Kantaji temple, Terracotta decoration

The terracotta decoration of Kantaji temple is simply outstanding, its wall surface from the base to the crest of its three stories, both inside and out, pulsates with an amazing profusion of figured and floral art in unbroken succession. 

The vast array of subject matter include the stories of the Mahabharata (Mahabharat) and the Ramayana (Ramayan), the exploits of Krishna, and a series of extremely fascinating contemporary social scenes depicting the favorite pastimes of the landed aristocracy.

Mythological legend in terracotta of Kantaji temple (Kantaji Mandir): The astonishing profusion, delicacy of modeling, and the beauty of its carefully integrated friezes has seldom been surpassed by any mural art of its kind in Bengal. However, even in its bewildering abundance of diverse motifs, one can observe a carefully arranged thematic scheme in the composition of subject matters at different levels and spaces on the temple wall. 

 

In general pattern of terracotta decoration of the temple's outer walls, the lowest four basal panels, running parallel across the four faces, depict from bottom upward, immediately above the plinth: (a) a recurring floral motif, consisting of full-blown rosettes alternated with a four-foiled foliate pattern; (b) the second frieze portrays contemporary social scenes and the hunting parties of the landed nobility; (c) the third parallel panel above depicts an intricately designed series of full-blown rosettes commonly found on earlier Sultanate mosques such as at the Shat Gombuj mosque, Bagha mosque, Kusumba mosque, Chhota Sona mosque etc. 

 

A Royal procession scene in terracotta, Kantaji Temple The second register depicts animated hunting scenes of wild games, royal processions of elephants, horses, camels, and dainty ox-carts of the nobility with their retainers in Mughal dress and arms. 

The richly caparisoned majestic elephants and splendid stallions, their chariot and harness are vividly delineated; corpulent Zamindars are seen squatting in their gilded palanquins puffing from luxurious Hukkas with long sinuous pipes. Still, other panels portray river cruises on long slim boats crowded with revelers; squads of soldiers often wearing European dress are also shown marching with drawn swords and even muskets. 

Mythological scenes on the third register depict the nativity of Krsna (Krishna); the demon King Kangsa; successive attempts to kill the infant Krsna; Krsna's killing of the Putana ogress and the Bakasura or crane-demon; the lifting of Govardhana mountain, the killing of Keshi; the quelling of the snake-demon, Kaliya, and Krsna's pleasure ride on a long slim boat with revellers. The south face of the temple also presents stories from the Ramayana in a somewhat confused sequence. 

Ramayana stories continue on the east face. Here the exile of Ramachandra, Sita, and Laksmana in the Panchavati forest; Laksmana's striking off the nose of Shurpanakha; the abduction of Sita by Ravana from Dandakaranya; Jatayu's futile attempt to obstruct the chariot of Ravana; the captivity of Sita in Ashoka Forest; the fight between Bali and Sugriva with their monkey followers for the throne of Kiskindhya; Ramachandra's sapta tala veda and Sugriva with his monkey followers and their palaver with Ramachandra are shown in striking details. 

A hunting scene in terracotta, Kantaji Mandir The north face predominantly portrays scenes of Krishna and Balarama. Thus Krishna's various marriages and cowgirls carrying milk and curd pots in shika (string bags) suspended from pole etc are shown. 

In the second register, an interesting European battleship is depicted in great details with soldiers and a cannon. The entire western face of the third register depicts various episodes from the Krishna legend, ending in the slaying of Kangsa, the demon king of Mathura.

 

It includes the annihilation of Kuvalayapida, the monstrous killer elephant of Kangsa; and Radha's fainting fits on her failing to dissuade Krsna from participating in Kangsa's sports tournament in Mathura. 

Of particular interest is a group of cowherds carrying milk and butter in string bags, suspended from a pole on the shoulder, which is still a familiar scene in rural Bengal. The elaborate panels over the spandrels of multi-cusped arches exhibit animated battle scenes from the great epics and also rasa-mandala, with dancing Radha-Krsna couple within circles, and a host of accessory figures. 

 

The spirited battle scenes of Kurukshetra and Lanka are depicted with great vitality and invention by the folk artists. The mythological legend in terracotta, Kantaji Temple In the seemingly inexhaustible store of terracotta mural decoration on the temple wall, the folk artists, mostly from Krishnanagar, often have left behind the imprint of their keen awareness of the environment in which they lived. 

The deities they depicted in panels were sometimes treated with an astonishing sense of reality and as intimate and familiar members of their society. For instance, an extremely interesting series of upright western panels on the bottom register of the western face depicts Krsna plucking coconut from the tree and handing them over to one of his companions climbing halfway up the trunk, who, in turn, is delivering these to another companion waiting on the ground. 

 

It is a familiar scene in Bengal where the deity is intimately shown as one of the members of society. Individual plaques often display idiosyncratic compositions such as the one found on the inner face of the corridor on the south face where Radha-Krishna are shown dancing on an elephant very cleverly composed of a dozen human figures.

Again, on the northern face, Krishna is depicted with one of his newly wedded bride seated on a pidi (low wooden stool) under a canopy where she is coyly holding her veil with one hand over her head and bashfully peeping at her lord. 

 

This, of course, is an endearing familiar wedding scene in rural Bengal. In the bewildering crowd of friezes, one may even find Krishna squatting nonchalantly with folded knees, tied with a gamchha (a strip of cloth) around the knees and back, in a posture altogether uncommon among Bengalis, but common among the working classes in adjacent Bihar. However, one distinctly delightful aspect of the fabulous terracotta ornamentation of the Kantaji Temple (Kantaji Mandir) is its restraint in depicting erotic scenes. In this, it is unlike Orissan and South Indian temples. 

Dancing female

The endless panels of terracotta art embellishing the wall surface of the Kantaji temple, have a life and vitality of their own and are deeply imbued with the spirit nourished for thousand years on the silt-laden soil of Bangladesh. In a country like Bangladesh, being formed by enormous volumes of fertilizing soft alluvium, the development of an indigenous terracotta art was a logical outcome, given the absence of stone. 

The tradition of this plastic art is rooted in the early historic period, especially during the Pala-Chandra period, when Buddhist temples at Paharpur (Pahadpur), Mainamati, Bhasu vihara, Sitakot and other monuments were enlivened with floral and figured terracotta art.

These plaques are, however, large and usually archaic, but the terracotta embellishments on the Kantaji temple walls are of totally different nature. They represent a highly sophisticated mature art with a very carefully integrated scheme of decoration. 

Contrary to the earlier tradition of isolated and somewhat unrelated composition, the art in Kantaji temple was composed of several individual plaques, integrated into an extended composition so that the entire space followed a rhythm.