Puthia Temple Complex
Bangladesh is an immensely beautiful land with a rich culture. It has so many places to visit and Puthia Temple Complex is one of them. Make sure that the Puthia Temple Complex is included in your trip plan to Bangladesh If you plan to travel to Bangladesh. The Puthia Temple Complex comprises a collection of historic Hindu temples in Puthia Upazila, Rajshahi District, Bangladesh. Located 23 kilometers east of Rajshahi and features the oldest temples in Bangladesh. The Hindu Zamindar Rajas of the Puthia Raj family, renowned philanthropists of Rajshahi built these temples. The temples were constructed in terracotta in a range of styles that combined traditional Jor–Bangla architecture with other influences. The complex includes the Rajbari, or Palace of the Raja of Puthia and the Dol Mancha. The temples are arranged around a lake with a large lawned area.
History of Puthia
In the late 16th century, during the Mughal period in the Indian subcontinent. Man Singh, a trusted general of the Mughal emperor Akbar, was sent to Bengal to suppress the rebel Subeders of this region who were planning a rebellion against the Mughal emperor. Man Singh repressed the uprising with a Hindu Tantrik named Bhattacharya.
After his victory, Man Singh requested Bhattacharya to take charge of a large area in Rajshahi state named Laskarpur, which he refused. But his young son Pitambar expressed his willingness to accept the offer advised by his mother. So he was appointed as landlord of Laskarpur, made Puthia his capital, and became the founder of the Puthia royal family.
Pitambar built channels around his capital to secure it, dug a large pond in front of his palace, and made this place a capital. After his death without any children, his younger brother Nilambar inherited the property and became Jamindar. He received the title “Raja” from the Mughal emperor Jahangir and became the first king of the Puthia Royal family.
The whole area of the Puthia Temple Complex is still a place of great wonder and full of histories that can enlighten the thirsty mind of visitors to a great extent. Puthia Temple Complex is one of the must-visit places in the Rajshahi division for travelers.
Puthia’s Significant Architecture
The palace Puthia holds some of the most significant historical and architectural resources in our country. The temple complex of Puthia which includes fourteen ancient Hindu temples of different architectural styles erected by the lords of this palace in other times of their rule over the north-western part of Bangladesh spans more than three centuries.
Bhubaneshwar Shiva Temple
Bhubaneshwar Shiva Temple is the largest Shiva temple in Bangladesh. the widow of Raja Jagat Narayan Roy, Rani Bhubanmoyi Debi builds this temple in 1823-1830 AD. While entering the Puthia temple complex, this massive temple will be the first spot overlooking the big pond named Shiv Sagar. This ornate temple is an imposing and excellent example of the fice spire style(Pancha Ratna) temple architecture common in northern India.
Inside the temple, lies a very large black basalt Shiva Lingam, which is the largest in the country. It is decorated with stone carvings and sculptural works, which were disfigured during the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971.
There are separate stairs on the north side of the temple to go to the pond. On the roof of the temple, there are four towers in four corners, and one large tower in the center.
Pancharatna Gobinda Temple
Pancharatna Gobinda Temple is the most significant, located inside the palace, on the left-hand side of the inner courtyard. Prem Narayan Roy, a Zamindar from Puthia royal family, built this temple between 1823 and 1895.
The Pancharatna Gobinda Temple contains excellent terracotta decoration representing ting the holy romance between Krishna and Radha as narrated by Hindu deities, ordinary life and culture, and flora and fauna.
The Dol Temple
The Dol Temple of Puthia is a unique structure, located on the opposite side of the palace. Built in 1778 AD by zamindar Bhubendra Ry of the Puthia royal family. The temple has four stories and is square in design. Every upper level has shrunk in size relative to the bottom, giving the structure a pyramidal appearance. It features a single doomed spire with a finial on top.
Every floor of the temple has an open balcony on four sides. It is open on all four sides and has 64 entrances across all four levels. The view from the top level explains why the temple sits in the center of the action. During festivals, it was perhaps used to exhibit deities of gods and goddesses.
Jagannath Temple
The Jagannath temple, also known as the Roth temple, is a delightful small temple to see in Puthia. This small temple is located next to the larger Bhubaneshwar Shiva Temple, facing the vast pond known as Shiv Sagar. It is made of brick and is shaped like a Bengali bamboo hut, with a single tapering tower.
There is two entrance on the north and east side of the temple. The entrance in the north decorations on basalt stone frames. Rani Bhubanmoyi Debi builds This temple in 1830 AD. It is currently abandoned.
How to go
There are road, rail, and air routes available to go from Dhaka to Rajshahi. One can take a bus from Dhaka’s Gabotoli and Kalyanpur bus stand. Shyamoli, Hanif, National Travels, Bablu, Green Line, and Desh Travel Enterprise goes to Rajshahi. Puthia is relatively accessible because it is almost on the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway. The milestone of Puthia is located 23 kilometers before reaching Rajshahi, where you can get off the bus.
You can also check out another architectural beauty of Bangladesh, Ahsan Manzil.
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