Ananta Basudeba Temple, Hooghly, West Bengal

Ananta Basudeba temple is a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna in the Hangseshwari temple complex in Banshberia. This is in the Hooghly District in the Indian state of West Bengal. Raja Rameswar Datta built this temple in 1679.

This temple is noted for the exquisite terracotta works on its walls. It is built in the traditional eka-ratna style, with curved cornices. The tower on top of the temple is octagonal. The terracotta works depict stories from the great Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, as well as from lilas of Krishna.

Ananta Basudeba Temple Hoogly

Ananta Basudeba Terracotta Temple Hoogly

Ananta Basudeba Temple Hoogly

History of Ananta Basudeba Temple Hooghly

Raja Rameswar Roy was a zamindar (landlord) of those days. Raja Rameshwar Roy left Patuli (a village in Bardhaman district) in 1673 and settled in Bansberia.  History records mention that he received a huge piece of land, 401 acres from Aurangzeb as gift. This was for his loyal service of procuring tax from other zamindars. He built this Ananta Basudeba Temple Hooghly in 1679 in this land.

The temple architecture style is the char chala ek ratna style of Bengal architecture. He was deeply devoted to Lord Vishnu and so the temple was dedicated to Lord Krishna, another avtaar of Vishnu. With passage of time the place and temple lost its significance.

Rameshwar Roy’s grandson Raja Nrisinhadeb Rai believed more in Tantrik (occult) powers and he built the Hansehswari Temple just beside this Basudev Temple in 1799. More about that temple in my next post.

Ananta Basudeba Temple Hoogly

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Terracotta Panels on built this Ananta Basudeba Temple Hooghly

The terracotta wall motifs depict tales from Mahabharata, Krishnaleela and Ramayana. The art work exist in reasonably good form even today, but I did see some graffiti work on the wall of the temple there.

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