Antpur and Rajbalhat

  • Antpur is a village in the Jangipara, Hooghly district, the nearest rail station being Haripal or Tarakeswar.
  • Legend has it that Antpur, also called Aatpur, got its name drom Zamindar Atar Khan, while others say that it came from 8 villages that formed it. 
  • The most famous temple in Antpur is that of Radhagovindjiu with exquisite terracotta carvings depicting stories from all the 18 puranas. The temple was built after the temples of Bishnupur. The intent was to capture Hindu fervour during the time of invasions by Muslim kings and European companies.
  • This 100 feet high temple was constructed by Krishna Ram Mitra, the Diwan of Bardhaman Raj in 1786. The Chandi Mandap and Dol Mancha have beautifully crafted wood carvings and terracotta. The terracotta panels consist of war scenes from Ramayana and scenes from day to day life. The aat chala temples have a triple arched entrance. 
The Main Temple

Raash mancha



Entrance to the fort

Shiva temple

Main temple


Terracota works



Dol mancha





  • Antpur is the birth place of Baburam Ghosh later known as Swami Premananda a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. At this property 24th December 1886, Swami Vivekananda along with eight brother disciples renounced the world. The premises are now maintained by Ramakrishna Math and Mission. This center carries out relief, educational and spiritual ativities since1965 and made a branch of RKM in 1986. The Dhunimandapa was constructed in 1981 in remembrance of the inspiration that Swamiji and his fellow disciples received and the holy vow of Sannyasa that they took. On its walls adorn sculptures of Thakur’s nine disciples. Terracotta pieces depicting Thakur’s life add to the beauty and significance of the structure. The room where Sri Sri Sarada Devi stayed during her visit on 5th February 1889 and 4th October 1894 are aesthetically maintained. 
Shiva temple


Premananda Ashram


Heavy utensils for bhog






Dhunimandap

Durga Mandap


Room where Swami Vivekananda stayed





Room where Sri Sri Sarada Devi stayed









Dining area

The emblem





  • About 30 minutes ride from Antpur leads one to Rajbalhat. Rajbalhat or Rajpur is a town whose ancestry can be traced back to the 16th century. One approaches the place through lush green paddy and jute fields. It was once the capital of the Bhursut (Bhurishrestha) empire. It is said that the last fisherman king of Sanibhangar was defeated by Chaturanan Neogi. Krishna Roy grandson of Chaturanan became the first Raja of Bhursut in near about 1583–84 AD. His great grandson Pratap Narayan, was king from 1652 to 1684 AD and was honored with the title of Raja. His son was Shiv Narayan, who was succeeded by his only son Naranarayan. Either during the lifetime of Naranarayan or immediately after his death Kirtichand, the king of Bardhaman, forcibly occupied Bhursut pargana at around 1719 AD. 
  • The garh (fort) of Bhursut Raj at Rajbalhat covered and adjoining areas had been made a debottar property for the maintenance of the temple of Rajballavi Thakurani at Rajbalhat. Here the six feet tall deity is Shweta Kali (White Kali) with her right foot on Lord Mahakal and left foot on the head of Lord Bhairab. The temple is thronged by numerous devotees all year round and the pond adjacent to the temple bears special significance. 
Entrance

The deity if Shweta Kali





Adjacent pond



  • Handloom textile craftsmanship is prevalent here. During the British period Rajbalhat was an important center of silk industry and in 1789 East India Company set up a Commercial Residency here. 
  • Dulal Chandra Bhar, the father of the famous "Palm Candy" of Bengal hailed from Rajbalhat.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antpur

https://www.rkmantpur.org/dhunimandapa/

https://belurmath.org/ramakrishna-math-antpur/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajbalhat

https://rangandatta.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/rajbalhat-temples-textiles/

 

 
















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