Kantoji’r Mondir (Kantoji’r Temple) - Dinajpur-Bangladesh

Kantoji’r Mondir (Kantoji’r Temple)

Kantoji’r Mondir (Kantaji’r Temple) This Temple, also known as the Kantanagar Temple.It is located in Birgonj, Dinajpur, Bangladesh. It is dedicated to Hindu Lord Vishnu or Narayana. This temple with Terra-Cotta architecture is a famous Hindu temple all over the sub-continent. It is the most ornate among the late medieval temples of Bangladesh. Terra-Cotta means hard baked reddish brown clay, it was used to build the outer wall of the temple.

The temple was established by Maharaja Pran Nath who started the work of construction in 1722 C.E. The construction of the temple was finished in 1752 C.E. during the rule of his son Majaraja Ram Nath. Once it had nine spires (nava-ratna) before the destruction caused by the earthquake of 1897.

A 16 Acer 23 Shatak land was donated as a deity property by King Jogodis Chandra Roy in the name of “Shri Shri KantiJew Thakur” to build this temple. Today, it is one of the major sightseeing places in the city among the other ancient and religious destinations.

The visitors will be amazed to see the ancient style of architecture at the entrance door of the temple. The "navaratna" temple is a three storied building where four turrets are placed at the four corners of each floor. 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 Krsna, and a series of extremely fascinating contemporary social scenes depicting the favorite pastimes of the landed aristocracy. The entire temple is a true instance of the rich terracotta architectural style which is a treasure of Bengal.This temple is really so beautiful and the Terra-Cotta architecture of the temple will  attract every traveler.