Kantaji Temple

Infobox Mandir

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proper_name = Kantaji Temple
creator = Maharaja Ramnath
date_built = 1752 C.E.
primary_deity =Krishna
architecture = "Nava-ratna"
location = Dinajpur, Bangladesh

Kantaji Temple(Bangla: কান্তজী মন্দির) is a late medieval Hindu temple in Dinajpur, Bangladesh. Built by Maharaja Pran Nath, its construction started in 1722 C.E. and ended in 1752 C.E. [ [http://bol-online.net/newspages/travel/dinajpur.html Travel:Dinajpur] , from Bangladesh Online (ISP).] , during the reign of his son Maharaja Ramnath [ [http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/K_0076.htm Banglapedia - "Kantanagar Temple"] ] . It boasts one of the greatest examples on Terracotta architecture in Bangladesh and once had nine spires, but all were destroyed in an earthquake that took place in 1897 [ [http://www.journeyplus.com/bangladesh.html Journey plus - Dinajpur] .] .

Architecture

The temple was built in a "nava-ratna" (nine-jewel) style before the spires (containing the jewels) were destroyed by Earthquakes.

The 52'-0" square temple is centered in an oblong court (240'120") covered by a shed with a roof of corrugated tin. Its main fabric pivots around a nuclear square cell (10'-3"), reaching a height of about 50' above its 3'-3" high slab of stone, thought to have been mined from the ancient ruins of Bannagar near Gangarampur in Dinajpur. Three more square outer shells in graded heights have been added to it, to variegate the plan as well as to strengthen the central sanctuary on top of the massive tower.

Eight other towers, which have not been found, occupied the eight ceiling corners of the two lower stories. The curved cornice from the ground floor, which sharply drops at the corners, rises in the middle to a height of 25�-0�� from the plinth, while the first floor cornice rises to 15� and the second floor to 6�-6��. Small square cells are situated at the four corners of the ground and first floors. They serve the purpose of supporting the weight of the octagonal corner towers above. The temple contains four rectangular alleys on the ground floor circling the prayer hall which measure 30�-8���5�-0�� and 15�-6���4�-4��. On the ground floor, three multi-cusped arched entrances on each side are present, which are separated by two ornate brick pillars. The number of arched doorways in the ground floor in its four shells is 21; on the first floor it is 27. The second floor, reduced in size, has only three entrance doors and three windows. A narrow staircase, only 2�-3�� wide, is built into the western second corridor. It winds up through the dark passage to the first three stories [http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/K_0076.htm]

References