Ambika Kalna

Ambika Kalna is a historic town in the Bardhaman District. This town is known for its beautiful terracotta structures which is comparable to those of Bishnupur. Though, surprisingly this place is not very popular. Kalna or Ambika Kalna is situated on the banks of the River Bhagirathi Hooghly. A number of temples with beautiful terracotta works are found here. Let us explore the wonderful world of terracotta.

Terracotta work on Pratapeshwar Temple

History of Ambika Kalna

According to sources, the history of Bardhaman’s Kalna and Bankura’s Bishnupur are linked. The King of Bardhaman took over Bishnupur royal estate and settled in Kalna. After which both the places were enriched with the beautiful terracotta work. Later Aurangazeb appointed Raja Jagatram as the administrator of Kalna. Under the administration of Raja Jagatram & his Son, Kalna was further beautified by the art of terracotta. Several temples were built during this period.

In 1757, nineteen temples were built under the administration of Raja Tilakchand. Raja Tejh Chandra Bahadur also contributed to the beautification of the town by building magnificent temples. No place in Bengal other than Bishnupur has so many temples with beautiful terracotta in carved like Kalna.

The Terracotta Temples in Kalna

The region of Bengal (modern Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal) saw a remarkable surge in patronage and experimentation in art and architecture from the mid- 17th to the mid-19th century. Hundreds of brick temples were built in this period in innumerable villages across the land, all built in a new architectural style. There were several reasons behind this burst of creativity and patronage. Gaudiya Vaishnavism, a reformist religious movement was started by the mystic Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the 15th century. Many landlords and merchants throughout the land converted to Vaishnavism, and announced their conversion by sponsoring temples and temple complexes that allowed the congregational worship favoured in this new religion. Religious revival coincided with economic prosperity in Bengal, initially through changes brought about by the Mughal administration, and later through trade with Europe and Southeast Asia. Some temples were sponsored by merchants enriched by trade, others by zamindars or landlords who became wealthy through changes in the political order.

The merchants and small landholders mostly built individual "household" temples, while the large zamindars embellished their capitals at Bishnupur, Kalna, Puthia, Nadia, Kantanagar, and Baronagar with dozens of monumental temples.

Terracotta work on Temples in Kalna

Rajbari Complex

Most of the beautiful structures in Kalna are enclosed in this particular complex. A unique and variant architectural style is found in the monuments and temples. The most common architectural styles are Bengali chala, the multi tower designs, ridges Duel of Bardhaman-Bishnupur style, Flat-roofed, Rashmancha etc. Some of them are described below.

Rajbari Complex garden

Pratapeswar Temple- This beautiful temple is located to the left hand-side at the entrance to the Rajbari Complex. The temple consists of beautiful terracotta works on its walls. It is considered to be one of the finest arts of terracotta in the complex. It was built in the memory of Prince Pratapaditya by his first wife Priya Kumari in 1849. There are figures of Lord Krishna, Goddess Durga & the demon Ravana on the walls of this temple. The roof is made in the style of ridged rekha duel style, which is popularly known as Bishnupur-Bardhaman style. This temple was built by Ramhori Mistry and is a fabulous example of finest terracotta works in Bengal.

Pratapeshwar Temple (left); Terracotta work on the Pratapeshwar Templa (right)

Rashmanch- As one move forward from the entrance, the first structure that catches the eyes is this roofless brick building. This is also made from burnt clay. Its pillars are magnificent. A few Holi or Doljatra rituals are held in this Rashmanch.

Rashmanch

Pancharatna Temples- These temples are raised on low-platforms and are brick-built aatchala temples of varying sizes. These temples in a row were built in the 19^th century. There are Shiva lingas inside these temples.

Pancharatna Temple

The Lalji Temple- It is the oldest temple in the Rajbari complex. It was built in 1739 AD. This temple is brick-built with 25 ratnas (tower). The walls of the temple have beautiful terracotta plaques which depicts the royal hunting scenes. Though it is situated in the Rajbari , complex but in a separate enclosed compound. There is a Radha-Krishna idol in this Temple.

Lalji Temple

Krishnachandraji Temple- This 60 feet tall building was built by Raja Tilokchand during 1751-1755 AD. This temple is also built in the style of 25 Ratnas (towers) and aatchala. The terracotta work depicts various scenes from Ramayana & Mahabharata, of childbirth, hunting etc.

