Gangeshwar Temple of Baranagar, Murshidabad

Kinjal Bose

Baranagar in Lalbag subdivision of Murshidabad district of West Bengal houses a number of temples of varying shapes and sizes – some with exquisite terracotta works of which Gangeshwar Temple deserves a special mention.

Rani Bhavani had built a number of temples at Baranagar – Gangeshwar Temple (c 1753), Bhavanisvar Temple (c 1755), Char Bangla Temples (c 1755) and Raj Rajeshwari Temple (1757). Among them Bhavanisvar Temple and Char Bangla Temples are protected monuments under Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Kolkata circle and Gangeshwar Temple is a state protected monument under Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, West Bengal. That apart there are also other temples in the region. Each temple is distinct from the other in its own way and is well maintained.

The brick built west-facing Gangeshwar Temple is of ‘jor bangla’ type of architecture. A jor bangla temple is formed by placing two ‘ek bangla’ temples side-by-side. There a few such temples in West Bengal.  Examples of this type are Jor Bangla Temple at Bishnupur, Bankura; Chaitanyadev Temple at the temple complex in Guptipara, Hooghly; Jor Bangla Temple at Birnagar, Nadia; and Jor Bangla Temple at Itanda, Birbhum just to name a few.

Built around 1753, this temple has rich terracotta decorations in its front. The arches, walls and pillars are all richly ornamented with terracotta work ranging from scenes of Ramayana, Krishna Lila, gods & goddesses and scenes from daily life. Apart from the western side, terracotta works are also there in the southern side.

Like other temples, it has a triple arched entrance but unlike other mandir it is almost at flat level. Most of the terracotta panels are intact depicting Bengal’s unique style of terracotta prevalent at that time and exquisite workmanship of the artisans. This temple has two entrances – one from the western side consisting of three doors and the other from the southern side.

Special reference can be made to two angular sculptures with terracotta decorations in the two corners of the facade of the temple. A close look will reveal that parts of the decoration just above the sculpture have got damaged.

The second ek bangla structure containing the door leads to the temple sanctum where there are three Shiva lingas made of black stone. The trees surrounding the temple give it a unique look. The Gangeshwar Temple of Baranagar, Murshidabad is a must visit for its rich history, tradition and terracotta work.