out casts which
were then carefully dried and burnt in
special kilns. The other process was to cut
out plaques on soft clay with sharp
instrument and such plaques can be found
in Charbangla temple of Murshidabad.
Special kilns were used for the purpose.”
In the opinion of Mr. Mukul Dey “Even
seventy years ago there were regular guilds
of artists and artisans conversant with this art.
They all worked jointly. About a dozen men
were trained in the art of temple building
and lived and worked together under one
master artist.”
The terracotta art represents the art of
people and thus life of people forms the
main subject matter of this art. The themes
and subjects introduced in terracotta art in
Bengal are remarkable for their variety. They
include divinities, semi-divine figures, toys,
animal figures, floral, geometrical patterns,
narrative scenes from mythology, Jatakas
and scenes from contemporary social life.
They reflect social practices, religious
practices, cultural tradition and give a
glimpse into the customs, manners, jewellery,
dress and a lifestyle of the period.
In the words of S.S.Biswas, “…The art of
terracotta in Bengal defines or narrates as it
appears the ballads of civilisation and the
faith of the masses. The motifs and the style
involved often convey the taste of an urban
milieu and the traits of the genre with their
own distinctive aspects. Such expressions at
times evince a combination of ideals and
techniques…”6
Left: Terracotta panels depict a range of scenes from
battle, epics and every day life
6
Ibid,
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
42
Abha Narain Lambah Associates for Global Heritage Fund
2.2. Terracotta Temples at
Maluti:
Location
&
Clusters
The activity of building temples at Maluti
started when the Rajas of Nankar kingdom
shifted their capital to Maluti. The oldest
date available is 1719 A.D. It is believed that
more than 108 temples were built in two
centuries between 18th and 19th century.
Many temples have collapsed over the
years and according to local belief, only 72
temples remain today. However, out of
these 72, Archaeological Survey of India has
identified 62 structures which are of
historical importance. Therefore, for further
reference, the number 62 has been
considered.
The temples at Maluti can be divided in five
separate clusters.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Sikir Taraf
Rajar Bari
Madhyam Bari
Chhai Taraf
Mauliksha Temple Complex
Te
Sikir Taraf, Rajar Bari and Madhyam Bari are
located close to each other while Chhai
Taraf is to the south of the three complexes.
Mauliksha Temple Complex is on the
southern end of the village on the way to
rivulet Chila. Rajar Bari, Madhyam Bari and
Sikir Taraf are situated in a line from West to
East.
The Rajas were Brahmins by caste. They
were of religious nature and were great
philanthropist who supported scholarly
activities. They led a simple life-style and
lived in ordinary mud-built houses. They
spent their vast revenue in public works, like
excavating ponds to develop irrigation and
constructing temples to promote religion.
It is quite likely that different guilds were
assigned work of building temples. The
activity
started
in
all
the
clusters
simultaneously and this healthy competition
created a cluster of temples, which defined
the public squares in the village and gave it
a special character.
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
43
Abha Na
arain Lambah Associa
ates for Glo
obal Herita
age Fund
The arch
hitectural style
s
seen at Maluti is
predomin
nantly a regional style whic
ch
of
flourished
d
all
ov
ver Benga
al.
Lot
experime
ents were undertak
ken by th
he
artisans while
w
constrructing temp
ples in Malu
uti.
the result is the am
malgamation
n of differe
ent
styles wh
hich has giv
ven a uniqu
ue charactter
to the village.
hitectural sttyles at Ma
aluti can be
b
The arch
divided in
nto differen
nt categorie
es as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
C
Chala
Re
ekha
Ek
k Bangla
Fllat-roofed
Ra
asamancha
a
M
Miscellaneou
us
At Malutii, most of th
he temples are of cha
ala
design,
i.e.
tha
atched
ro
oof,
simp
ple
constructtions, rese
embling th
he hut-typ
pe
constructtion prevale
ent in Benga
al.
Variation
ns are seen in these ch
hala temple
es.
Some tem
mples are of
o standard
d chala typ
pe,
with a curved
c
corn
nice and a char-cha
ala
roof, i.e. four sloping roofs giving th
he
shikhara a pyramid
dal look. There
T
is on
ne
temple with
w
char-ch
hala roof and
a
a straig
ght
cornice. The bada
a, i.e. the portion fro
om
plinth up
pto the corn
nice is somewhat simillar
to the Orissan
O
Rek
kha type temples.
t
Th
he
ratha pro
ojections on
o the temple continu
ue
on the ba
ada.
The varia
ation that is most predo
ominant is th
he
char-cha
ala shikhara
a with ridge
es and rath
ha
projectio
on. These ra
atha projec
ctions thoug
gh
similar to
o those seen
n in Orissan
n temples, do
d
not conttinue on th
he lower portion of th
he
temple below
b
the shikhara. Th
herefore, it is
taken ass merely a variation of
o the cha
ala
temple ittself. There are few te
emples whic
ch
show ch
haracteristic
cs such ass heightene
ed
façade, curved co
ornice and
d char-cha
ala
roof with
h ridges and
d ratha pro
ojections. Th
he
other varriation visible in the shik
khara is in th
he
shape, which
w
is either
e
little rounded or
straight edged.
e
Challa style of arch
hitecture is
pred
dominant in Maluti
M
with
varia
ations in roofs as seen in
the im
mages
The Ter
rracotta Temples of
o Malutii: A Conse
ervation Report
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44
Abha Narain Lambah Associates for Global Heritage Fund
The temples are not oriented in any
particular direction and are seen opening
on all cardinal directions. The usual
tendency visible in the complex is to build
temples around a central open space
which serves as a common open courtyard
for all the temples as seen in Sikir Taraf and
Chhai Taraf.
There are some chala temples which stand
as a couple, i.e. they stand on one platform
and they share a common wall. There is one
triplet with three temples on a same plinth
with common walls.
Another category seen at Maluti is the JoraShiva temples as described by McCutchian.
These two temples stand on one platform
and are similar on plan, but they do not
share a common wall as seen in earlier
cases.
An interesting characteristic of the temples
is the use of varied designs of amalaka and
kalasha, i.e. the apex portion of the shikhara.
Above the kalasha, trishul, a symbol of Shiva,
is placed on Shaivite shrines. It is broken in
many cases and only the metal rod remains.
The chala temples are mostly meant for the
worship of Shiva. The reason for this
abundance of Shiva temples is perhaps the
association of the Rajas with Dandi Sanyasi
of Kashi, who was the preceptor of the
family.
Jora-Shiva temple in sikir Taraf cluster
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45
Abha Na
arain Lambah Associa
ates for Glo
obal Herita
age Fund
All the te
emples are built
b
on plinths of varyin
ng
size and
d are apprroached by
b steps. Th
he
temples have a single
s
entra
ance and a
narrow doorway
d
witth the heigh
ht hardly 4’6
6”.
The door is mostly wooden, as
a has bee
en
preserved
d in some temples,
t
with a woode
en
or stone lintel and
d fixed on hinges. Th
he
temples generally
g
do
o not have windows.
