Heritage Lost : The Temple Town of Kalna
Kalna’s final tryst with illustrious kingdoms was with the Maharaja's of Bardhaman. They ruled lower Bengal under the royal decree of the Mughal Empire, the Nawabs of Bengal and finally the British. It’s interesting to note that one of the longest serving kingdoms in the heart of Bengal was actually established by a Punjabi nobleman from Lahore, a historical fact which would irk many a staunch Bengali. The political establishment of the Bardhaman (anglicized into Burdwan) kingship led to renewed interest in Kalna. Not only as a centre of trade and commerce, but also for etching the religious beliefs of the royal family into the landscape, through large scale construction of temples.These temples, some in ruins, some intact and mostly being renovated, form a temple cluster, as commonly seen in other places in West Bengal such as Bardhaman, Bishnupur.
Temples in Kalna were largely constructed between 1740 and 1809 A.D. Packed within its history of 69 years are political intrigue and religious developments. Within walking distance from the Siddeshwari Temple is the Ananta Vasudeva Temple, established by Maharaja Tilak Chandra 1754 A.D. This large temple was constructed in the double ‘aatchaala’ style. ‘Chaala’ being thatched roof and ‘aat’ meaning eight, the temple has the dimensions of a 16 roofed building, with a height of 48 feet, a significant feat in those times. The scale of the Ananta Vasudeva temple is indicative of the stature of its founder. Maharaja Tilak Chandra, now lost to the pages of history, was an able administrator. In 1755, aware of the corrupt dealings of the British East India Company, he shut down many of the Company’s warehouses within his zamindari. His reign witnessed the construction of seven large temples and 10-12 smaller temples.
Ambika Kalna is a sub divisional in West Bengal’s Bardhaman district. Its name is derived from Ambika, another name for the Goddess Kali, the guardian deity of the town. The starting point of unraveling the history of ‘temple town’ is to take the narrow road to the Siddeshwari Temple. The resident deity of Kalna, i.e., Siddeshwari or Bamakali is worshipped at a temple that was built in 1740 by King Chitra Sen of Bardhaman. The 15 feet tall deity, made out of neem (Azadirachta indica) wood however is claimed to have been established earlier, approximately in the 16th century A.D.The temple, draped in an earthy red paint, looks like a typical rural thatched house. The sensuous curves that typify most Bengal temple architecture, though significantly muted, is still present. What are lost are the intricate terracotta panels that once adorned its walls. ‘Terracotta’, literally ‘baked earth’ was the predominant technique available to Indian sculptors to decorate temples in lowland Eastern India. Deprived of stone, they used their ingenuity and harnessed the rich alluvial clay on river banks. By creating panels out of clay, they achieved exquisite detail. Firing them in a kiln helped achieve permanence.
Moving on from the Ananta Vasudeva temple, the road to the busy Chowk Bazaar area automatically leads to Kalna’s main attraction. The temple complex located next to the Rajbari (i.e., palace), with is manicured gardens and lawns has an immediate impact on entry. The first site that greets the eye is the exquisite Pratapeshwar Temple, considered to be one of the best examples of the 19th Century Orissan “rekh-deul” form of temple architecture. Rekh, a term used to describe temple architecture in Orissa between 11th and 12th century, implies a single arched entrance with a curvilinear sikhara (spire).
If the Pratapeshwar Temple impresses with its exquisiteness and depth in detail, the other two temples in the complex makes an impact with their grandiosity. Lalji Temple, located at the far end of the entrance to the temple complex, and Krishnachandraji Temple, on the extreme right, have their own architectural claim to fame. Both these temples belong to a list of unique twenty five turret temples, of which only five exist in India. While Pratapeshwar temple was largely influenced by the Orissa style of temple architecture, Lalji, Krishnachandraji and Ananta Vasudeva and Siddeshwari temples are examples of the indigenous turn in Bengal temple building. While the latter were modeled as thatched village huts, i.e., chaala, in the case of Lalji and Krishnachandraji Temples, it was based on the the ‘chuda’ style which involved adding intricately decorated turrets on the roofs.
