Ichhai Ghosher Deul (Gourangapur) - History, Architecture

Ichhai Ghosher Deul is one of the prominent brick temples in West Bengal. This century-old monument has the traditional Odisha Rekha Deul style architecture.

It is now a ‘Monument of National Importance in West Bengal.’

It is one of the prominent tourist attractions in the Paschim Bardhaman district.

In this article, you will get to know the following points about Ichhai Ghosher Deul,

Location
History
Architecture
Best time to visit
Nearby attractions
1-Day Trip of Ichhai Ghosher Deul

Let’s see each of these points in detail.

Location of Ichhai Ghosher Deul

Distance from Durgapur	15 km
Distance from Bolpur	32 km
Distance from Kolkata	177 km

The Ichhai Ghosh Temple is in Gourangapur in Paschim Burdwan district. It stand isolated on the banks of River Ajay, beside Deul Park.

Google map location

History of Ichhai Ghosher Deul

The date of construction and the founder of the Deul are unknown. The locals, however, believe that either Raja Chitra Sen Rai or Rani Bishnukumari, the young widow of Maharajadhiraja Bahadur Tilak Chand Rai of the Bardhaman Raj, built this temple. According to historians, it was to honor Sadgop ruler Ichhai Ghosh, also known as Ishwar Ghosh.

Some historical scholars assume that this monument was built in the 16th-17th century by the descendants of Ichhai Ghosh in his memory.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) believed that this location was formerly known as Dhekurgarh.

According to historical records, the powerful Palas ruled over regions ranging from the Gangetic plain and parts of Pakistan up to Nepal, Bangladesh, and Tibet, exerting control over numerous small kingdoms in its empire.

There were rebellions among the independent rulers who wished to rule these kingdoms independently after the demise of Mahipala II.

Ishwar Ghosh, the king of Gopbhum, who refused to pay tribute to the king of Gour, was one of them. Karna Sen, the king of Moynagarh, was engaged in a fierce battle with Ishwar in which all six of his sons died.

Ishwar Ghosh expanded his control over the area around Bardhaman and became the undisputed leader of Gopbhum until Lau Sen, the son of Karna Sen, defeated him on the bank of the Ajay.

Architecture of Ichhai Ghosher Deul

The Ichhai Ghosher Deul is a sizable, smooth, curvilinear Rekha Deul with a base of 20 square feet.

Except for the niches and pictures on the tower, it is a simple brick building. The inner sanctum of the enormous temple is below ground.

The entrance is through a corbelled arch. Although the lower portion of the temple is devoid of ornamentation, the spire has it on each of its four sides. Brick ornamentation makes up the entire decorative part. Sadly, most of it has faded with time.

Best time to visit Ichhai Ghosher Deul

The best time to visit Ichhai Ghosher Deul is during the winter. During this time, you can stroll the entire temple complex and take lovely photographs of the surroundings and the temple.

The Deul is generally open throughout the year, but the spring, autumn, and winter are the most comforting and ideal to visit.

Other attractions near Ichhai Ghosher Deul

Deul Park, Ajay river, and Damodar Barrage are a few tourist attractions near Icchai Gosher Deul.

There are also a few attractions in Bolpur (Sonajhuri Forest, Shantiniketan, etc.) and Durgapur, which you can visit after spending some hours in the Deul.

1-Day trip of Ichhai Ghosher Deul

I went to Deul with my parents on a winter morning. It was mid-January, perhaps on Makar Sankranti. We also planned to visit the Ajay River and the Jaydeb Kenduli fair.

We set out on our trip at 8:00 in the morning, and our first destination was the terracotta temple or the Ichhai Ghosher Deul. We reached there around 9:00. I was engrossed in the architectural beauty of the Deula. The weather was quite scintillating. Overall a perfect day to enjoy a trip.

What captured my sight was the upper part of the tower with floral motifs, Narasimha, Nataraja, human figures, and others that were difficult for me to identify. Beautiful depictions of musicians, dancers, a series of arches, auspicious Hindu symbols, and Gods and Goddesses that appeared on all sides of the tower ornamented every part of the temple.

I took out the camera and captured all the detailed etchings of the monument. Then I entered the sanctum sanctorum and worshiped the prime deity present there – Lord Shiva. An aura of serenity and spirituality filled my heart.

After 1-hour we set out to our next destination, the Ajay River and Jaydev Kenduli. From the local villagers, I came to know that it is the home of the famous poet Jaydev. Crowds were filling the place gradually. People were taking holy dips and praying to Surya Dev on the banks of River Ajay. The fusion of the fair, Baul singers, and the calm Ajay river was magical and made my trip beautiful.

There were some stalls selling pancakes and date jaggery. As usual, we had a variety of those Pithas. Patisapta, Puli Pithe, Gokul Pithe, and Soru Chakuli – ohh! They were so delectable! We had our lunch there only.

It took us 2-3 hours to make our way through the wave of crowds and stroll through the fair. While returning, we bought some local handicrafts and some evening snacks with us. We were back at our home at 5 pm!

There are very few Deuls in West Bengal. Ichhai Ghosher Deul is one of them.

So if you are a historical buff or love to explore beautiful places of cultural heritage, visit this place wrapped in serenity and a charming spiritual and architectural touch.e

This temple is one of the most prominent places to visit in Paschim Bardhaman.

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