Banda Deul
Deul temple at Banda, Purulia district
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Banda Deul is an 11th-century temple in Banda village (also called Deulghera) in the Raghunathpur II CD block in the Raghunathpur subdivision of the Purulia district in the Indian state of West Bengal.[1]
| Banda Deul | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| Location | |
| Location | Banda Purulia district |
| State | West Bengal |
| Country | India |
| Coordinates | 23.6074°N 86.5587°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Rekha deul |
| Completed | 11th century |
Geography

5miles
Reservoir
Hill
M: municipal town, CT: census town, R: rural/ urban centre, H: historical/ religious centre, T: tourist centre
Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly
Location
Banda is located at 23.6074°N 86.5587°E.
Banda is 1 km from Cheliyama, which contains the Radha Vinod temple with the most richly decorated terracotta carvings.[2]
Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.
Banda Deul
There is a temple at Banda, which is described by the Archaeological Survey of India as a rekha deul of triratha variety in sandstone.[3] The temple is richly decorated, the themes being creepers, scroll work and stylised chaitya window.[3] The temple is datable to c. 11th century CE.[3]
In 1872, the archaeologist J.D.Beglar came across this temple, then covered with deep vegetation in a forest. The area around the deul was cleared and it started attracting attention. It is not clear whether it was a Hindu or a Jain temple. The ground plan is star shpaed.[3] Internally the cella is square with a rectangular Mukhamandapa.[3] The temple consists of a single cell and it once had a mandapa.[4]
The temple had a mandapa which has largely collapsed, However, eight pillars are still there supporting the cross beams. The temple has a water outlet with a makara (crocodile) head.[2]
According to the List of Monuments of National Importance in West Bengal the old temple at Banda is an ASI listed monument.[1]