The Parvatinatha Temple (also spelled as Parbatinath) is a ''saptadasa-ratna'' (seventeen-pinnacled) temple, built in the 19th century at
Chandrakona
Chandrakona is a town and a municipality in the Ghatal subdivision of Paschim Medinipur district in the state of West Bengal, India. The city is located between Ghatal and Garhbeta. Chandraketu was the founder of the kingdom of Chandrakona. In ...
in
Ghatal subdivision
Ghatal subdivision is an administrative subdivision of Paschim Medinipur district in the state of West Bengal, India. Earlier it was part of Hooghly District. Later in 1872 it was merged with Medinipur District.
Subdivisions
Paschim Medinipur di ...
of
Paschim Medinipur district
Paschim Medinipur (English: ''West Medinipur'', alternative spelling ''Midnapore'') district is one of the districts of the state of West Bengal, India. It was formed on 1 January 2002 after the partition of Midnapore into Paschim Medinipur a ...
in
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 ...
,
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 ...
.
History
According to
Binoy Ghosh
Binoy Ghosh (14 June 1917 – 24 July 1980) was a journalist, sociologist, writer, literary critic and researcher. His ''Paschim Banger Sanskriti'' won the Rabindra Puraskar in 1959.Sengupta, Subodh Chandra and Bose, Anjali (editors), 1976/1998, ...
, it is very difficult to penetrate the hazy clouds of imagination and mythology that surround the king named Chandraketu of Chandrakona. It is popular belief in Chandrakona that Bir Bhan of the Bhan dynasty (Chouhan dynasty) overthrew the last king of the Chandraketu dynasty and became the king of Chandrakona. An English translation of the Persian book ''
Baharistan-i-Ghaibi
The ''Baharistan-i-Ghaibi'' (), written by Mirza Nathan, is a 17th-century chronicle on the history of Bengal, Cooch Behar, Assam and Bihar under the reign of Mughal emperor Jahangir (1605–1627). Unlike other history books of the Mughal Empire, ...
'' has recently been published. (Binoy Ghosh visited Chandrakona in 1952.)
[Ghosh, Binoy, ''Paschim Banger Sanskriti'', , part II, 1976 edition, pages 95-97, Prakash Bhaban, Kolkata.]
Binoy Ghosh writes that in ''Baharistan-i-Ghaibi'' it is mentioned that Bir Bhan succeeded Chandra Bhan. This change must have taken place around mid-17th century. It is possible that Chandra Bhan became Chandra Ketu as information spread amongst the people. The stone tablet in the Lalji temple mentions that the nava-ratna temple was established by the wife of Harinarayan, daughter-in-law of Bir Bhan, Mitrasen's mother, daughter of Holray, and sister of the Malla king (of Bishnupur) Srinarayan. The construction work started in 1571 Sakabda (1649 AD) and was completed in 1577 Shakabda (1655 AD).
[
It was the golden age of Chandrakona when the Bhan dynasty ruled in the 17th century. Chandrakona became famous for its ‘fiftytwo markets and fiftythree lanes’. The number of temples that are still there in Chandrakona is a matter of wonder.][
]
Geography
The Parvatinatha temple is located at .
The temple
David J. McCutchion says that the roof of a ''ratna'' temple “is surmounted by one or more towers or pinnacles called ''ratna'' (jewel). The simplest form has a single central tower (''eka-ratna''), to which may be added four more at the corners (''pancha-ratna'')”. The number of towers or pinnacles can be increased up to a maximum of twentyfive. The ''ratna'' style came up in the 15th-16th century. McCutchion classifies the Parvatinatha temple as a standard ''saptadasa-ratna''. Built in the 19th century, it has rich terracotta and stucco
Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and ...
decoration and measures 21’ 6” square.
Chandrakona town showcases a large 17-pinnacled Parvatinatha temple, built in 1871 and “reconstructed with no thought to its heritage value. In the process, several new plaques have been added.”
Parvatinatha temple picture gallery
File:17 pinnacled Parbatinath Temple in Raghunathpur area at Chandrakona Town In Paschim Medinipur district 11.jpg
File:17 pinnacled Parbatinath Temple in Raghunathpur area at Chandrakona Town In Paschim Medinipur district 10.jpg
File:17 pinnacled Parbatinath Temple in Raghunathpur area at Chandrakona Town In Paschim Medinipur district 04.jpg
File:17 pinnacled Parbatinath Temple in Raghunathpur area at Chandrakona Town In Paschim Medinipur district 02.jpg
References
External links
{{Hindu temples in West Bengal
Hindu temples in West Bengal
Tourist attractions in Paschim Medinipur district