First of all let me say that this is not a pure travel story. It is also an attempt to know the true history of Kantji's temple amidst many myths.
1682 AD The throne of Delhi was then ruled by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. At that time the zamindari of Dinajpur was having a bad time. After the untimely death of his two elder brothers, zamindar Prannath Roy ascended the throne of the zamindari. Prannath Roy was the youngest brother. As a zamindar, Prannath Roy was very popular. It is said that at that time he dug Ramsagar Dighi at a cost of about 30,000 rupees to alleviate the water woes of the people.
A few years after ascending the throne, he faces a major conspiracy. At that time Raja Raghabendra Roy had zamindari in Ghoraghat area. Family wise there was a hostile attitude between the zamindari of Dinajpur and Ghoraghat. And Prananath had barely taken over the zamindari after the shift of power between the two brothers, so it was a good opportunity for Raghabendra Roy. He wrote a letter to the king of Delhi and sat down. Which meant that Prannath killed his two elder brothers Ramdev and Joydev one after the other through a family conspiracy and seized the throne. In addition he is an oppressive and exploitative landlord. The most serious allegation was that he did not send regular rents to the Mughal court and was not loyal to the king of Delhi.
This conspiracy of Raghabendra Roy worked. King Aurangzeb issued a summons to Prannath to apologize. Prannath had to run thousands of miles on his way to Delhi. On his way, he took with him the famous fragrant Kataribhog rice of Dinajpur and valuable gifts as gifts to the Mughal emperor.
Prannath's humble demeanor and valuable gift broke King Aurangzeb's mistake. He acquitted him of the charge and, pleased with his love and allegiance to the Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb conferred on him the title of 'King'. As well as ordering him to successfully manage the zamindari again.
After being rescued from danger, Prannath decided that he would do something for religion. In his personal life he was a big devotee of Krishna. So in gratitude after receiving the title of king, he decided to visit Vrindavan before returning to his homeland and decided to go back and build a temple of Lord Krishna. But let me say here, a myth says that the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb himself ordered him to build a black temple.
Prannath left Delhi for Vrindavan. He stayed there for some time and a black idol fascinated him. When he decided to bring the idol with him, one night in a dream, Lord Krishna forbade him to take the idol and said that it would hurt his devotees. But since Prananath was a devotee of Krishna, Lord Krishna promised to please him that he must go with him, but not in this idol but in another idol that looks like this idol which he will get while bathing the next day.
According to the dream, the next day while bathing, he got a black idol which looked exactly like that idol. But another myth is that when Prannath arrives in the navy, his fleet stops at one place and he gets a Krishnamurti. Then Lord Krishna came in his dream and instructed to establish life in this idol. In fact, there is no historical record of these stories, it would be easier to look at the whole thing from a mythological point of view.
Returning to Dinajpur, Prannath took the initiative to establish life in this idol. He chose Shyamgarh area to build the temple. This is the Shyamgar mentioned in the Mahabharata. He built a temporary temple on the banks of the river Dhepa. The name of Shyamgarh was changed to Kantnagar after Lord Krishna. The life of that Krishnamurti is established in that temporary temple. This temporary temple still stands in ruins near the temple of Kantji.
Prannath now turned his attention to the construction of a large temple and decided to decorate the entire face of the temple with terracotta plaques. In 1704, the construction of the main temple began. The construction work of the temple continues with the outstanding skill of the craftsmen on the high altar. At one point in his life, Prannath Roy passed away. He died in 1722. He had no sons. So his adopted son Ramnath Roy ascended the throne. After ascending the throne, he proceeded to build the temple according to his father's last wish. The construction of the temple was completed in 1752.
Many people call it Navaratna Mandir because of the nine peaks in the temple. The temple was hit by a major earthquake in 1897 and its peaks collapsed. Maharaja Girijanath, the zamindar of the time, carried out extensive renovations to the temple, but in the end it was not possible to renovate the pinnacles.
In 1960, the government's Department of Archeology declared the temple an ancient monument and undertook the task of renovating it. This antiquity has been preserved by the Archaeological Department ever since. However, it is better to say here that the black idol brought by Prannath Roy is no more. The statue was stolen during a procession. According to many, the statue was stolen during the earthquake.
This was the history of the construction of Kantji's temple. Let's take a look at the features of this temple.
This temple is famous mainly because of its unimaginable architectural style. At the time of construction, the height of the peak of the temple was 70 feet. Built on three floors, the structure of this temple is a unique example of architecture. However, the most interesting aspect of it is the terracotta plaques or terracotta carvings placed all over the body. This temple with about 15,000 terracotta plaques was the most beautiful temple in undivided Bengal. Not only that, it was the eleventh wonder of undivided India.
The terracotta plaques on it are of a very noble mind which cannot be seen in any contemporary building. However, the specialty of terracotta plaques is actually elsewhere. These are not ordinary terracotta works. The story of Ramayana and Mahabharata has been narrated on each of its plates. However, some of the fruits can be seen depicting the Mughal period. However the presentation of these slabs was unique which is not seen in other terracotta patterns. The cornice of its pillars depicts contemporary life and the hunting of the elite.
The second stage is a reflection of the Mughal way of life. The scene of the chariot inlaid with the hunting and craftsmanship of the Mughal emperors can be seen at this stage. The third step is the description of the myth. The story of Ramayana and Mahabharata is narrated in this part. Important myths like the battle of Kurukshetra, the banishment of Sita, the killing of Bakasur etc. have found a place in this stage. But the most important thing in this step is the ceremonial representation of Lord Krishna. The stories of Lord Krishna are depicted here as the lives of the people. Myths have been developed from a human point of view. These plaques are therefore a unique example of the creativity and skill of the artisans in the folklore presentation of mythology.
The terracotta work on the walls ;
Why go to Kantji's temple
The Kantjir temple on the banks of the river Dhepa is a unique example of terracotta architecture. You will not find such exquisite terracotta plaques used in this temple anywhere else in the country. You can also go to see the famous Rasmela of Kantji's temple in Dinajpur, the oldest district of North Bengal. The serene natural environment of Kantnagar is undoubtedly an attraction for any traveler. And yes, you will also see the historic Nayabad Mosque as a bonus for visiting Kantji's temple. Let me tell you that Muslim architects from India built this mosque for themselves to build the temple of Kantji. Medieval architecture is also found here.
Tour guide
Kantji's temple is located in Kaharol upazila, 20 km north of Dinajpur city. You can go directly to Dinajpur by bus and train from Dhaka. After that you can take a simple bike down to a place called Baromile and cross the one kilometer walk to reach the village of Kantnagar which is calm and soothing. Of course you can also go by van from Baromile.
When Kantji's visit is over, don't forget to visit the nearby Nayabad Mosque. The natural environment of this small beautiful mosque will fascinate you. And with Kantji's temple you can visit some other famous places of Dinajpur as a bonus such as: Ramsagar, Sukhsagar, Dinajpur Rajbari and Shingra Forest. The oldest district in North Bengal will undoubtedly give you a wonderful tour.
You will also get juicy litchi from Dinajpur as a bonus for summer travel. However, due to the variety of pithapuli, this northern town wakes up the most during the winter season. However, if you go to the winter season, you must take adequate preparation. Have a nice trip to Dinajpur in the bone-chilling winter of the north.
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