Bangarh near Balurghat
Planning a trip to Balurghat then, do not forget to move your steps towards Bangarh. Bangarh is both historically and archeologically rich place of Balurghat. It has many untold stories dumped in its ruins. Bangarh is counted among those places in Balurghat that offer plenty of historical facts to the visitors. Bangarh has many archeological structures those depicts intelligent engineering of the architects of that time.
Historical Significance of Bangarh:
In the whole district of Balurghat, Bangarh is one of the most historically significant places. From Balurghat town, it is just 45 km away. In the ancient times, it was the capital of Koti Barsha. During Gupta period the entire North Bengal area was called as Pundra Vardhana Bhukti. The Pundra Vardhana Bhukti was divided into various districts or Vishayas. Koti Barsha with the capital Bangarh was one of the Vishayas. At that time, it was known as Debikot or Debkot.Archeological Ruins in Bangarh:
Bangarh is famous for its historical heritage and archeological ruins. Due to its status as the former capital of the district, the archeologists have done numerous excavations in the area. During those excavations, they have unearthed many ruins and the items, which tie them to various periods starting from the Mauryans to the Muslim period.
Kantaji Temple in Bangarh:
When you are in Bangarh the Kantaji Temple is a must visit. This is more than 260 years old temple and is visited for it archeological as well as historical significance. The temple was constructed under Maharaja Prannath in 1752. The specialty of the temple is that it is on sandstone blocks which have raised plinth and slightly curved. This temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna as there were idols of Radha Krishna in the temple. But unfortunately those idols were stolen. The temple is an evidence of richness of West Bengal. Originally it was Nava-Ratna Temple which had four corner towers decorated with rich ornaments.
On its third storey there was a Central Tower. An earthquake came in the 19th century which resulted in the collapse of these towers. This temple is a must visit to watch the terracotta works done on its walls.
Things to see in Bangarh:
If you are historical buff, you can visit Bangarh and see many archeological ruins, from the Mauryan periods to the Muslim periods. Four pillars made of granite stones can be seen in Shibbati Village of Bangarh. These pillars are believed to be the pillars of Lord Vishnu Temple. Some building walls are also found in Situ at Bangarh. Small historical icons, statues, pillars and other ruins were also found here.History freaks can see the tomb of the Turkish Warrior Bakhtiar Khilji. The tomb is located on the western side of Bangarh on the shores of River Punarbhaga.