The heigh
ht of the tem
mples varies from 15 fe
eet
to 50 fe
eet The te
emples hav
ve only on
ne
chamber, mostly square, which
w
is th
he
garbhagriha of the
e temple. The temples
have shiiva-lingas in
n the garb
bhagriha. Th
he
interior iss plain and is not emb
bellished wiith
any terra
acotta work.
Within the garbhagrriha, there used to be a
decorate
ed linen or silken canopy or
covering was hung over
o
the de
eity. One suc
ch
example is seen in te
emple 59.
Temples also have a gomukha,, an outlet for
f
the wate
er to drain of the tem
mple after th
he
puja is performed.. It is a well
w
laid out
o
channel from the
e interior and is also
distinctly marked on
n the plinth as
a well.
ostly on th
he
Terracottta work iss seen mo
façade of
o the temples and in
n the corne
ers
which create
c
ban
nds of horrizontal ridg
ge
elementss. There are
e tiny niche
es seen in th
he
cornice as well as run on the
e façade as
vertical bands
b
whic
ch house the deities as
l stories suc
well scen
nes from mythologica
m
ch
as Krishna
a-lila and Ra
amayana.
There is one templle of the Rekha
R
mod
del
existing in
n Maluti ded
dicated to Shiva.
S
Left: Te
erracotta work on the façade
e of a temple
Right To
op: A chala te
emple on a plin
nth approache
ed by steps
Right Bottom:
B
Rekha Temple in Raja
ar Bari cluster
The Ter
rracotta Temples of
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ervation Report
R
46
Abha Na
arain Lambah Associa
ates for Glo
obal Herita
age Fund
The solita
ary example
e of Ek Bang
gla style is th
he
Mauliksha
a Temple. The style is a typic
cal
product of Bengal. The temple has a dod
chala roof, i.e. slop
ping roofs on
o two side
es.
There is a verandah
h in front of garbhagrih
ha,
which has
h
three pillars, which
w
is a
characte
eristic featurre of Ek Ban
ngla temple
es.
The garb
bhagriha ha
as a single entrance
e
an
nd
two wind
dows on either
e
side. The icon of
goddess Mauliksha has been placed on a
he garbhag
griha.
square alter inside th
Th
here are tw
wo Durga temples, bo
oth in Sikir
Ta
araf, both oriented
o
to tthe South. They
T
have
a rectangula
ar pillared porch in front of a
re
ectangular sanctum. The rooff of the
te
emples doe
es not exist a
any longer. The British
in
nfluence is visible
v
in the temples.
Th
he flat-roofe
ed temples at Maluti are
a simple
constructionss dedicate
ed to Goddess Kali.
Th
he only listted Kali Te
emple is placed
p
in
Madhyam
M
Ba
ari and is a flat roofed
d structure
with
w a single entrance.
Left Top: Ek--Bangla temple
Left Bottom:: Durga temple
e
Right Top: Flat-roofed Ka
ali
temple
The Ter
rracotta Temples of
o Malutii: A Conse
ervation Report
R
47
Abha Na
arain Lambah Associa
ates for Glo
obal Herita
age Fund
A solitary
y Rasamanc
cha is seen
n in Rajar Ba
ari
cluster. It
I is likely that it wa
as meant for
f
Radha-Krrishna worsship as the
e place was
w
open fro
om all sidess. It was prrobably use
ed
during fe
estivals, Wh
hat is impo
ortant is th
he
location of the temple next to a cha
ala
temple, the
t
most sig
gnificant tem
mple in Maluti.
Now a platform
p
ha
as been insttalled for Kali
K
worship.
e three tem
mples in Rajar Bari whic
ch
There are
are joined together through a common
c
w
wall.
They are
e hexagon
nal in plan
n and hav
ve
peculiar conical roo
ofs.
cipal construction ma
aterial used is
The princ
brick and
d lime-morttar as seen elsewhere in
Bengal. Different
D
sizzes of brick
ks have bee
en
used for the
t
plinths as
a well as te
emples. Ston
ne
is used in some ca
ases in doo
or jambs an
nd
lintels. Wood is used
d mainly forr doors, lintel,
etc. Meta
al is used fo
or door lockss, for hangin
ng
the cano
opy in the in
nterior as we
ell as trishul as
the finial of the te
emples. Shiv
va-lingas are
a
mainly ca
arved out of
o black ston
ne.
The mixtu
ure of lime and surkhi was used as
the binding material. Sometime
es only stucc
co
work wa
as used on
n the raised portion of
pilasters of the sid
dewalls of the temples
providing
g a contrastt.
So
ome of the temples att Maluti are plain but
so
ome temple
es represen
nt a very hig
gh quality
profuse
of
terraco
otta
carving
with
ornamental decoration
n upon its wall. The
te
erracotta has been fixxed on the
e façade
ussing lime mo
ortar.
Most
M
of the chala
c
temp
ples have sh
hiva-linga
in
n the ch
hamber, w
which sho
ows their
association with
w
Shaivissm. There are
a
some
te
emples whic
ch have tw
wo to three lingas the
re
eason for wh
hich is unknown.
Th
he Shakta cult is very popularr all over
Be
engal and the worship of Goddess Kali is
predominantt in Maluti.. A platform
m is seen
permanently
y installed in the temples at
Maluti,
M
on which the image is installed
during Kali Pu
uja. Durga ttemples do not have
any image inside,
i
thus it is not clear as to
ho
ow the god
ddess was w
worshipped.
Ra
adha-Krishn
na worship was also popular
p
in
Be
engal esp
pecially aftter Shri Chaitanya
C
popularized the Vaisshnava movement.
Ra
asamancha
a was the fo
orm of temple which
is used was used
u
for Rad
dha-Krishna worship.
Many
M
temples are un
nder worship, where
people offer daily worrship in the
e form of
flo
owers, incense burners, etc.
Left: Rasam
mancha in Rajar Bari
Right: Shiv
va-linga in the interior of a ch
hala temple
The Ter
rracotta Temples of
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ervation Report
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Inscriptio
ons
Some tem
mples have
e inscription
ns which he
elp
in reconsstructing th
he history of
o temples as
well as forming
f
important sou
urces for th
he
socio-political histo
ory of the village. Th
he
inscriptions are in ea
arly Bengalli script, while
the langu
uage is a mixture
m
of Sa
anskrit, Prak
krit
in
and Ben
ngali. The dates
d
are mentioned
m
Shaka erra, while in some
s
casess, Bengali era
e
has been
n used.
Inscriptions are pressent on som
me temples in
a band ju
ust below th
he cornice portion
p
of th
he
temple and
a
form an
a importa
ant source to
date a particular
p
t
temple
and
d often, the
ey
also describe the
e donor’s name an
nd
genealog
gy of the dynasty.
d
It is important to
note tha
at the insc
criptions show that th
he
temples were dediicated in the
t
name of
women as
a well.
Temple number
n
61 is the earlie
est temple in
Maluti. Th
he inscription in this tem
mple reads:
‘Raja Ra
akhar Vitta Sahodaka
a Sashaddh
ha
1641
barto
Va
aishnabodo
oro
Kirtihaimab
Gaman
****
R
Rajchand
****ratha
adi
ettavasojjastibeta
akya.
