Kantajew Temple in Dinajpur

A southern view of Kantajew Temple in 1871 showing the nine spires that were subsequently destroyed in an earthquake

Proper name:Kantajew Temple

Location-Country:Bangladesh,State:Rangpur Division,District:Dinajpur.

Architecture and culture:Primary deity-Krishna,Architectural styles-Nava-ratna

History:Date built-1752 C.E,Creator-Raja Ramnath.

Kantajew Temple is a late medieval Hindu temple in Dinajpur, Bangladesh. Built by Maharaja Pran Nath, its construction started in 1702 C.E. and ended in 1752 C.E. during the reign of his son Maharaja Ramnath. 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.

Architecture

The 52 feet square temple is centered in an oblong court, 240 × 120 ft (73 × 37 m), covered by a shed with a roof of corrugated tin. Its main fabric pivots around a nuclear square cell (10 ft 3 in (3.12 m)), reaching a height of about 50 ft (15 m) above its 3 ft 3 in (0.99 m) 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.

The curved cornice from the ground floor, which sharply drops at the corners, rises in the middle to a height of 25 ft 0 in (7.62 m) from the plinth, while the first floor cornice rises to 15' and the second floor to 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m). 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 ft 8 in (9.35 m) by 5 ft 0 in (1.52 m) and 15 ft 6 in (4.72 m) by 4 ft 4 in (1.32 m). 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 ft 3 in (0.69 m) wide, is built into the western second corridor. It winds up through the dark passage to the first two stories.

Kantajew Temple photo