Author: Koushik Halder
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.70798/Bijmrd/03120039
Abstract: The terracotta temples of Ambika Kalna, a town in the East Bardhaman district of West Bengal, are believed to be one of the finest manifestations of late mediaeval temple architecture in Bengal. These temples were mostly built in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries under the patronage of the Bardhaman Raj and the local zamindars. These temples combine unique architectural forms with a vast terracotta decoration programme. The present study investigates the architectural features, socio-cultural meaning, artistic values, and stylistic characteristics of the terracotta artefacts by employing an interdisciplinary approach comprising architectural history, art history, archaeology, and iconography analysis. The study explores the major temple types – Chala, Ratna, Dalan, Chandni and Mancha – and the narrative and decorative terracotta plaques representing mythological episodes, historical events, political authority, religious symbolism and scenes of day-to-day life. The thematic classification of the plaques is based on their compositional strategies, carving techniques, spatial organisation and symbolic motifs, including the Mrityulata. The terracotta temples of Ambika Kalna, the study argues, are not just sacred monuments but also visual archives of the cultural, religious and social history of early modern Bengal. By establishing the intimate relationship between architecture, narrative, patronage, and artistic innovation, the paper situates these temples as important expressions of Bengal’s regional heritage and an indispensable resource for the study of South Asian architectural and visual culture.
Keywords: Ambika Kalna, Terracotta Temples, Bengal Temple Architecture, Terracotta Artifacts, SocioCultural Heritage, Stylistic Analysis, Visual Culture.
Page No: 326-334