Margashirse
en
Samapta
a Mithun rash
h Sourash paksha****’
p
This inscrription clea
arly mentions that Ra
aja
Rakharch
handra wa
as the pa
atron of th
his
temple. His father’ss name was
w
Rajchan
nd
(Rajchan
ndra, the defeated Na
ankar king of
Damra) and the na
ame of his mother was
w
Haimava
ati. This particular
p
t
temple
w
was
complete
ed in the month
m
of Margashirsh
M
ha.
The day
y on which the temple was
w
dedicate
ed was Miithun rasha
a (month of
Ashadh),, Shukla paksha
p
on 1641 Shak
ka
Samvat (1719
(
A.D.). The last bric
ck containin
ng
the rema
ainder of inscription is missing.
m
Another
A
insc
cription in Chhai Tarraf group
re
ecords –
“S
Shri Shri Kali Saha
ai. Shriman
nt Gokul
ch
handrasya matu Shrim
mati Ghria
avati Devi
Sh
hri
Shri
Shiva
Sth
hapana. Swashida
ch
hakabda 16
691 B, 401 ***** II ****”
Here also the
t
last brick is missing. The
Shriyut
in
states
that
nscription
ra’s mothe
Gokulchand
G
er Shrimati Ghritavati
G
Devi
D
got constructed tthe Shiva te
emple on
16
691 Shaka Samvat
S
(176
69 A.D.).
Th
here is no difficulty
d
in understand
ding these
ty
ypes of writings but in ffew places the dates
are not mentioned directly. They are
a written
in
n cipher. The inscriptiion of a temple
t
in
‘R
Rajar Bari’ group
g
registe
ers“S
Shri Shri Durga,
D
Sha
ake Khasta
au dadhi
Chandra
C
parrimane cha
a abda Pau
ushe masi
site pakshe trayodashya
t
ang Shanaiischarang
bhabadhautr
etang
tran
hettwarthang
Bh
sa
adhyang
havayabe
Vishyeshwara
V
ajadhyaya Devi atti yatnai
ya
adakina. Sa
an 1265 sal.”
Th
his inscriptio
on does no
ot mention the year
directly. It ha
as been ke
ept in secre
et writing.
Th
he date ca
an be read from right to left as
well
w
as in the reversse direction, which
creates conffusion. The ttemple how
wever can
be assigned to 1859 A.D. stylistically, as the
other date, i..e. 1949 A.D
D. seems unlikely.
After
A
deciph
hering the d
date, the me
eaning of
th
he inscriptio
on stands tthat Bishesw
wari Devi
established the temple
e in the month
m
of
Pa
ausha, Krisshna paksh
ha, Trayodashi tithi,
Sa
aturday 185
59 A.D.
Inscriptions are found in the
t
below
tthe
band
just
cornice
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Clusterr 1: Sikir Tarraf
This clusster is locate
ed in the No
orth-East. It can be furtther divided into two
clusters, eastern and
d western side
e on either sid
des of the road.
er.
There arre 22 templess in the cluste
There arre 20 chala temples with variations; 1 standard ch
hala, 7 standa
ard chala
with ridg
ges and rath
ha projection
n, 1 chala witth heightene
ed façade and ridges
and rath
ha projection
n, 1 chala with straight co
ornice, 2 Jora
a-Shiva temp
ples and 3
couples.
emples.
There arre 2 Durga te
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Temple 1
This temple is located in isolation from other
temples in Sikir Taraf and is oriented to the
East. It is a hut-type (standard chala) temple
with a char-chala roof. It has few terracotta
plaques preserved on the façade.
Terracotta work is not elaborate as
compared to other temples since some
niches are kept plain.
The temple is dedicated to Shiva and has a
shiva-linga in the garbhagriha. The entrance
doorway has a multi-cusped arch, a motif
that emerged from the Indo-Islamic
Sultanate archtype.
The step-rails of the temple have an
elephant tusk motif.
This temple has been restored
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
by
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Temple 2
This temp
ple is also located a little
far from
m the ma
ain clusterr of
temples in Sikir Tara
af. It is orien
nted
to the West
W
and Thiis temple ha
as a
shikhara of a char-c
chala type with
ridges an
nd ratha prrojection. What
W
is peculiiar in this temple is the
bada stru
ucture whic
ch similar to that
of Orissan
n Rekha tem
mple. Moreo
over,
the ratha
a projection
n on the tem
mple
is continu
ued on the
e lower portion
of the tem
mple (bada
a) itself.
The pecu
uliarity of the
e temple is that
it is the only
o
chala te
emple in Maluti
has
temple
complex,
which
straight cornice un
nlike the other
o
temples which ha
ave a currved
cornice.
No terrac
cotta work is visible on
n the
temple face, whic
ch may have
h
been lostt over time.
This temple too is dedicated
d to
Shiva.
The Archaeological Survey of In
ndia
has carried out con
nservation work
w
for this te
emple.
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Temple 3 & 4
These Jorra-Shiva tem
mples are lo
ocated in th
he
eastern cluster
c
in Sik
kir Taraf and
d oriented to
the East.
o temples are
a situated
d on the sam
me
These two
platform and are sim
milar in plan, though the
ey
malaka an
nd
have a different apex (am
kalasha)..
These te
emples dep
pict a cha
ala style wiith
curved cornice
c
an
nd char-ch
hala shikha
ara
with ridg
ges and rattha projecttion. A min
nor
variation is seen in the temple roof, while
unded cha
ar-chala roo
of,
temple 3 has a rou
temple 4 has a strraight-edge
ed pyramid
dal
roof.
o be seen on
o
There is no terracottta work to
to
the faça
ade. The tem
mples are dedicated
d
Shiva.
onservation work has been
b
carrie
ed
Here, co
out by ASSI.
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Temple 5
There are
e two Durg
ga temples in Sikir Tarraf
cluster.
ple is in the
e eastern cluster
c
of Siikir
This temp
Taraf an
nd is oriented to the
e South. Th
he
temple has a porrch with th
hree arche
ed
entrance
es. The garb
bhagriha also has thre
ee
entrance
es. There are
e no window
ws.
here is row of busts in a straight line in the
Th
friieze. The pe
ediment on
n top with fa
airies and
fla
anked by lio
ons on eithe
er side also are clear
ev
vidence of
o British inffluence. The temple
doesn’t housse any imag
ge of a deity
y.
The temp
ple is in dila
apidated co
ondition, wiith
the roof having
h
colla
apsed.
A strong British colonial influenc
ce is visible in
i
case of
o pedime
ent
the architecture in
flanked by
b lions and
d arch formss.
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Temple 6
The temp
ple is locate
ed in the eastern clustter
of Sikir Ta
araf and is oriented
o
to the West. Itt is
a temple
e of the chala
c
type with curve
ed
cornice. It has a cha
ar-chala roo
of and ridges
and rattha projec
ction. The temple is
dedicate
ed to Shiva.
There are
a
a few terraco
otta images
depicting
g Krishna ico
onography visible on th
he
façade, in the nich
hes in a friieze, the re
est
have disa
appeared.A
An inscriptio
on is seen on
o
the band
d just below
w the cornice
e.
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Temple 7
This temple is in the eastern
cluster and is oriented to the
East. The temple is of chala
style and has curved cornice
and a char-chala roof with
ridges and ratha projection.
