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# /!O. 1 -0 -0/0/ 2020- / 20! 1! / hexiage 0!10 K2 2/ )2 ( A6AA pectators gathered along Rajpath to witness the Republic Day parade on January 26, 2015 were surprised to see the tableau of Jharkhand. Ever since the state was formed, it was Sperceived to be the land of jungles and a rich tribal culture. Beyond that were its indus- +2.0 ,;+#5;+)(P trial cities like Jamshedpur and Bokaro, but largely, it remained unexplored. The 2015 tableau of Jharkhand was a re-creation of a few terracotta temples and the face of an unknown Goddess enshrined in one of those temples. It created a huge wave of interest among the audience pre- sent, as well as those who watched the tele- vised version. For many, it was their intro- 6F) E##+6+ 2+)( duction to the terracotta temples of Maluti, a small village in Dumka district of Jharkhand. Up till now people were only familiar with the Bengal terracotta temples. 2 # $/; . ( $ This small village Maluti has 72 terracotta temples, most of which are embellished with exotic panels of baked clay. H # =E.7)=7)5@+& Few months later, Maluti attracted attention once again, when in newly built boy, salvaged the falcon and got the bird While Ram is accompanied by Laxman and single pinnacle with four sides slopes. Only Ranchi airport, tourism department of back to the Sultan. Happy to have his fal- Hanuman, Ravana is followed by demon a few temples are made of atchala and deul Jharkhand placed a huge poster of Maluti con back, Sultan rewarded Basanta with a warriors elegantly dressed up and spirited. style. So a monotony grips while taking a with an objective of encouraging tourism sizable land. The boy thus got famous as Baj The panoply and shoes of Ravana in every tour. However, the thrill of photography sees in this almost unknown heritage village. Basanta. temple are beautiful and distinctive. In some no bound of satisfaction when one gets to Today, Maluti is counted among the unique Baj Basanta founded his capital at a panels, Ravana can also be seen fighting capture a plethora of similar looking tem- heritage spots of India. place named Dumra. His several genera- alone on foot. ples in a single frame. No where else can one find an instance tions ruled the area as prominent tax col- Some of the divine figures are very As for now, the temple village of where within a radius of 1,150 ft, a few gen- lecting landowners. unique and not commonly found in other Maluti is a victim of sheer negligence from erations of zamindars have built more than In 1680, Baj Basanta’s great grandson, terracotta temples. Musicians, flying the government side. The village remained 100 terracotta temples instead of palaces and named Rajchandra, was killed in a battle demons, foot soldiers with naked swords etc lost to world and even to the people of its pleasure chambers. Even in Bengal, a state with another king of Rajnagar in Birbhum. are in plenty on each front wall of temples. own state, the undivided Bihar, as well as that houses several world class terracotta Following the incident, his four sons shift- Social sequences like a royal man on Bengal even before 1979 when ASI official temples, there is no such distinctive a vil- ed their capital to Mallahati. They found the palanquin, worshiping, goat sacrifice and named AK Sinha first undertook a project lage. Incidentally, Maluti is just a few kilo- place to be very peaceful. Once settled, the so on are also found aplenty. on this village and submitted a detailed metres from Bengal border and its dwellers family branched into four and started The numbers of panels on the side walls report of his work speak Bengali and not Hindi. The village expanding by building a plethora of tem- and back wall, however, are unusually few Despite this report, no basic minimum cult and customs are more Bengali than ples. It is believed that all four branches and appear to have been removed. A row amenities were built in Maluti and the place Jharkhand. started founding temples instead of build- of small chariots is carved under every fig- did not find mention in any of the tourism Though not much information or ing palaces and pleasure houses. ure of Ram and Ravana. These rows of char- promotional literature. In 2009, Global knowledge is available on these temples, the Gradually, in the next 200 years, a time iots are placed just on the apex of main Heritage Fund surveyed this village and local folklore/legend has it that this place came when it was found that the village had entrance and again, those are very richly marked it as one of the fastest vanishing her- was known as Mallahati, a zone owned by 108 temples dedicated to various Hindu decorated with warriors fighting with itage of the world. Even after that, no major Malla dynasty that ruled Bishnupur of