5/5 Samir S. 2 years ago on Google
AMBIKA
KALNA
RAJBARI
We
had
been
here
on
27-Nov-21
Ambika
Kalna
or
simply
Kalna
is
a
religious
,
historic
and
cultural
town
approximately
85
km
by
road
.
Located
on
the
bank
of
the
Bhagirathi,
Ambika
Kalna
once
a
flourished
port
town.
Under
the
ruler
ship
of
Maharajas
of
Bardhaman
during
late
18th
Century,
Kalna
was
its
pick
of
glory
.Maharajas
of
that
time
,
constructed
several
magnificent
temples
with
intricate
terracotta
ornamentation
Gradually
Kalna
lost
its
glory
once
port
was
closed
and
maritime
business
stopped
but
its
history
and
remains
of
the
temple
reminds
its
glorious
past
.
Just
opposite
the
Naba
Kailash
Complex
is
the
Rajbari
Complex
(or
Palace
Complex)
consisting
of
a
series
of
temples
and
other
structures
built
over
a
period
of
more
than
a
hundred
years.
Located
at
the
left
of
the
entrance
the
Pratapeswar
Temple
(or
Pratapeshwar
Temple)
greats
visitors
to
the
Rajbari
Complex.The
smallest
but
the
most
ornate
of
the
temples
of
the
Rajbari
Complex.
The
1849
built
temple
stands
on
a
high
podium.
The
Pratapeswar
Temple
is
built
in
rekh
deul
style,
with
curvelinear
sikhara
and
single
arched
entrance.
On
the
left
of
the
Pratapeswar
stands
a
small
cannon
and
on
the
right
is
a
Ras
Mancha,
whose
roof
has
long
collapsed.
Further
down
the
Rajbari
Complex
is
the
Lalji
Temple,
which
itself
is
located
within
a
small
walled
complex.
Lalji
Temple
follows
the
Panchabimsati
Ratna
style
of
architecture
and
consists
of
25
pinnacles.
There
are
only
5
Panchabimsati
Ratna
temples
in
West
Bengal
and
3
of
them
are
located
in
Ambika
Kalna
of
which
2
are
in
the
Rajbari
Complex.
The
other
2
are
located
in
Sukharia
(Hooghly)
and
Sonamukhi
(Bankura).
Just
in
front
of
the
Lalji
Temple
is
a
Char
–
Chala
(four
sloped
roofs)
mandap,
which
served
as
a
gathering
platform
for
devotees
visiting
the
temple.
The
complex
also
houses
an
interesting
mountain
like
temple
known
as
the
Girigobardhana
Temple.
A
left
turn
from
the
Lalji
Complex
leads
one
past
a
decorative
flat
roofed
structure
and
the
Panchratna
Temples
and
finally
towards
the
Krishna
Chandraji
Temple,
the
second
panchabimsati
ratna
temple
of
the
Rajbari
Complex.
Incidentally
the
third
panchabimsati
ratna
temple,
Gopalbari
Temple
is
located
outside
the
Rajbari
Complex.
The
Pancharatna
Temple
is
not
a
temple
with
5
pinnacles
temple
but
a
compilation
of
of
5
aat
–
chala
(eight
sloped
roofs)
temples
of
different
size.
Although
each
of
the
5
temples
follow
the
aat
–
chala
style
of
architecture
but
their
shapes
differ
from
each
other.
Like
the
Lalji
temple
complex
the
Krishna
Chandraji
Temple
complex
is
housed
in
a
separate
complex
and
consits
of
several
other
structures
including
the
Vijay
Vidyanath
Temple.
Vijay
Vidyanath
temple
is
a
huge
aat
–
chala
temple
located
at
the
left
of
the
entrance,
sadly
it
has
no
terracotta
ornamentation.
Next
to
it
is
the
towering
Krishna
Chandraji
Temple,
with
its
25
pinnacles.
The
Krishna
Chandaraji
Temple
was
built
1751
–
55
and
has
a
three
arched
entrance
on
all
sides.
It
also
has
a
rich
terracotta
ornamentation
in
its
front
facade,
depicting
scenes
from
mythologies,
epics
and
even
day
to
day
life.
Travel
Tips:
Getting
there:
Howrah
–
Katwa
local
(Howrah
departure
07:53,
Ambika
Kalna
arrival
09:48)
Sealdah
–
Katwa
local
(Sealdah
departure
07:57,
Ambika
Kalna
arrival
10:30).
Getting
around:
Rickshaws
are
the
only
alternative.
It
takes
2
½
to
3
hours
for
the
entire
trip.
Charges
are
about
Rs
150
per
rickshaw
for
the
entire
trip,
but
it
is
subject
to
heavy
bargain.
Places
to
eat:
The
temples
&
pilgrimages
of
Kalna
can
be
covered
in
a
day.
There
are
several
places
to
eat.
Getting
back:
Katwa
–
Howrah
local
leaves
Kalna
at
16:20.
Katwa
–
Sealdah
local
leaves
Kalna
at
17:20.
Parking
is
a
serious
problem
here
as
there
is
no
standard
parking
parking
lot
for
four
wheeler.
Credit
Rangan
Dutta
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