Bhattabati – A village near Lalbag, Murshidabad

If a trip planning is made to Behrampore in Murshidabad, then we should drop at Bhattabati (or Bhattamati), a village near Lalbag.

The name can be traced to the regime of Nawab Hussein Shah (1493-1519), when 1,200 Bhatta Brahmin families from Karnat in south India settled down here.

No one from the Bhatta clan lives here anymore, but a visit can be made to the 200-year-old pancharatna Shiva temple, which boasts some exquisite terracotta artwork. Also known as the Ratneswar temple, the central ratna — or pinnacle — soars higher than the others. The state archaeology department had undertaken restoration work here, but the job was done shoddily.

This single door of the temple faces south. On one side of the entrance are incidents from the life of Ram. The other side has terracotta figures depicting Krishna’s life. At the base of the entrance there are rows of soldiers. The central panel has scenes from daily life, with some panels showing the Nawab watching dancing girls.

Vaishnavite iconography finds free rein on the east wall – with a six-armed Lord Krishna seen with idols of Gour-Nitai and Radha-Krishna on either side. The north wall displays Vishnu with three legs: one pointing upwards to the heavens while another faces the earth. The third leg rests on the head of King Bali, thrusting him into patal lok. The Bali figure has been defaced over the years. Above this statue is a large ras chakra.

On the west wall you shall see a huge but heavily damaged Matsya Avatar of Vishnu with Durga and her family above it. There are two huge figures of hunters standing over them.

There are numerous other intricate figures and scenes on the walls. It seems as if the artists were given a free hand to display their creativity. Sadly, there’s nothing to indicate who ordered the temple to be built. Little has been done to protect such a fine example of Bengal’s terracotta art.

How to go?

Hazarduari Express from Calcutta station reaches Murshidabad by 11.30am after which a rickshaw ride will take us to Lalbag Sadar Ghat. You need to cross the Bhagirathi in a motorised country boat. You can take another rickshaw ride to reach Bhattabati 5km away. From there it is a 20-minute walk to the temple. You can return the same day by the same train in the afternoon.

Where to stay?

Bhattabati offers no accommodation.  The night stay has to be made at Behrampore.