Kantajew Temple travel guide

At a glance

Built

1704–1752

Built by

Maharaja Pran Nath Roy and Ramnath Roy

Style

Nabaratna (the spires collapsed in the 1897 earthquake)

Terracotta

About 15,000 plaques

History and details

Maharaja Pran Nath Roy of Dinajpur began building the temple of Sri Krishna (Kantaji) at Kantanagar on the bank of the Dhepa River in 1704. After his death his adopted son Ramnath Roy finished it in 1752. The three-storey temple once had nine ornate spires (ratna) on top, which collapsed in the 1897 earthquake.

From the base to the top, every wall is covered with about 15,000 terracotta plaques. They show stories from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Krishna's life and the Puranas, along with hunting, war, boats, elephants and horses, people in European dress and village life of the time — like an 18th-century book of Bengal in terracotta.

It is considered the finest example of Bengal's terracotta art. Every year a month-long Rash Mela is held around the temple at the Rash Purnima in Kartik.

Things to do

• Look for scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata in the wall plaques
• Photograph the terracotta in the soft morning light
• Visit the nearby Nayabad Mosque
• Buy Dinajpur's Kataribhog rice and litchis (in season)

How to get to Kantajew Temple

In Kaharol upazila; about 20 km from Dinajpur.

Dinajpur is about 330 km from Dhaka; the journey takes 7–8 hours.

• 🚌 By bus: Nabil, Hanif, Shyamoli, SR from Gabtoli/Mohakhali; non-AC ৳800–900, AC ৳1,300–1,800.
• 🚆 By train: Ekota, Drutojan, Panchagarh Express from Kamalapur to Dinajpur, fare ৳500–1,400.
• ✈️ By air: Via Saidpur airport (about 40 km).

Where to stay

• Parjatan Motel Dinajpur
• Mid-range hotels in town

What to eat

Dinajpur litchis (Bedana, China-3 — May–June), Kataribhog rice

Good to know

• Go in the soft morning light to see the plaques up close
• Nayabad Mosque is nearby
• Don't touch the walls — it wears the plaques

More to see nearby

• Nayabad Mosque (1.5 km)
• Ramsagar National Park (20 km)
• Dinajpur Rajbari (20 km)
• Swapnapuri (50 km)

More places to visit in Dinajpur district

• Ramsagar National Park — A huge pond dug in the 18th century, with gardens around it.
• Swapnapuri — A big North Bengal amusement park with a lake and zoo.
• Dinajpur Rajbari — Ruins of the Dinajpur rajas' palace.
• Nayabad Mosque — An 18th-century three-domed terracotta mosque.

Location on the map