Bengal temple architecture#Ratna temple

According to David J. McCutchion, historically the religious architecture in Bengal may be divided into three periods: the early Hindu period (up to the end of the 12th century, or may be a little later in certain areas), the Sultanate period (14th to early 16th century), and the Hindu revival period (16th to 19th century). "The coming of the Muslims at the beginning of the 13th century marked a sharp break with the past. After an initial century or so of anarchy and consolidation ... Bengal as we know it today became an independent entity for the first time. During the following two centuries a distinctive Bengali culture took shape".{{cite book |last1=McCutchion |first1=David |author-link=David McCutchion |title=Late Mediaeval Temples of Bengal |year=1972 |location=Calcutta |publisher=The Asiatic Society |oclc=1019953308 |page=1}}

"Between the earlier and later Hindu periods astonishing religious changes took place in Bengal: the worship of Vishnu gave way to that of Radha-Krishna, of Chamunda to that of Kali; Surya fell entirely out of favour; curious folk cults like that of Dharmaraja or Dakshina Raya arose." The temples of pre-Muslim period can be called tall curvilinear rekha deul.{{Cite web |title=Chitrolekha International Magazine on Art and Design, Special Issue on the Temples of Bengal |url=http://www.chitrolekha.com/V2/n1/01_Temples_Bengal_Style_Technology.pdf |access-date=2023-02-20 |archive-date=2013-08-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130827005238/http://www.chitrolekha.com/V2/n1/01_Temples_Bengal_Style_Technology.pdf |url-status=live }} Another equally common group of temples found in Pre-Mughal Bengal are temples with tiered pyramidal tower known as pirha or bhadra deul. During the earlier and later Hindu period religious changes took place in Bengal which also brought some changes in the temple architecture. In their places of the other temple styles appeared two entirely new styles- hut style and the pinnacled style.

File:Classification of Bengal Temple Architecture 12.jpg|Classification of Bengal Temple Architecture

{{main|Chala Style}}

The ek-bangla or do-chala consists of a hut with two sloping roofs, following the pattern of huts, mostly in East Bengal villages. The stone temple at Garui in Bardhaman district of West Bengal, built in the 14th century, has a Bengal hut shaped roof.{{Cite web |title=ASI Kolkata Cirle |url=http://www.asikolkata.in/barddhaman.aspx#Stone |access-date=2023-02-04 |archive-date=2023-02-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204045425/http://www.asikolkata.in/barddhaman.aspx#Stone |url-status=live }} Two huts, one forming a porch in front and the other being the shrine at the back constitutes the jor-bangla design – "Bengal's most distinctive contribution to temple architecture".{{cite book |last1=McCutchion |first1=David |author-link=David McCutchion |title=Late Mediaeval Temples of Bengal |year=1972 |location=Calcutta |publisher=The Asiatic Society |oclc=1019953308 |page=5}}

In West Bengal, the hut roof generally has four sides and the char-chala temple is built on this model. If a miniature duplicate is built on the roof, it becomes an at-chala. The char-chala temple form was well established by the 17th century. Apart from the main shrines, nahabatkhana or entrance gateways also have a do-chala roof.{{cite book |last1=McCutchion |first1=David |author-link=David McCutchion |title=Late Mediaeval Temples of Bengal |year=1972 |location=Calcutta |publisher=The Asiatic Society |oclc=1019953308 |page=8}}

File:Terracotta panels of Char Bangla group of temples of Azimganj in Murshidabad district of West Bengal. 56.jpg|Char Bangla group of temples at Baranagar in Murshidabad district are examples of ek-bangla temples

File:Bishnupur IMG 0951.jpg|Jor Bangla temple at Bishnupur, Bankura district

File:Terracotta Temple at Palpara.jpg|Char-chala temple at Palpara, Nadia district

File:Aatchala Shantinath Shiva Temple at Gosaibazar area of Chandrakona Town in Paschim Medinipur 01.jpg|At-chala Shantinath temple at Chandrakona, Paschim Medinipur district