The temple is dedicated to
Shiva.
The doorway is surmounted
by a multifoil arched from,
reminiscent
of
those
developed in the Sultanate
and seen in Imperial Delhi
structures
such
as
Alai
Darwaza. The terracotta work
is seen on the façade above
the doorway, which depicts
the war between Rama and
Ravana.
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Temple 8 & 9
These tw
win temples located in
n the easte
ern
cluster off Sikir Taraf are
a oriented
d to the We
est.
Both stan
nd on the sa
ame platform and sha
are
a common wall. Th
he temples are of cha
ala
type. The
ey have a curved cornice, cha
archala roo
of with ridge
es and ratha
a projection
n.
Both the
e temples have
h
shiva--lingas in th
he
garbhagriha, which
h shows the
eir associatio
on
to
Sha
aivism.
ASSI
has
c
carried
o
out
conserva
ation work of
o the temples.
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Temple 10
This temple is located in the western cluster
and oriented to the West. It is a chala
temple with curved cornice and chala roof
and ridges and ratha projection.
The temple is dedicated to Shiva.
It has been recently conserved by the ASI.
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Temple 11
This temple is located in the
western cluster in the Sikir
Taraf next to temple 13 and is
oriented to the West.
The temple is a chala temple
with curved cornice and
char-chala roof with ridges
and ratha projection.
It preserves terracotta panels
above the door opening,
which depicts the fight
between Rama and Ravana.
The temple is dedicated to
Shiva. It has been conserved
by ASI.
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Temple 12
This Durga temple in the western cluster is
an exposed brick structure oriented to the
South. The temple is in dilapidated condition
and has no image in the garbhagriha.
The profile of arches, columns and
receeding door jambs demonstrate a
colonial influence on architecture. It has a
verandah with a four arched entrances. The
garbhagriha has two entrances and
windows on the front side.
The roof of the temple has fallen. There is no
image of deity in the temple.
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Temple 13
This temple, located in the western
cluster faces West. The temple has a
char-chala roof with ridges and
ratha projection and thus belongs to
chala style of architecture.
It is an important temple as it
preserves a large number of
terracotta panels on the façade.
The panel above the door opening
depicts the war between Rama and
Ravana. The temple is dedicated to
Shiva.
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Temple 14 & 15
These Jora-Shiva typ
pe of temp
ples stand on
o
the same
e platform and are similar in pla
an.
While tem
mple 14 is oriented to
t the Soutth,
temple 14 is oriented
d to the Norrth.
e temples have a sim
milar style of
Both the
architectture, i.e. chala type with curve
ed
cornice and char--chala rooff with ridges
and ratha
a projection
n.
Both hav
ve a shiva-linga in the garbhagrih
ha,
i.e. shrine
e chamber.
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Temple 16
The tem
mple is loc
cated in
between
n temples 14-15 and
17 in the
e western cluster
c
of
Sikir Taraf and is oriented to
the North
h.
It is a chala
c
tem
mple with
curved cornice an
nd charchala ro
oof, with rid
dges and
ratha pro
ojection.
This temp
ple has an in
nscription
in a band
d below the
e cornice.
The temp
ple is dedic
cated to
Shiva.
i
the
ere is a
In the interior,
metal rin
ng seen in
n all four
corners, which mu
ust have
been use
ed to hang
g canopy
over shiv
va-linga. Th
he traces
of the sa
ame detail are seen
in many temples.
t
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Temple 17
This temp
ple in the western
w
clusster
of Sikir Ta
araf seems to
t be the most
m
importan
nt temple in
n the cluster. It
is eviden
nt from the
e scale of the
t
temple and
a
elabora
ate terraco
otta
decoratio
on on the
t
façad
de.
Fortunate
ely, the panels ha
ave
been pre
eserved to a large exte
ent.
The terracotta pane
els include the
t
ween Rama
a and Rava
ana
war betw
depicted
d in the central
c
pa
anel
above th
he door op
pening, stories
from Krish
hnalila, Ram
mayana, other
deities, social
s
scenes as well as
floral pattterns.
The tem
mple is orie
ented to the
t
North. The temple
e belongs to
chala ty
ype of architecture. The
T
characte
eristics of th
he temple are
a
heighten
ned
faça
ade,
curv
ved
cornice and a ch
har-chala ro
oof
with
ridges
and
rattha
projectio
on.The tem
mple has a
shiva-ling
ga in the garbhagrriha
and thus is dedicate
ed to Shaivissm.
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ervation Report
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Temple 18
This temp
ple in the western cluster of Siikir
Taraf is orriented to th
he East.
It is chala
a structure. It has a cu
urved cornic
ce
and a ch
hala roof witth ratha pro
ojection.
The temp
ple is dedica
ated to Shiv
va.
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ervation Report
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Temple 19 & 20
These twin temples are located in front of
temple 14. The temples are oriented to the
North. They stand on the same platform and
share a common wall.
The temples belong to the chala type of
architecture with curved cornice and have
char-chala roof with ridges and ratha
projection.
Both the temples are dedicated to Shiva.
Other characteristics of the temples include
engaged columns and arched doorway.
Temple 20 has an original wooden door,
with hinges and a lock. Many wooden
doors are seen in other temples as well.
Both the temples are dedicated to Shiva.
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Temples 21 & 22
These temples are located towards the
southern end of Sikir Taraf. The temples are
located next to a shrine dedicated to
Goddess Kali which is a modern structure.
These twin temples are oriented to the East.
The temples stand on the same platform
and share a common wall.
They are of standard chala type with charchala roof and curved cornice.
The temples are dedicated to Shiva and
have a shiva-linga in the garbhagriha.
Temple 22 has an inscription in a band just
below the cornice.
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Cluste
er 2: Rajar Bari
B
This clusster is located
d to the westt of Sikir Taraff.
There are 17 temple
es in the cluste
er.
a 12 chala temples with
h variations; 4 standard chala
c
with rid
dges and
There are
ratha projection,
p
2 chala with heightened
d façade an
nd ridges an
nd ratha
projectiion, 3 twin temples. Th
here is one triplet. The solitary exa
ample of
Rasama
ancha in Maluti is seen in Rajar Bari. There is also 1 Rekha temp
ple in the
same cluster.
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Temple 30,
3 31 & 32
2
These three
t
temples are
attached
d to each other
o
and
share a common wall.
w
They
are oriented to the East.
E
These te
emples are
e peculiar
hexagon
nal shape in plan and
have co
onical shikh
hara, not
seen in other
o
clusterrs.
All three temples ha
ave shivalingas inside.
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Temple 33
3 & 34
These twin structuress are totally
y in
ruins.
The temp
ples are orriented to the
t
West.
mmon wall between the
t
The com
temple gives
g
an id
dea that this
t
must be a couple off chala style
e.
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Temple 35
3
This temp
ple stands on a low
plinth an
nd is orientted to the
North. Th
he temple is in chala
style of architecturre with its
curved cornice.
c
The
e roof is of
char-cha
ala type with
w
ridges
and ratha
a projection
ns.
The faça
ade preserves some
terracotta panels on
o pilaster
and som
me decorattive bands
on the fa
acade.