Goddess and almost all decorated with deadly weapons, either on horses or ele- Government fund was sanctioned to pro- Bengal. It is the same place that houses exceptionally beautiful terracotta panels. phants. Beautiful floral designs with vari- tect these temples. many world famous terracotta temples. Today, only 72 temples can be found in with writings and cattle roam inside. Some ous hindu motifs are etched all over the wall. It is heartening to see that the present The place, it is believed, derives its name Maluti. Rest are either grounded or in a temples are still in use and hundreds of peo- Mahishasurmardini Durga is another government is atleast making that effort to from a local Goddess named Moulakshi, dilapidated condition. ple continue to cause damage to its rich art common feature to be found on these ter- promote it as a unique heritage site of the who has no reference in Hindu mytholo- These 72 temples are situated in 4 clus- works. During Diwali, on occasion of racotta decorated temples. Here, she mounts state. At an individual level, a local resident gy. It is assumed that this Goddess came ters in the village and one needs to take nar- 10 02/ 2 Kalipuja, fairs are organised at temples clus- an animal which neither looks like a lion named Gopaldas Banerjee who has been from Tantrik cult of Buddhism in which she row lanes and beaten tracks to visit all. It / 20G7 2.0 -9 ters, attracting large crowds. These fairs are nor a horse. However, some panels depict observing the gradual decline of the her- is described as elder sister of Tara. Later, she is a different matter that the village is very yet another cause of continuous damage to excellent horse statues. In some panels, she itage has done excellent work to record and may have been adopted by the Hindus as small and thinly populated, and so it does 0- 10 the temples. appears with Laxmi and Saraswati on her protect these temples. As someone born and their Goddess and started attracting devo- not take much time to visit all clusters. Poor 0 +1/20+9 The beauty of the terracotta panels either sides and in some, she is depicted by bred in the village, Banerjee had heard var- tees. Based on this information, many maintenance and lack of public awareness found on the walls of Maluti temples is dis- herself. ious legends and stories from his early child- believe that this place was once influenced has marred the charm of the place to a great !-20 tinct from the panels found on the walls of Even though these temples are largely hood and has penned several authentic by Vajrayana Buddhism, in which shadow extent. ++ 2! the various temples of Bengal. In Bengal, believed to be made of terracotta, there is books on the subject. He was recently felic- of Tantrik cult is said to be profound. The first cluster is known as Madhyam apart from mythology and epic references, a contention that these panels may actual- itated by Jharkhand Government for his A website claims Adi Shankara visited bari. The second and third clusters are locat- / 02 0 various social aspects also feature in terra- ly be carvings on a very soft type of sand- work of recording history. this place when he was touring India in his ed very close to each other and appear as 8 -00 cotta panels, whereas in Maluti stories of stone, locally known as phool pathar. The temples of Maluti are a burning tes- mission of re-emerging Hinduism over one. They are known as temples of Rajbari Ramayana appears to be the main theme. Which is a possibility because in Birbhum timonial to India’s rich yet hidden heritage Buddhism. The conversion of a Buddhist and Sikhir bari. The last group of temples 1>-!0- 9+9 The central arch and its surrounding district of Bengal, some temples are actu- and if proper protection and exposure is not Goddess into a Hindu Goddess may be a which are in equally bad condition is known areas are all decorated with the battle ally decorated with phool pathar and are given these beautiful structures, all will be testimony of that forgotten past. as Chayer taraf. Apart from these temples, 20 20 1 sequence of Lord Ram and ten-headed commonly confused for terracotta. lost. Their dilapidated condition is only Legend has it that in the 15th century, there is a hexagonal rasmancha. ! +0 11 / Ravana. In some panels, Ram is shown on The locals have also been using the worsened by overgrown vegetation and a new rule was established by an orphan While all temples were originally the shoulder of Hanuman, whereas, in some hexagonal roof less rasmancha (platform) massive water leakage from the roof and the named Baj Basanta, who got a huge tax free embellished with terracotta, due to weath- 2 /22 temples the same warrior is shown fight- to celebrate Holi and Raas Utsav of Radha- walls.

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