File:Baro Chala temple of Buro Shiva at Jalsara under Ghatal Police Station in Paschim Medinipur district in West Bengal 05.jpg|Baro-chala Buro Shiva temple at Jalshara, Paschim Medinipur district

File:Kiriteswari Temple.jpg|alt=Kiriteswari Temple, Murshidabad, West Bengal|Kiriteswari Temple at Kiritkona in Murshidabad district is a char-chala having curved cornice and with an ek-bangla porch

File:Bishnu temple at Garui in Paschim Bardhaman district 03.jpg|14th century temple, Garui, Paschim Bardhaman, West Bengal

{{main|Ratna Style}}

The curved roof of a ratna temple "is surmounted by one or more towers or pinnacles called ratna (jewel). The simplest form has a single central tower (eka-ratna), to which may be added four more at the corners (pancha-ratna)". The number of towers or pinnacles can be increased up to a maximum of twenty-five. The ratna style came up in the 15th-16th century. Muslim domed temples are very rare, except possibly in Cooch Behar.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}

"Ratna style temples are the composite type of architecture... The lower part of the temple has all the features of the curved cornices and a short pointed spire crowns the roof and this will be adorned with the introduction of ratnas or kiosks."{{cite web |url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Temple_Architecture |title=Temple architecture |first=Nasreen |last=Akhter |website=Banglapedia |access-date=26 August 2020 |archive-date=1 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301005846/http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Temple_Architecture |url-status=live }}

File:Ram Chandraji temple of Guptipara in Hooghly district 01.jpg|Ek-ratna Ramchandraji temple at Guptipara, Hooghly district

File:Ek Ratna Gopinath Temple at Radhakantapur under Daspur Police Station at Paschim Medinipur district in West Bengal 28.jpg|Ek-ratna temple at Radhakantapur, Paschim Medinipur district

File:Shyam Rai Temple, Bankura.JPG|Pancha-ratna Shyam Rai temple at Bishnupur, Bankura district

File:Radhabinod temple of Joydeb Kenduli in Birbhum district 03.jpg|Nava-ratna Radha Binode temple at Jaydev Kenduli, Birbhum district

File:Kaharol dinajpur.jpg|Naba-ratna Kantajew Temple in Dinajpur, Bangladesh.

File:Haneswari and Vasudev temples3.jpg|With 13 minars Hangseshwari temple has a distinct identity, at Bansberia, Hooghly district

File:17 pinnacled Parbatinath Temple in Raghunathpur area at Chandrakona Town In Paschim Medinipur district 13.jpg|Saptadasa-ratna Parvatinatha Temple at Chandrakona, Paschim Medinipur district with 17 pinnacles

File:Gopalbari Temple Kalna.jpg|Panchavimsati-ratna Gopalbari temple at Kalna City, Purba Bardhaman district, with 25 pinnacles

File:25 pinnacle Rasmancha of Narajole Rajbari in Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal 01.jpg|Panchavimsati-ratna rasmancha at Narajole, Paschim Medinipur district, with 25 pinnacles

The flat-roofed (dalan) temples "with their heavy cornices on S-curved brackets ... have a long Indo-Islamic palace and temple tradition". They were influenced by European ideas in the 19th century. The design was easier to build. In the long run, this style lost its special identity as religious architecture and got mixed up with domestic architecture.{{cite book |last1=McCutchion |first1=David |author-link=David McCutchion |title=Late Mediaeval Temples of Bengal |year=1972 |location=Calcutta |publisher=The Asiatic Society |oclc=1019953308 |page=12}} In some temples a dome has been added,

File:Corner view of Flat roofed temple at Bhalki in Purba Bardhaman district.jpg|Flat-roofed dalan temple at Bhalki, Purba Bardhaman

File:Sharabhuja Gauranga Dalan temple at Panchrol under Purba Medinipur district 03.jpg|Dalan temple, Sharabhuja Gauranga temple at Panchrol, Purba Medinipur district