The tem
mple is ded
dicated to
Shiva.
ple has an inscription
The temp
in a ba
and just below
b
the
cornice.
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ervation Report
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Temple 36
3
This temple is a unique temp
ple
among the
t
group of temples at
Maluti ass it is the only
o
temple
e in
rekha sttyle of arrchitecture. It
stands next
n
to tem
mple 35, and
a
faces Ea
ast. It is a ridged rek
kha
type with
h tri-ratha prrojection.
It stands on a low pliinth.
erracotta panels
p
abo
ove
It has te
the doorr opening, which
w
depiicts
the batttle between Rama and
a
Ravana.
ciation to Shaivism is
Its assoc
evident from
f
a shiv
va-linga in the
t
garbhagriha.
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Temple 37
3
This temple is in an
a advanc
ced stage of
structural distress. Th
he temple is
i oriented to
the East. The temple has a heightene
ed
ala
façade, curved cornice and a char-cha
shikhara with
w ridges and ratha projections.
p
The interior of the
e temple has
h
howev
ver
survived. The temple
e is dedicate
ed to Shiva.
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ervation Report
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Temple 38
3
This tem
mple with heightene
ed
façade and curved cornice is
the most importan
nt temple in
Rajar Barri and perha
aps in Maluti.
This is evident from the scale of
o
the
temple,
elaboratte
terracotta work on the temple
e,
and the size of the
e shiva-ling
ga
inside.
he
The temple is oriented to th
East and
d stands in betwee
en
temple 37
3 and temp
ple 39, whic
ch
is a rasam
mancha. The temple is
in chala style with ridges an
nd
projections
ratha
a
and
rounded shikhara.
ork on th
he
The terrracotta wo
façade is almostt intact. It
depicts the
t
war bettween Ram
ma
and Ravana in the centra
al
panel ab
bove the door openin
ng
and divinities such
h as Vishn
nu
and his incarnatio
ons, Dasha
aMahavid
dya,
sce
enes
from
m
in
Ramayan
na and Krishna-lila
K
the niche
es,
The tem
mple is de
edicated to
t
Shiva.The
ere is an insscription in a
band justt below the cornice.
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Temple 39
3
This is a solitarry examp
ple
Rasaman
ncha in Maluti.
of
The temp
ple stands next
n
to tem
mple 38.
The entra
ance is orien
nted to the South.
The temple has an
n octagona
al plan
with eight archwa
ay opening
gs. The
roof is missing,
m
but it is likely that it
must hav
ve had a cu
urvilinear roo
of.
When bu
uilt, it must have been used
for the purpose of so
ome festiva
als or to
house im
mage of Rad
dha-Krishna. But at
present, it is used fo
or Kali worsh
hip as is
evident from
f
the pla
atform installed for
Kali worsh
hip.
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Temple 40
This chala temple stands on a low platform.
It is oriented to the East. It has curved
cornice and char-chala roof with ridges
and ratha projection.
The temple is dedicated to Shiva.
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Temple 41
4
This temp
ple located in Rajar Barri stands on
na
low plintth. The tem
mple is orie
ented to th
he
West.
ple is of chala style off architectu
ure
The temp
and has char-chala
a roof and
d ridges an
nd
ratha pro
ojections.
Some terrracotta pla
aques are visible
v
on th
he
front faç
çade, whiich depictt floral an
nd
geometriic patterns.
The temp
ple is dedica
ated to Shiv
va.
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Temple 42
4
This temp
ple stands on
o a low plin
nth and is
oriented to the Sou
uth. The tem
mple is in
ruins but preserves terracotta plaques
on the existing fa
açade wh
hich are
masterpie
eces of art.
The temp
ple must ha
ave been of chala
style, predominantly
y seen in Ma
aluti.
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Temple 43
4 & 44
These tw
win temples stand on a low plintth.
These tem
mples stand
d on the sam
me plinth an
nd
share a common wall. The temples are
a
oriented to the North
h.
ples are of chala type
e and have a
The temp
chala roo
of with ridge
es and ratha
a projection
ns.
Temples have curve
ed cornices..
n above th
he
Terracottta plaques are seen
door ope
ening and pilasters
p
on both
b
sides.
Both the temples prreserve orig
ginal woode
en
oth are dedicated to Sh
hiva.
doors. Bo
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Cluster 3: Madhyam Bari
This cluster is located next to Rajar Bari, little to the south of Rajar Bari. Only
three temples remain in this cluster out of which 1 is in ruins. The other two are
chala temples with char-chala superstructure and ridges and ratha
projections.
There are 7 other temples situated in different locations, which have been
added to Madhyam Bari for the purpose of description though their exact
association with Madhyam Bari remains unknown. There is a couplet, a triplet
and one chala structure with char-chala roof and ridges and ratha projections.
The only Kali temple which has been numbered by ASI is in the same cluster.
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Temple 47
4
This temp
ple is in ruiins. It is orie
ented to th
he
West.
atever rema
ains, it can be discerne
ed
From wha
that the temple must
m
have had a cha
arof.
chala roo
to
It is likely that the te
emple was dedicated
d
ough no shiv
va-linga can
n be seen.
Shiva tho
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Temple 48
This temple stands on a plinth and is
oriented to the West. This temple is
standard chala type with char-chala roof
and curved cornice. The roof has ridges
and ratha projections and a trishul on the
finial.
Few Terracotta panels are visible on the
façade. The temple is dedicated to
Shiva.There is an inscription in a band just
below the cornice.
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Temple 49
4
This tem
mple standss on a p
plinth and is
oriented to the No
orth. It is also
a
a cha
ala
d
to
o Shiva.
temple dedicated
The temp
ple has a cu
urved cornice and cha
archala roo
of with ridge
es and ratha
a projection
ns.
This tem
mple was once ad
dorned wiith
terracotta work, th
he traces of
o which are
a
visible on
n the façade
e.
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Temple 23
This is a flat-roofed temple dedicated to
Goddess Kali. The segmental arch,
pediment flanked by two lions are
indicative of British colonial influence. The
shrine has no image of the goddess, but has
a platform and a wooden plank, which is
used to install the image of the goddess
during Kali Puja.
Worship is also offered daily in the temple.
The temple is an important place for social
gathering.
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Temple 24
2 & 25
These tw
win temples stand nexxt to the Kali
K
temple. These tw
wo temple
es share a
common
n plinth an
nd are orie
ented to th
he
West. These two te
emples are of standa
ard
chala ty
ype with a char-cha
ala roof an
nd
curved cornice.
c
There is no
n terracotta
a work on the temples.
The temp
ples are de
edicated to
o Shiva as is
seen from
m shiva-linga
a in the garrbhagriha.
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Temple 26,
2 27 & 28
8
These th
hree temple
es stand on
o the sam
me
plinth. Th
hey are orie
ented to th
he West. The
ey
are simila
ar in plan. Th
hey are of chala
c
style of
architectture with char-chala
a roof an
nd
ridges and ratha projections
p
and curve
ed
cornice.
The temp
ples are ded
dicated to Shiva.
