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This temple near Dinajpur town was built in 1752 by
Maharaja Pran Nath of Dinajpur. The temple, a 50' square three-storeyed
edifice, rests on a slightly curved raised plinth of sandstone blocks,
believed to have been quarried from the ruins of the ancient city of Bangarh
near Gangarampur in West Bengal from where the now stolen Radha-Krishna
idols are said to have been brought. It was originally a nava-ratna temple,
crowned with four richly ornamental corner towers on two storeys and a
central one over the third storey. Unfortunately these ornate towers
collapsed during an earthquake at the end of the 19th century.
Every inch of the temple surface is beautifully embellished with exquisite
terracotta plaques, representing flora, fauna, geometric motifs,
mythological scenes and an astonishing array of contemporary social scenes
and favourite pastimes. The Maharaja's palace with relics of the past
centuries and local museum are worth a visit. |