File:Radha Binoda temple at Panchrol under Purba Medinipur district in West Bengal 07.jpg|Dalan temple with rekha deul superstructure, Radha Binoda temple at Panchrol, Purba Medinipur district

File:Madan Mohan Bari Cooch Behar.jpg|Flat roofed dalan with dome, Madan Mohan Bari, Cooch Behar

File:Shiva temple at Puthia, Rajshahi.JPG|Flat roofed dalan with pancha-ratna superstructure in the Puthia Temple Complex at Puthia Upazila, Rajshahi district, Bangladesh

The traditional rekha deul is predominant in the western districts of Bengal. Some are smooth curvilinear and others are ridged curvilinear. In the smooth type, the sikhara is free of horizontal bars and in ridged type, it is closely ridged with bars. The ratha projections are generally deep and spaced, and sometimes decorated. The crowning amalaka is generally large and flat. There are large and small types of deuls. Many of the very small types dispense with the complicated styling. It went on developing from the late 7th century or early 8th century to around the 12th century, increasing its complexity and height but retaining its basic features.{{cite book |last1=McCutchion |first1=David |author-link=David McCutchion |title=Late Mediaeval Temples of Bengal |year=1972 |location=Calcutta |publisher=The Asiatic Society |oclc=1019953308 |pages=3, 19, 21–22}}

File:KITLV 88210 - Unknown - Temples at Barakhar in British India - 1897.tif|Barakar temples at Barakar in Paschim Bardhaman district. Photograph by Joseph David Beglar in 1897. Possibly, the earliest rekha deuls still standing.

File:Siddheshwara Temple at Bahulara, Bankura.jpg|Bahulara Ancient Temple, Bankura district, 8th-11th century

File:Sat Deul 6.jpg|Sat Deul, Purba Bardhaman district, 10th century

File:Jatar Deul - WB.jpg|Jatar Deul, South 24 Parganas, 11th century

File:Deul at Banda, Purulia WLM2016-0207.jpg|Banda Deul, Purulia district, 11th century

File:Temple of Ichai Ghosh.jpg|Ichhai Ghosher Deul at Gourangapur, Paschim Bardhaman district, 16-17th century

Temples of identical style and size are sometimes grouped together. Two identical Shiva temples are called a Jora Shiva temple. Groups of four, six and twelve Shiva temples are quite popular. The most elaborate groups existing have 108 Shiva temples.{{cite web |url=https://amitguha.blog/2017/11/15/terracotta-temples-of-bengal/ |title=Terracotta Temples of Bengal |first=Amit |last=Guha |publisher=Amit Guha |access-date=26 August 2020 |archive-date=2018-09-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904091003/https://amitguha.blog/2017/11/15/terracotta-temples-of-bengal/ |url-status=dead}}{{self-published inline|certain=yes|date=May 2024}}

File:WLM@WB-Nava-Kailasha Temple in Kalna (Panoramic View) 02.jpg, Purba Bardhaman district]]

File:108 shiv temple.jpg|108 Shiva temples at Nababhat, Bardhaman, Purba Bardhaman district

File:"5. Cluster Of Temples in the village of Maluti in the Dumka district of Jharkhand.jpg|72 temples at Maluti, Dumka district, Jharkhand - 36 temples have been destroyed

File:26 Siva Temples.jpg|26 Shiva temples at Khardaha, North 24 Parganas district

File:Shiva Temples - Barisha - Kolkata 2011-10-03 030299.JPG|Dwadash Shiva Temples at Barisha locality in Kolkata

{{reflist}}

{{Architecture of India}}

{{Temple towns in West Bengal}}

{{Hindu temples in Bangladesh}}

{{Hindu temples in West Bengal}}

{{West Bengal}}

Category:Sacral architecture

Category:Culture of West Bengal

Category:Buildings and structures in Bangladesh

Category:Hindu temple architecture

Category:Indian architectural styles