S
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Temple 29
2
The tem
mple standss next to Kali
K
structu
ure
which is a modern
n structure. The temp
ple
o a plinth and is orie
ented to th
he
stands on
West.
mple has a char-cha
ala roof wiith
The tem
ridges and ratha projections
p
and curve
ed
cornice, thus belongs to the chala
c
style of
architectture popula
ar in Bengal..
The temp
ple is dedica
ated to Shiv
va.
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Clusterr 4: Chhai Taraf
T
This cluster is located
d to the South
h.
er.
There arre 11 templess in the cluste
All these
e are chala temples with
h variations; 2 are standa
ard chala te
emples, 5
are with
h ridges and ratha
r
projecttion, and 2 couplets.
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Temple 50
5 & 51
This coup
plet faces North
N
East. These temples
stand on the same plinth
p
along
g with temples
nd 54.
52, 53 an
These tw
wo temples share a common wa
all,
and hav
ve a similarr plan as well
w
as simillar
style of architecture
a
e. The shikha
ara is of cha
archala type
t
with
h ridges and rath
ha
projectio
ons.
There are some terracotta pa
anels on th
he
façade. These
T
seem
m to be laterr additions.
The tem
mples
garbhagriha.
hav
ve
shiva-lin
nga
in
th
he
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Temple 52
5 & 53
These twin temples stand next to temple 54
on the same plinth
h. They face
e South Ea
ast.
Temple number 52
2 is intact, but temp
ple
number 53 has co
ollapsed and only th
he
doorway
y and part of
o the side wall
w remainss.
Temple 52 is of ch
hala type with curve
ed
cornice and char--chala rooff and ridges
and ratha
a projection
ns.
Both the temples are
a dedicatted to Shiv
va.
Temple 52
5 is peculia
ar since it ha
as three shiv
valingas in the
t
garbhag
griha.
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Temple 54
5
Temple 54
5 shares plinth with te
emples 50, 51,
5
52 and 53
3. It is orientted to South
h East.
This is a Shiva temp
ple in a cha
ala style wiith
ridges an
nd ratha prrojections on
o char-cha
ala
shikhara and curv
ved cornic
ce, the sty
yle
which is commonly
c
o
observed
in
n Maluti.
The temp
ple has terrracotta wo
ork preserve
ed
above the doorwa
ay and on pilasters on
o
either sides.
The temp
ple is dedica
ated to Shiv
va.
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Temple 55
5
This temp
ple shares plinth
p
with temple 56.
The temp
ple is oriented to the North
N
West.
This temp
ple is of chala type with charchala sh
hikhara an
nd ridges and
a
ratha
projectio
ons.
The terracotta work is seen on the
t
façade
of the temple above the doorw
way and in
the pilastters on both
h sides. It sh
hows scene
of battle between Rama
R
and Ravana in
the centrral panel as well as de
epicts floral
and geometrical mo
otifs.
a inscription in a band
d just below
There is an
the cornice.
mple has a shiva-ling
ga in the
The tem
garbhagriha.
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Temple 56
This temple shares its plinth with temple 55. It
is oriented to the North West. Like temple 55,
this temple is a of chala type with curved
cornice, char-chala shikhara with ridges
and ratha projections.
This temple has preserved terracotta panels
on the façade to a great extent. The
central panel depicts the battle between
Rama and Ravana. Social scenes such as
nauka-vilas, chaturanga sena, moving in a
palanquin are depicted at the base of the
temple. Floral and geometric motifs are also
used for ornamentation.
The temple has an inscription in a band just
below the cornice.
The temple is dedicated to Shiva.
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Temple 57
The temple is oriented to the North West.
This temple is a chala structure with
standard char-chala roof. The side walls of
the temple have collapsed but the front
façade and terracotta work on the façade
remains fairly intact.
The temple is dedicated to Shiva.
The temple has an inscription in a band just
below the cornice.
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Temple 58
This temple is oriented to the North
West. The peculiarity of the temple is
that it is octagonal in plan.
This temple is partly collapsed. It is a
chala structure and has a char-chala
roof with ridges and ratha projections
as is evident from what remains of the
shikhara.
The temple has a shiva-linga in the
garbhagriha, which shows that it is
dedicated to Shiva.
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Temple 59
5
This Shiva
a temple sta
ands on a plinth
p
and
faces No
orth East. It is a simple hut type
constructtion with standard ch
har-chala
roof. It has
h
an arc
ched doorw
way. The
temple has terracotta panels of the
façade, which depicts
d
the
e battle
between
n Rama and
d Ravana as
a well as
geometriical and floral ornamen
ntation.
The temp
ple is dedic
cated to Sh
hiva as is
evident from shiv
va-linga inside the
temple. There is also a Nand
di and a
trishul in the garbha
agriha. A canopy
c
is
hung in the temple
e above the shivalinga, wh
hich gives an idea as to
o how the
canopy was
w hung in
n the olden days.
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Temple 60
6
The tem
mple standss behind te
emple 59. It
stands on
o a plinth and is orie
ented to th
he
North Easst.
The temp
ple is of cha
ala type, with ridges an
nd
ratha pro
ojections an
nd curved cornice.
c
The faça
ade has terrracotta pa
anels, such as
battle scene, flora
al motifs, geometric
cal
patterns.
The temp
ple is dedica
ated to Shiv
va.
There is an
a inscription in a band
d just below
the cornice.
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Cluster 5: Mauliksha Temple Complex
This cluster is located to the extreme South in the village.
It has two listed temples. Temple 61 is the oldest temple of Maluti dating back
to 1719 A.D.
Temple 62 is the main temple in the complex dedicated to goddess Mauliksha.
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Temple 61
6
This temple stands on a high
h plinth an
nd
faces East. This tem
mple is a sta
andard cha
ala
temple with
w
char-c
chala roof and curve
ed
cornice. The façade of this te
emple is in a
poor co
ondition an
nd only few
w terracottta
figures re
emain in the
e niches on the
t
facade
e.
The temp
ple is dedica
ated to Shiv
va.
This is th
he oldest temple in the temp
ple
complex. The inscription on the façad
de
mentionss the date of
o its constru
uction as 1719
A.D. This thus beco
omes the oldest
o
date
ed
temple in
n Maluti tem
mple comple
ex.
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Temple 62
6
The temp
ple stands on a low plinth and is
oriented to the West. The
e temple is
ed to God
ddess Mauliiksha. It is a
dedicate
tutelary deity
d
of the
e Rajas of Nankar
N
and
d is
worshipp
ped as Simhavahini Durga.
D
It is a
temple of
o Ek Bangla style. It has a thre
eearched verandah which se
erves as an
a
entrance
e to the ga
arbhagriha with a sing
gle
door. The
e garbhagriha has sm
mall window
ws
on eitherr side, not se
een in case
e of any oth
her
temples in Maluti exxcept the Durga
D
temp
ple
number 12.
1 The temple has a do-chala roo
of.
The man
ndapa in frront of the temple is a
newly bu
uilt structure
e. Both the temple an
nd
the mand
dapa have been paintted.
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Temple Complex
A wall is built around the temple of
Mauliksha, which incorporates other two
temples, which seem to be modern
structures and a space around them.
In the complex, some images and other
antiquities have been placed on the
platform under a tree. It is likely that these
remains belong to Pala period.
