A Deul Story

A WEALTH OF RELICS LIE SCATTERED IN AN OFTEN FORGOTTEN, LONG OVERLOOKED DISTRICT OF WEST BENGAL. CALL IT PURULIA’S REDISCOVERY, IF YOU MAY. 

- Amitabha Gupta

I land in Purulia on a cold winter morning. I am visiting the district as part of a project funded by the West Bengal Wikimedians user group, which is affiliated with the not-for-profit Wikimedia Foundation, to document its heritage spots.

Purulia district, then known as Manbhum, was transferred to the Chhota Nagpur division of Bihar after the state’s creation in 1912. In 1956, it became a part of West Bengal and was renamed Purulia. Though there is barely any written evidence of its ancient history, the most prominent record is that of King Rudra of the Shikhara dynasty who helped the Pala King Ramapala (11th–12th century) of Bengal crush the Varendra rebellion. Ramapala’s court poet, Sandhyakar Nandi, mentioned Rudra Shikhara in his epic poem Ramacharitam.

Many scholars believe that a trade route passed through Purulia. The district’s temples and deities are mainly Brahmanical but have Jain influences at several places like Telkupi, Pakbirra, Deulghata, Budhpur and Suissa.

Laden with my photography equipment, I set off to nearby Raghunathpur on the first day. It proves to be a fruitful excursion, with the deul temples of Banda and Para stealing the show. Their architecture has a clear Odisha influence. Para has three temples, the oldest being a stone structure that is 40-foot-high. Its walls are decorated with a variety of sculptures depicting social life and floral designs that have eroded over time. People from the Jain community are believed to have constructed the temple. Adjacent to it lies a 45-foot-tall brick temple, with exquisite designs on its walls. The third temple is much smaller and positioned between local houses.