Other structures present in this Complex are- Giri Govardhan Temple, Ananta Basudeva temple, Vijay Vaidanath Temple & Mahis Mardini institution.

Krishnachandraji Temple

Siddesheswari Temple

It is the oldest temple in Ambika Kalna. The place also derives its name from the goddess Ambika Siddesheswari.  This temple was established by Rishi Amburish in 688 AD. Human sacrifices were practiced in this temple. This temple is built in the ekchala style. This is a protected monument now. There are 14 steps leading to the temple, the first five signifying the Tanrik Cult and the nine indicating the Nabagraha or the nine planets. Besides there are two Shiva temples.

Siddesheswari Temple

108 Shiva Temples

This is located just opposite to the Rajbari complex. As one enters the gate, only temples of the same kind are noticed. There is absolute no similarities among the temples except for the Shiva ling inside. Some have white Shiva ling and some black. Maharaja Tej Chandra had sponsored the construction of these temples. This construction was a project to celebrate the transfer of the royal estate. The architecture is interesting as the orientation of the temples is in two concentric circles. The first circle consists of 74 temples with alternate white and black shiva lings. The inner set of temples has all white shiva lings. These temples are also in the form of aatchala style. Women visit these temples during Shivratri. The view of temples aligned one after the other is really beautiful.

A part of 109 Shiva Temples

Jagganathbari

The queen of Burdwan established a few temples in the Jagganathbari in the year 1754. Among them two are of special architecture. Both are of 15-ft and 5-ft high foundation respectively. Beautiful Alpanas, scenes from Mahabharata are clearly depicted in the terracotta work on the temple wall. This place is not under maintenance but the temples are still in good conditions. There is also a huge well inside this Jagganathbari. It is located in the Jagganath para.

Jagganath Bari

  Mahaprabhubari

This was the residence of Gauridas Pandit where Lord Sree Chaitnya took shelter during his visit to Ambika Kalna thrice. The tree under which Lord Sree Chaitanya rested still exists. It is popularly known as ‘Tentultala’ in Mahaprabhu para. World’s first idol of Lord Chaitnya is present here. The foot impression of Mahaprabhu can be seen here.

Handloom in Kalna

There are almost 300-400 handlooms in Kalna. Across the River Bhagirathi is Nadia, Shantipur. Launch services are provided to cross the river. Here at Shantipur, silk and handloom sarees are very popular. This contributes almost 30% to the economic growth of this town. These sarees are brought to Kalna from where export is done to the other parts of the country at much higher prices. It is interesting to watch the skilled workers work in the handlooms. A saree that costs around Rs 2000 in Kolkata can be purchased at much lower price in Kalna.

Tant saree laid to dry (left); Rolls of Tant sarees kept outside the loom (right)

Festivals of Kalna

The main festival of Ambika Kalna is the Saraswati Puja. This festival is celebrated just like Durga Puja in Kolkata. Theme pujas are also organized. Fairs are held, Schools and colleges also organize pujas in their institutions. Band processions begin from the morning, which move around the whole town.

River Bhagirathi

River Bhagirathi is one of the two headstreams of the River Ganges. Kalna is situated on the banks of this river. Water transport is widely popular. The scenery at the Ghats is really beautiful & one can spend hours sitting by the Ghats watching the boats and ferries sailing up & down. The mid-river is extremely shallow due to heavy slit deposition.

River Bhagirathi

Kalna is enriched with the beauty of its terracotta temples. But it is still unknown to many people that a part of history also lies in the shadow of this magnificent place. Under the various rulers, the artistic structures were built that enriched the beauty of Bengal. Many of the temples and monuments are maintained by the state government. The effort made by the ASI is really appreciable as it has led to the preservation of these valuable historical structures.

TRAVEL TIPS

Getting there: Howrah – Katwa local ; Sealdah – Katwa local.

Getting around: Rickshaws are the only alternative. It takes 2 ½ to 3 hours for the entire trip. Charges are about Rs75 per rickshaw for the entire trip, but it is subject to heavy bargain.

Places to eat: The temples and pilgrimages of Kalna can be covered in a day. There are several places to eat. Hotel Priyadarshini, near the bus stand offers good food at reasonable prices.

WHERE TO STAY

There are many budget hotels and dharmashalas in the town. One can also opt to stay at the PWD guest house. It is advisable to book rooms in advance.

-Jaismita Alexander

The same article was published by The Telegraph in Schools (TTIS)