Bamunpukur can be reached from Mayapur ISKCON temple within half an hour by cycle van. This obscure village in Nadia district bears the testimony of the glorious past of Bengal.
In the 80s, a mound was excavated in Bamunpukur & a huge brick-architecture was exposed. It was built long back in 9th century AD. What was the nature of the building at that time could not be determined by the historians because it underwent renovations over centuries. Finally the building was designed as a temple in 12th century AD when Ballal Sen was the king of Bengal. Today we see the remnants of this temple. The site has been named after Ballal Sen ( Ballal-er dhipi / mound of Ballal Sen).
The mound which the temple is situated on is quite high. A staircase reaches you there & lets you stand in front of ancient Bengal. The sanctum sanctorum was encircled by a corridor, a part of which is still intact. You can today walk down that corridor which used to be walked on minimum 900 years back. Excavation yielded figures, utensils etc. which are now preserved in Ashutosh Museum of the University of Calcutta. A water-outlet, in the form of a crocodile-head is still fitted to the wall.
A large part of the construction is still underground. Remnants of the fortified boundary wall are there. Now one can hardly come across temple,palace etc. belonging to Pal & Sen era because they have been destroyed by various forces since 12th century. Ballal-er dhipi is an exception. It took refuge to Earth's womb to survive destruction & now, came out to let us see our unseen past.
Local trains take little more than 2 hours to reach Krshnanagar from Kolkata. From there buses to Mayapur are available. One has to alight at Bamunpukur stop to visit the mound. Mayapur can be visited from Nabadwip too, by crossing the mighty Ganga.
In the 80s, a mound was excavated in Bamunpukur & a huge brick-architecture was exposed. It was built long back in 9th century AD. What was the nature of the building at that time could not be determined by the historians because it underwent renovations over centuries. Finally the building was designed as a temple in 12th century AD when Ballal Sen was the king of Bengal. Today we see the remnants of this temple. The site has been named after Ballal Sen ( Ballal-er dhipi / mound of Ballal Sen).
The mound which the temple is situated on is quite high. A staircase reaches you there & lets you stand in front of ancient Bengal. The sanctum sanctorum was encircled by a corridor, a part of which is still intact. You can today walk down that corridor which used to be walked on minimum 900 years back. Excavation yielded figures, utensils etc. which are now preserved in Ashutosh Museum of the University of Calcutta. A water-outlet, in the form of a crocodile-head is still fitted to the wall.
A large part of the construction is still underground. Remnants of the fortified boundary wall are there. Now one can hardly come across temple,palace etc. belonging to Pal & Sen era because they have been destroyed by various forces since 12th century. Ballal-er dhipi is an exception. It took refuge to Earth's womb to survive destruction & now, came out to let us see our unseen past.
Local trains take little more than 2 hours to reach Krshnanagar from Kolkata. From there buses to Mayapur are available. One has to alight at Bamunpukur stop to visit the mound. Mayapur can be visited from Nabadwip too, by crossing the mighty Ganga.
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| THE TEMPLE |
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| THE CORRIDOR |
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