kinjalbose

Shyamsundar Temple, Jhikira, Howrah

Jhikira and Rautara are two side-by-side villages in Amta II block of Howrah district. They are famous for temples – some have even intricate terracotta works on them. The oldest temple in Jhikira is Shyamsundar Temple of Madhyapara.

Rasmancha, Baro taraf, Hadal Narayanpur, Bankura

The twin villages of Hadal Narayanpur located in Patrasayer block of Bishnupur subdivision of Bankura district has a number of terracotta temples and a seventeen pinnacled octagonal rasmancha.

Shiva Temples of Sahaganj, Hooghly

Bandel, a junction station, in Howrah-Barddhaman main line is roughly 38 kilometres from Howrah. On one sunny Sunday morning in March this year I boarded the Bandel local from Howrah and reached there. From Bandel I took an auto and headed for Sahaganj which is around 4 kilometres from there via Chinsurah-Bansberia Road. My destination is the Shiva Temples of Sahaganj founded by the Nandi family.

Temples of Rautara, Howrah

Rautara, a village in Amta II block of Howrah district about 57 kilometres from Kolkata is situated on the eastern side of Jhikira, another nearby village. The village of Rautara has a number of terracotta temples and other architecture of which Damodar Temple in Sarkarpara deserves special mention. The south-facing barochala (twelve roofed) temple has an adjoining aatchala dolmancha, a nahabatkhana and an octagonal rasmancha. This type of temple is pretty rare in Bengal temple architecture. Possibly this barochala has ratha projections.

Temples of Baksa, Hooghly

Baksa, a village in Chanditala II block of Serampore subdivision of Hooghly district has a number of temples from aatchala to nabaratna and they are more two hundred years old.

Ram Sita Temple, Doltala, Uttarpara

Uttarpara, the fourth station in the Howrah-Bandel line, is roughly about 11 kilometers from Howrah. It can be reached either by road or by rail and even by water. Uttarapara being the first municipality of Bengal was created in 1853. This beautiful town houses the first public library built by Joykrishna Mukhopadhyay in 1849, which, at that time was the biggest library of India.

Temples of Gurap, Hooghly

Gurap, a village in Dhaniakhali block in Chinsurah subdivision of Hooghly district of West Bengal is famous for the aatchala Nandadulal Temple. Situated roughly 60 kilometres from Howrah the place can be reached both by road and rail.

Giribala Thakurbari, Agarpara

A beautiful pancharatna temple by the side of the Ganges at Agarpara in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal will immediately draw your attention.

Nanda Nandan Temple, Chandannagar

Chandannagar, a former French colony had a number of temples with ek-bangla (do-chala), aatchala, pancharatna, nabaratna and even flat-roofed (dalan) type of architecture and some have even terracotta decorations.

Bally Bridge

Willingdon Bridge or more popularly known as Bally Bridge (now called Vivekananda Setu) will be celebrating its 90th birthday today. The bridge was inagurated by the then Viceroy of India Marquess of Willingdon on 29th December, 1931. A stone plaque commemorating the event is found at the Dakshineswar side of the bridge, though the condition of the same is not in a good state.