250-year-old temple in West Bengal faces wrath of river

Built by Rani Bhabani, queen of Nator province in Bengal, three years after the Battle of Plassey in 1757, the four structures of the Char Bangla temple are unique, with its terracotta sculptures not to be found elsewhere. Meanwhile, a river that is fast eroding its banks may soon wipe out a priceless part of history.

Murshidabad (West Bengal):The famous ‘Char Bangla’ temple in West Bengal's Murshidabad district may soon be submerged, as a river is fast eroding its banks.

The locals fear that the temple may soon be sucked away by the choppy waters of the Bhagirathi river. Meanwhile, the temple is barely 10 feet away and its boundary wall has already been damaged by the river.

The temple is situated at Baranagar in the district's Azimgunj area and was built by Rani Bhabani, the queen of Nator province around 1760 near Bhagirathi river, when it used to flow at least a kilometre away. However, the Bhagirathi changed its course several times and eroded its banks, destroying life, property and farmland.

The Char Bangla temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is a famous tourist destination of the state. The district incidentally was the capital of undivided Bengal, Bihar and Odisha till the British East India Company defeated Siraj ud-Daula, the last independent ruler of the state, in the Battle of Plassey in 1757.

The Char Bangla Mandir was the most unique among the temples the queen had built. The four structures of the Char Bangla temple are unique and the terracotta sculptures cannot be found elsewhere else.

A local resident said, "This is one of the finest work of Terracotta which was originated in the Bankura district of Bengal and became famous across the country. Most people are not even aware that the temples at Baranagar are the finest examples of terracotta art. This Char Bangla temple is part of India’s history. Thousands of people come here every year

"The Bhagirathi started eroding its banks at Baranagar a few years ago. The river has already washed away many homes and several hectors of land. Yet, nothing has been done to save the Char Bangla temple. If no action is taken immediately the river will destroy it," he added.