The Kantajee Temple of Dinaipur is one of the most magnificent religious edifices to have survived from the late medieval period. Its construction was begun by Raja Prannath during his reign (1682-1722), and completed by his successor and adopted son Ramnath in 1752.
The temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna and his wife Rukmini. It is an Indo-Islamic type of pinnacled, or nava ratna (nine towered), temple though today its towers are ruined. The temple’s ground plan, execution and ornamentations are the very essence of Bengal’s late medieval temple style. It is decorated from top to bottom with exquisitely carved terracotta, panels, arranged both horizontally and vertically. The horizontal friezes depict the life of the medieval aristocracy as well as the life stories of two mythical heroes, Rama and Krishna. The vertical panels display Rishis (sages) and the ten incarnations of Vishnu.
The Kantajee Temple is still a living one, where people from the surrounding region pray and perform ritual worship every day. This unique temple is a national heritage of Bangladesh.
Contents: 1. Introduction; 2. History of Dinajpur Raj Family; 3. Temple style of Bengal; 4. Kantajee Temple; 5. Vishnu Mythology; 6. Terracotta Decoration; 7. Summary.
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