Since it is a pilgrimage place, Mauliksha
temple is visited by many people. There are
a few shops outside the temple wall to
cater to the visitors.
A play area has also been developed
outside the temples for the visitors who wish
to spend some time in the area.
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2.3.
Sculpture
Iconography in Maluti
&
The iconography visible in Maluti is to be
seen at two levels. First is the deities which
are worshipped in Maluti, the other is the art
and iconography visible in the terracotta
panels which adorn the temples of Maluti.
Some of the temples at Maluti are plain but
some temples represent a very high quality
of brick carving with profuse ornamental
decoration upon the front facade.
The largest number of temples in Maluti are
dedicated to Shiva. Shiva is worshipped in
the form of a linga. The base of the linga is
made of earth on the temple floor and the
stone linga is inserted into it.
Goddess Kali is worshipped through image,
which is installed on a platform only during
Kali Puja.
In other place, a beautiful plaque of
goddess
Durga
killing
the
demon
Mahishasura is depicted. Figurines of
Lakshmi and Saraswati also appear in the
same plaque.
Right Top: Shiva-lingas in the chala temle
Right Middle: A platform in the Kali temple on which
the image is installed during Kali Puja.
Right Bottom: A frieze showing scenes of village life
and war
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A wide range of themes are depicted in the
terracotta panels. The most popular theme
which becomes the focal point is the
depiction of war between Rama and
Ravana shown above the door opening.
Rama is shown sitting on the arm of flying
Hanuman or a chariot and shooting arrows.
Lakshmana is shown behind him. His army is
also engaged in this war. Ravana is
depicted with 10 heads and 20 hands
holding various types of weapons. He is on a
chariot and he is also shooting arrows
towards Rama. The scene comes alive as it
is skilfully depicted by the craftsman
Right Top: Gopal Babu explaining the iconography
Right Bottom: A frieze from the Ramayana with Rama
shooting an arrow at the ten headed Ravana
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Temple 45
4 & 46
These tem
mples stand
d on a low plinth
p
and are
a
oriented to the North-West. They are of
pe with currved cornic
ces and cha
archala typ
chala roo
of with ridges and rath
ha projectio
on.
These tem
mples stand
d as a coup
plet and sha
are
a common wall. Unfortunately a wall of th
he
adjoining
g household
d also cuts through th
he
temples. The temples have fe
ew terracottta
a
the door
d
openin
ng.
plaques preserved above
ples are ded
dicated to Shiva.
S
The temp
Temple 46
4 has an in
nscription in
n a band ju
ust
below the cornice.
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Other scenes depicted in the niches are
scenes from Ramayana and also from
Krishnalila, etc.
Among the themes are scenes of
Ramayana, Rama and Lakshmana with
Hanuman, the meeting of Rama with
Bibhishan, Sugriva saluting Rama, Ravana
killing Jatayu and Sita sitting on a chariot,
Rama, Lakshmana and Sita proceeding to
the forest, the killing of Rakshasa Maricha,
the abduction of Sita, are significant
whereas among the scenes of Krishnalila,
the scenes of Krishna raising Govardhana,
Krishna with a calf, Krishna playing the flute,
Radha-Krishna, Krishna killing the demon
Bakasura, Krishna with Balarama, stealing of
clothes of bathing gopikas by Krishna,
churning of curd to procure butter by
Yashoda are depicted in the tiny plaques.
There is a typical terracotta plaque in which
Krishna is shown with six hands, with two
hands holding a bow and arrow, with other
two a flute and in the fifth hand he has a
bugle and in sixth hand he is holding a
sword.
The theme is taken from a ballad, where the
devotee is saying to his tutelary goddess
that you hold bow and arrow as Rama, flute
as Krishna, bugle as Shiva and sword as Kali.
Scenes from mythology, Puranas,
epics influenced the artists. The
walls of the temples provided them
with a wide scope to display their
mastery and skills and their
inspirations,
observations
got
reflected on this canvas in the most
beautiful way.
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The other Hindu deities like Durga, Lakshmi,
Ganesha, Kartikeya, Brahma and even
incarnations of Vishnu, Dasha Mahavidya
are depicted mainly in the niches above
the scene of battle between Rama and
Ravana.
Some mythological composite figures are
also used for decorating the temples.
Different terracotta panels on the façade of the temples
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What is also interesting is the depiction of
social life at the base of the temple on the
façade.
Scenes like Nuaka-vilas, Setu-bandha,
Chaturanga sena moving for hunting are
depicted at the bottom of the temples. The
scene of a palanquin carried by bearers is
also very interesting. A person, in all
probability Raja, is sitting inside with a
hookka. A dog is following the palanquin
closely. Moving with dogs was traditional
practice among the tribal people. Maluti is
encircled from all sides by Santhals, hence
this particular terracotta art of Maluti.
Dancing, worshipping, milking of cows and
ploughing of field are common scenes
depicting daily life. Even soldiers are shown
with guns. This not only gives insight into
local life, but also shows different influences
on the local life.
Social life was depicted at
the base of the temple
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Terracotta plaques which are purely
decorative and used for ornamentation are
also impressive. Different forms of flora and
fauna are used. Floral and geometric
devices like vertical creepers, petalled
rosettes, an arched recess enclosing floral
devices, scroll work with tendrils and leaves,
full and half-blown lotuses and lotus buds,
crenellations
resembling
arrowheads,
triangular devices containing an inset of
multipetaled rosette hanging, swirling
drapery have been used. Ornamented and
curved pilasters are also attractive.
Various animals are depicted in the scenes
which shows their close association with
human life.
The flat surface is divided into horizontal and
vertical divisions. The divisions are found to
be filled with terracotta plaques and panels
of which the themes are mythology, animals
and human activity. There is repetition of
decorative border.
The scenes were influenced by the episodes
of Indian epics, mythological scenes, and
provide testimony to artistic excellence.
Human activities, life of aristocrats, their
sports and pastimes, their amusements,
ornaments, jewellery, arms and weapons,
their tastes, customs, costumes, their
sentiment and culture, their affluence and
poverty, their joy and sorrow, relationship of
different sections of society, is also
immortalised in terracotta art.
The temples provided artists with canvas for
expression of their ideas. They drew
inspiration from society around them. Thus
these panels provide a panorama of
society and constitute valuable materials for
reconstructing the social and cultural
heritage.
Floral, geometric forms adorn the spaces of the façade.
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3. Sign
S
ifica
ance
e & Valu
V
es
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3.1 Sig
gnifica
ance
The villag
ge of Malu
uti is a ‘tem
mple village
e’.
Originally
y 108, overr 60 terracotta temples
survive from
f
the 18th and 19
9th centurie
es.
structures
These
have
su
urvived
th
he
vicissitude
es of time and
a
speak of tradition
nal
beliefs and
a
practices, artistic
c influence
es,
technica
al
develo
opments
and
th
he
constructtion vocabu
ulary of the period.
he sheer nu
umber of temples make
es it clear
Th
th
hat the site
e was witne
ess to great building
he patrons were the
activity in the period. Th
members
m
off the roya
al family and these
in
ncluded wo
omen patrrons. This gives an
in
nteresting in
nsight into tthe practic
ces of the
Nankar
N
king
gdom and at the same time,
re
eflect on tra
aditional Ben
ngali society.
