Bengal is the land of terracotta temples. The better known ones are in Bishnupur, Aatpur, Bansberia, Guptipara and Kalna. The hundreds of other terracotta temples, spread across villages in south Bengal, also have much to offer to visitors. The Rajrajeshwar temple at Kotalpur in Jangipara block of Hooghly is an excellent example.

The temple has several images of vultures, the last motif you would expect to find on the walls of a Hindu place of worship as the scavenging bird is considered a symbol of misfortune. One of the terracotta panels on the Rajrajeshwar temple shows two vultures feasting on a corpse, reminding of the Parsi way of disposing of their dead.

Above it are twin panels depicting Kali and Durga. Kali is dressed in a sari, which is unusual.

The large aatchala temple, taken over by the state archaeology department, is not in good shape and is covered with overgrowth. The roots of trees have made their way deep into the structure, opening up wide cracks. And there are so many shrubs and bushes around that even approaching the temple is difficult.

Miraculously, the front face of the temple, covered with intricate terracotta work, has survived the test of time.

There is no plaque to help ascertain the date of construction and the name of the founder. Historian Narendranath Bhattacharya mentioned 1694 as the year the temple was built in his book Hooghly Jelar Purakirti but he did not write anything about who set up the temple.

The panel over the three arches at the entrance depicts scenes from the Ramayan, such as Ram and Lakshman fighting Ravan and Kumbhakarna. A decorative wheel adds to the beauty of the panel.

The base panels contain images from the life of Krishna, royal processions, ships and boats.

Kotalpur had another temple similar to the Rajrajeshwar temple right next to it. This temple, built in 1774, was recently demolished and replaced with a modern temple. The state archaeology department will hopefully protect the Rajrajeshwar temple from the same fate.

Trip tips

Take a Tarakeshwar local from Howrah. It will take around an hour to reach Haripal. From there, a one-hour bus journey will take you past Jangipara to the village of Sitapur. Get down at Sitapur bazaar and walk a meandering village road for about 20 minutes to reach the Rajrajeshwar temple.