Jor Bangla Temple, Itanda, Birbhum

Kinjal Bose

Birbhum has a number of temples of varying shapes and sizes of which the brick-built temple of Jor Bangla type at Itanda located about fifteen kilometres from Bolpur deserves special mention. It is possibly the only jor bangla temple of the district.   This type is said to be an altered and improved style of do chala or also called ek bangla. A jor bangla type is formed by placing the roofs of two ek bangla temples side-by-side. This type of temples are also found in other areas of West Bengal like Jor Bangla Temple at Bishnupur in Bankura; Chaitanyadev Temple at the temple complex in Guptipara in Hooghly and Jor Bangla Temple at Birnagar in Nadia just to name a few.

There are a number of temples in Itanda of which Jor Bangla Kali Temple is a state protected monument. The temple has been renovated. This south-facing temple was built in the middle of the eighteenth century. It is on a slightly raised platform with intricate terracotta decoration. Legends say that the temple was once housed by a group of dacoits named as Harkata group and they used to worship Kali.

The temple facade had terracotta figures of extraordinary craftsmanship though some figures got damaged. One will witness some exquisite terracotta panels of war scene between two war ships, rows of soldiers marching with guns, noblemen and soldiers, Goddess Bishnu, Kal Bhairav, dwarpal, Surya in chariot, Sita, Ravana, mrityulata or death-vine, two ladies standing side by side, soldiers on horseback, Shumbha and Nishumba and Chandi and several other figures. There are plenty of terracotta panels in this temple.