Lalji Temple, established in 1739 by Braja Kishori Devi, the wife of Maharaja Jagat Ram, has a hall of attendance, or jagmohan, in front of it. A bright yellow Garuda with chilly green wings is sculpted on a high pedestal facing the main deities, Radha and Krishna. Though most of the terracotta panels on Lalji temple are lost to time, those which exist still have the power to amaze. The corner columns outside the temple have detailed sculpture of scenes from hunts while miniature panels which surround the base of the temple depict scenes from the Puranas. Though in terms of architecture, the triple arched Krishnachandriji Temple makes quite an impact, sadly, the terracotta decorations that once adorned it have mostly disappeared. Stripped of it splendor, the forlorn temple hides behind bamboo scaffolds put up by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), as they attempt restoration. For the botanically inclined, opposite the main temple entrance is a “panchabat”. 
'Terracotta’, literally ‘baked earth’ was the predominant technique available to Indian sculptors to decorate temples in lowland Eastern India. Deprived of stone, they used their ingenuity and harnessed the rich alluvial clay on river banks. By creating panels out of clay, they achieved exquisite detail. Firing them in a kiln helped achieve permanence. Though repeated coats of fiery orage paint have made it impossible to visualize the scale of artistry at most of these Temples. Still its magnificent. For the botanically inclined, opposite the main temple entrance is a “panchabat”, a banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis) that has fused in its aerial roots a tamarind (Tamarindus indica), a jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), a wild date palm (Phoenix sylvestris) and an Asian Palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer). This synthesis of various trees into one is strangely reflective of the architectural style of the temples in Kalna, which merges traits of Islamic and Hindu architecture to produce a distinctive style of its own. The Krishnachandra temple is even at one look can be mistaken as our very own Dakshineshwar temple, this is very similar to the architecture.
Lalji Temple, located at the far end of the entrance to the temple complex, and Krishnachandraji Temple, on the extreme right, have their own architectural claim to fame. Both these temples belong to a list of unique twenty five turret temples, of which only five exist in India. While Pratapeshwar temple was largely influenced by the Orissa style of temple architecture, Lalji, Krishnachandraji and Ananta Vasudeva and Siddeshwari temples are examples of the indigenous turn in Bengal temple building. While the latter were modeled as thatched village huts, i.e., chaala, in the case of Lalji and Krishnachandraji Temples, it was based on the the ‘chuda’ style which involved adding intricately decorated turrets on the roofs.
A few other temples are also located inside the complex and are worth a closer look. However, on stepping outside the complex, one finds an unassuming entrance located across the narrow street. On entry, what opens up is the perhaps one of the most unique Shiva Temples in India. The Navakailasha Temple is popularly known as the 108 Shiv Temple and is an exemplary fusion of Shaivite world view with indigenous Bengal temple architecture. Established in 1809 by the son of Tilak Chand, Maharaja Tej Chandra, it is the second 108 Shiv Temple in India, the first being located in Bardhaman and constructed by Maharani Bishnukumari, Tej Chandra’s mother. While the one in Burdwan has a square layout, the one in Kalna is circular.
Organized into two circles, one inside the other, the number 108 indicates the total number of shiva lingas in the temple, while the actual numbers of temples are 110, with the two additional ones serving as entrance to the outer and inner circle. The outer circle comprises of 75 temples neatly arranged in a single row, while 35 such constitutes the inner circle. The number 108 represents different names of Lord Shiva.
As the sun begins to set, I make one last journey to bring the temple tour of Kalna to a close.The number 108 represents different names of Lord Shiva; likewise, 108 shiva linga’s form one temple, reinforcing unity in divinity. In the outer circle, half of the total shiv linga’s are white in colour while the rest are black. In the inner circle, however, each of the 34 shiva linga’s is white. Siddeshwar Acharyya, an expert on Kalna’s history, explained the significance of such a unique scheme. The outer circle, as he explained, represented the world we live in, where white symbolizes punya (good) and black (evil) in equal measure. However, through meditation and service to Shiva, one slowly gets to see the real world composed only of pure thoughts and deed. Such a world is symbolized by the inner circle of temples. The journey from the outer to the inner circle is reflective of such a spiritual crossing over. At the centre of the inner circle, all the white shiva linga’s are visible, implying that the person has attained truth, hence moksha.
