A trip to the land of temples:Deulghat,Puruliya:Jhalda

Deulghat is considered as a land of temples. The place is home to approximately 15 temples that are close to the Kansai river. This region is known for the architecture.and the intricacy in carvings and decorations in its temples.

Around 18km from Purulia town, on the banks of the Kangsabati river, stands Deulghata, a wonderful place to explore.The settlement owes its name to its deul-styled temples, inspired by Jainism that once had a firm foothold in the region.

The stucco decoration is the notable architecture made on the temple. The entrance of those temples is entangled with the branches of trees, casting an eerie. However these temples are the representations of the age, when they were built. Moreover the temples adorned with the graceful carve, attracts visitors, and hence are important in the tourism of Purulia.

In 1870, British engineer John Beglar conducted a survey of the archaeological ruins in the Manbhum area (out of which Purulia was carved out), during which he found several dilapidated Jain temples and artefacts at Deulghata.

Most of the temples were intricately crafted with bricks and baked soil. The expertise of the artists added a new dimension to the places of worship.

Brickwork with stucco is the USP of the temples, most of which are in ruins now. The stucco features scrolls with geese and foliage as the main motif. The works bear resemblances with temple art from the Pala-Sena period.

The temples are usually stone-made which indicates that the sculpture on the stones was the traditional culture of the contemporary people. Although the buildings of the temples of Pakbirra has ruined and nothing but the relics are left, it still continued to be an important tourist center. According to the surviving remnants, those temples are built following the Jaina tradition, once prevalent in Purulia.

The Deulghata temples were so captivating that in a report published in 1909 in theImperial Gazetteer of India, the art on them were compared with those on the famous Buddhist temple in Bodhgaya. This rich heritage is crumbling because of our neglect. Only three temples still stand in the quaint settlement.

There is no trace of many of the other temples that must have existed. The basements and roofless walls of some can still be seen.