High soil salinity nearly ruins Kantaji temple
Hasibur Rahman Bilu, back from Dinajpur

Kantaji temple in Dinajpur is on the verge of destruction as high salinity in the soil beneath its foundation has been seeping through the structure, damaging its beautiful terracotta embellishments by a huge number.

The wretched condition of this eighteenth-century marvel is mostly caused by "absence of proper ma manpower due to fund shortage of the department†in the last six years, said a senior official of Department of Archaeology (DA).

M Abdul Khaleque, regional director of DA, said a huge number of terracotta panels have already been damaged by salinity -- especially in the lower-southern section of the three-storied 51-foot square ancient brick temple.

"Only Tk 2 lakh is more than enough to save [the structure] from salinity," he added.

A type of blotting paper or pulp is used to absorb salinity from the terracotta panels, but it is a time consuming process, Khaleque explained.

Also known as Kantajio Mandir, this is one of the three nine-spired or "Nava Ratna" temples built in the region in the eighteenth century. It sits on the west bank of the river Dhapa, 14 km away from Dinajpur town, Khaleque said adding, the temple was declared a protected archaeological site in November 1960 by the then government of Pakistan.

The other two Nava Ratna temples were in Sirajganj -- Potajia temple at Shajadpur upazila and Hatikumrul temple at Ullapara.

The Potajia temple has already been destroyed due to high salinity in the soil and sheer negligence of the DA. The Hatikumrul temple is also heading towards the same fate for similar reasons, lamented DA officials.

Khaleque, the regional director of DA, told The Daily Star that the DA has started the fortification work of the Hatikumrul temple at an estimated cast of Tk 30 lakh. He, however, said fortification of the Kantajio Mandir has not been planned yet.

Construction the Kantaji temple started in 1722 AD by Maharaja Pran Nath. It was completed in 1752 AD during the reign of his son Maharaja Ramnath. It boasts one of the greatest examples on terracotta architecture in Bangladesh. It once had nine ornamental spires or nava-ratna (nine-jewel), but all were destroyed in an earthquake that took place in 1897, according to Wikipedia.

This magnificent pyramidal temple rose in three receding terraces and was crowned with nine spires on the corners of the three terraces that imparted it an appearance of a huge Ratha or an ornate chariot resting on a high plinth. It was provided with arched openings on all four sides in order to enable devotees to see the deity enshrined inside from all directions.

Every available inch of 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 and the Ramayana, the exploits of Krishna, and a series of extremely fascinating contemporary social scenes depicting the favourite pastimes of the landed aristocracy. The astonishing profusion, delicacy of modelling, and the beauty of its carefully integrated friezes have seldom been surpassed by any mural art of its kind in Bengal. [Source: Banglapedia]