Author:

Bhaskar Chanda
Independent Scholar
Department of History
University of North Bengal
Darjeeling,West Bengal,India

Email: bhaskarchanda9@gmail.com

Abstract:: The temples of the early medieval Bengal have nearly all disappeared, but the few that remain standing and excavated or tumbled remains of others. From the evidence of miniature replicas or representations on images, historians have classified a number of different architectural styles on the basis of different regions of India. Evolution of Nagarastyle temples which were influenced by the Orissan Rekha Deuls, followed by the development of Muslim architecture. This paper intends the early Saiva temples of Maynaguri, to be precise the temple of Jalpeswar, Jatileswar and Bateswar have immense archaeological and architectural importance. Some other religious centres like the Sodorkhai Temple, which is mostly ruined, but from the structural remains of the temple, it has similarities with the Jatileswar and Batesvar temples respectively. Besides that, the idol of a goddess such as Petakati, is assumed as the symbol of Buddhist Bajrayna tantric worship. The ruins of these temples silently described the historical importance of Maynaguri.

Key Words:Architecture, Archaeology, Jatileswar, Maynaguri, Religion, Temples.