Banda Deul is an 11th-century temple in Banda village (also called ''Deulghera'') in the
Raghunathpur II
Raghunathpur II is a Community development blocks in India, community development block (CD block) that forms an administrative division in the Raghunathpur subdivision of the Purulia district in the Indian States and territories of India, state ...
CD block in the
Raghunathpur subdivision
Raghunathpur subdivision is a subdivision of the Purulia district in the state of West Bengal, India.
History
Purulia district was divided into four subdivisions, viz., Purulia Sadar, Manbazar, Jhalda and Raghunathpur, with effect from 6 April 20 ...
of the
Purulia district
Purulia district () is one of the twenty-three districts of West Bengal state in Eastern India. Purulia is the administrative headquarters of the district. Some of the other important towns of Purulia district are Raghunathpur- Adra, Manbazar ...
in the
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
n state of
West Bengal
West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...
.
Geography
Location
Banda is located at .
Banda is 1 km from
Cheliyama
Cheliyama (also referred to as Cheyama) is a village in the Raghunathpur II CD block in the Raghunathpur subdivision of the Purulia district in the state of West Bengal, India.
Geography
Location
Cheliyama is located at .
Area overview
P ...
, which contains the Radha Vinod temple with the most richly decorated terracotta carvings.
Banda Deul
There is a temple at Banda, which is described by the Archaeological Survey of India as a ''rekha deul'' of triratha variety in sandstone.
The temple is richly decorated, the themes being creepers, scroll work and stylised ''chaitya'' window.
The temple is datable to c. 11th century AD.
In 1872, the archaeologist J.D.Beglar came across this temple, then covered with deep vegetation in a forest. The area around the deul was cleared and it started attracting attention. It is not clear whether it was a Hindu or a Jain temple. The ground plan is star shpaed.
Internally the cella is square ''with a rectangular Mukhamandapa.''
The temple consists of a single cell and it once had a mandapa.
The temple had a ''
mandapa
A ''mandapa'' or ''mantapa'' () is a pillared hall or pavilion for public rituals in Indian architecture, especially featured in Hindu temple architecture and Jain temple architecture.
''Mandapas'' are described as "open" or "closed" dependin ...
'' which has largely collapsed, However, eight pillars are still there supporting the cross beams. The temple has a water outlet with a ''makara'' (crocodile) head.
According to the
the old temple at Banda is an ASI listed monument.
Banda picture gallery
File:Deul at Banda, Purulia WLM2016-0207.jpg, The deul at Banda with remains of the mandapa
File:Banda Deul 2.jpg, The deul at Banda
File:Banda Deul 4.jpg, Stone decoration
File:Crocodile shaped water outlet of temple in Banda at Purulia.jpg, Crocodile head shaped water outlet
File:Sculpture on the wall of temple of Banda.jpg, Sculpture on the wall of temple of Banda
File:Mandapa in front of the temple of Banda.jpg, Mandapa in front of the temple of Banda
References
External links
Hindu temples in West Bengal
Jain temples in West Bengal
Monuments of National Importance in West Bengal
Tourist attractions in Purulia district
{{India-religious-struct-stub