The temples have a distinct place in th
he
architecttural develo
opment of Bengal
B
in th
he
late med
dieval perio
od. The loc
cation of th
he
village is importa
ant as it forms th
he
easternm
most bound
dary in the
e spread of
temple activity
a
in Be
engal. At th
he same tim
me,
the temp
ples depictt a very hig
gh quality of
regional art of Easte
ern India. Th
he temples at
Maluti were constru
ucted of brrick in such a
distinguished way th
hat the use
e of moulde
ed
bricks and terraco
otta plaque
es depictin
ng
naturalisttic and rea
alistic scene
es enhance
ed
the beau
uty of these temples.
Moreover,
M
what is significant is the
ha
armonious co-existenc
ce of differe
ent deities
lik
ke Shiva, Ka
ali, Durga, V
Vishnu as we
ell as local
deities like
e Dharma
araj, villag
ge deity
Mauliksha,
M
e
etc.
This re
eflects the spirit of
re
eligious freedom and to
olerance.
Maluti
M
is the among th
he rare villa
ages of its
kind with suc
ch a large n
number of te
emples of
su
uch a high standard
d of craftssmanship,
unique.
making
m
this
temple
e
village
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3.2 Values
“Values can be defined as the relative
social attribution of qualities to things;
values thus depend on society and can
change over time. The aim of conservation
is to safeguard the quality and values of the
resource, protect its material substance and
ensure its integrity for future generations.”1
Bernard Feilden & Jukka Jokilehto, Management
Guidelines for World Cultural Heritage Sites, ICCROM,
Rome, 1998
A heritage site preserves a number of values.
The presence or absence of values will lead
to the safeguarding and preservation of
cultural heritage resources or in other
instances, could lead to their neglect and
destruction.2 At the same time, these values
determine the policies for conservation at
any particular heritage site.
1
2
Ibid.
The Terracotta Temples of Maluti: A Conservation Report
111
Abha Na
arain Lambah Associa
ates for Glo
obal Herita
age Fund
The villag
ge engende
ers a multitude of value
es:
Archaeo
ological an
nd Historic value
The village of Ma
aluti preserrves over 60
nd
terracotta temples belonging to 18th an
th
19
cen
ntury. Thesse templess, with their
elaborate
e
terraco
otta
worrk
becom
me
importan
nt sources for the reco
onstruction of
history off the area, developme
ent of temp
ple
activity, etc.
e
They also provide glimpses in
nto
socio-eco
onomic life of the Nankar Kingdom
m.
They also
o enrich ou
ur knowledg
ge about th
he
religious practices of the 18
8th and 19
9th
century. The inscripttions on the
e temples not
n
only help
p date the temples, butt also give an
a
interesting insight in
nto the dev
velopment of
Bengali script.
Moreove
er, the villa
age exhibiits traces of
habitatio
on right from
m the pre-hiistoric perio
od,
which
adds
i
immensely
to
th
he
archaeological valu
ue of the site
e.
The Ter
rracotta Temples of
o Malutii: A Conse
ervation Report
R
112
Abha Na
arain Lambah Associa
ates for Glo
obal Herita
age Fund
Artistic and
a
Aesthe
etic Value
The artisttic and aesthetic valu
ue lies in th
he
high-qua
ality terraco
otta work visible
v
on th
he
temple fa
acades. The
e art at Ma
aluti continues
the terra
acotta trad
dition of la
ate mediev
val
Bengal. The
T
represe
entation of scenes fro
om
Ramayan
na, Krishnallila as well as depictio
on
of social life at the base along
g with wealth
a
fauna fo
orm importa
ant evidenc
ce
of flora and
of the local belie
efs and prractices an
nd
tradition current in
n Bengal in the la
ate
medieva
al period. They
T
provid
de importa
ant
evidence
e of the skills and mastery achieve
ed
by the local craftsm
men and artiisans and are
a
masterpie
eces of Indiian art.
The Ter
rracotta Temples of
o Malutii: A Conse
ervation Report
R
113
Abha Na
arain Lambah Associa
ates for Glo
obal Herita
age Fund
Architec
ctural and Technical
T
Value
The temp
ples of Maluti bear wiitness to the
high qua
ality of crafttsmanship and
a
the skillls
of the builders
b
in the use of
o terracotta
ornamen
ntation and brick construction. The
main co
onstruction material employed
e
in
constructtion was brick
b
and lime
l
mortar,
with terra
acotta panels on the façade. The
result is the beauttiful amalg
gamation of
o
different styles of arrchitecture prevalent in
i
d
the late medie
eval period
d.
Bengal during
This has given a un
nique chara
acter to the
village. Over
O
60 te
emples surrvive in the
village ev
ven today, and stand testimony to
the high quality of craftsmansh
hip achieve
ed
uilders.
by the bu
Setting and
a
Landsc
cape Value
The settting of the
e temples within the
vernacular village architectu
ure gives a
special character
c
to
o the villag
ge of Malutti.
The temp
ples are orie
ented in suc
ch a manne
er
that they
y form impo
ortant publiic squares in
i
the village, creating spacess for socia
al
gathering
g. Moreove
er, the landsscape of the
village, with
w
open grazing la
ands and a
number of lakes adds to the overa
all
experience on site.
Religiouss and Spirittual Values
Many of the temple
es in Maluti are still und
der
worship. Most of the
e temples are dedicate
ed
to Shiva. Moreoverr, deities like
e Durga, Ka
ali,
aj are also
local deities like Dharmara
temple has
worshipp
ped. The Mauliksha
M
become a place of pilgrimage
e. The temples
us spirit an
nd
are testiimony to the religiou
spirituality
y of the Na
ankar kingd
dom, which is
still reflec
cted in the village
v
today.
The villag
ge truly dese
erves the title of ‘templle
village’.
The Ter
rracotta Temples of
o Malutii: A Conse
ervation Report
R
114
Abha Na
arain Lambah Associa
ates for Glo
obal Herita
age Fund
Socio-ec
conomic Value
V
Research and Educational Value
e
Many traditional
t
social activities
a
s
still
continue
e in the villa
age of Ma
aluti. Thus th
he
of
village ca
an be looke
ed at as a storehouse
s
information on religious and soc
cial practices
and trad
ditions, whic
ch are otherwise lost in
other parrts of Benga
al.
Th
here is scope for rresearch in
n various
aspects like art, a
architecture
e, socioeconomic, re
eligious practices, etc.. and also
th
he importa
ant place the village
e has in
ov
verall development of temple arc
chitecture
provides
in
n
Bengal.
also
The
sitte
opportunitiess for public
c understan
nding and
appreciation
n of the rich
h terracotta
a tradition
and develo
opment of indigenous temple
architecture of Bengal through
h proper
in
nterpretation
n.
The temp
ples of Maluti have a potential to
generate
e revenue by
b attracting
g tourists. Th
he
tourists would
w
get enthralling
g experienc
ce
when the
ey visit this heritage
h
villa
age.
The Ter
rracotta Temples of
o Malutii: A Conse
ervation Report
R
115

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