{{Short description|Style of a Hindu temple}} {{italic title}} [[File:Rudreshwar Charchala temple at Matiari in Nadia district, West Bengal 01.jpg|210px|thumb|right|''Char-chala'' Rudreshwar Charchala temple at Matiari in Nadia district, West Bengal]] '''''Chala Style''''' (Bengali: চালা শিল্পরীতি) is a style of [[Bengal temple architecture]], that originated in Bengal from the 15th centuries.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Temple_Architecture | title = Temple architecture| first= Nasreen| last= Akhter| publisher = Banglapedia |access-date = 8 June 2023}}</ref> Originating as a regional style in [[Hindu temple architecture]]. The main features of this style are curved tops and cornices. ''Chala-style'' temples in [[West Bengal]] were made of mud walls and thatched roofs. But, in East Bengal (now [[Bangladesh]]) it was built with bamboo structures and thatched roofs.<ref name="mccutchion"/>
''Chala-style'' temples were built all over Bengal. But most of the temples are found in the [[West Bengal]]. In the present day, the temples are now located in two separate national territories: the Indian state of [[West Bengal]] and [[Bangladesh]]. == History == The presence of ''Chala-style'' is observed in the [[Maurya Empire|Mauryan period]]. Mauryan granaries are similar to ''Charchala'', one of the types of ''Chala style''. The stone temple at Garui in [[Paschim Bardhaman district|Paschim Bardhaman]] district of West Bengal, built in the 14th century, has a ''Chala-style'' or Bengal hut shaped roof. The oldest ''Chala-style'' temple is Singhabahini temple at Ghatal. However, the [[Kiriteswari Temple|Kiriteswari temple]] is considered to be the oldest Chala style temple. The original Kiriteswari temple was destroyed in 1405.<ref name="mccutchion">McCutchion, David J., ''Late Mediaeval Temples of Bengal'', first published 1972, reprinted 2017, pp. 1–14, 19–22. The Asiatic Society, Kolkata, {{ISBN| 978-93-81574-65-2}}.</ref><ref name="amitguha">{{cite web | url = https://amitguha.blog/2017/11/15/terracotta-temples-of-bengal/ | title = Bengal Temple Architecture | first = Amit | last = Guha | publisher = Amit Guha | access-date = 8 Jun 2023 | archive-date = 2018-09-04 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180904091003/https://amitguha.blog/2017/11/15/terracotta-temples-of-bengal/ | url-status = dead }}</ref>
== Types == There are different types of temples in ''Chala-style''. These types are specified by number of Chala. Mainly 4 types of ''Chala-style'' temples are observed. The four most common temple types under ''Chala-style'' are ''Do-chala'', ''Char-chala'', ''At-chala'' and ''Baro-Chala''.
=== Do-chala === [[File:Nandadulal Mandir - South-west View - Chandan Nagar - Hooghly - 2013-05-19 7916.JPG|200px|thumb|right|The Nandadulal Jiu Mandir, [[Chandannagar]], [[West Bengal]], India.]] The word "Do" used in [[Bengali language|Bengali]] language means two. Temples built in this Chala style have two Chalas (roof) and gable eands. Temples of this style consist of two sloping roofs in front and back. The floor of the temples is [[Rectangle|rectangular]]. Most of the temples built in the ''Do-chala'' style have three arches on their fronts. Do-chala temples have one or three entrances. In temples with a single entrance, the entrance is built at the front. Narayana Temple at Bhanga in Faridpur is a single entrance temple. Some do-chala temples are built with three entrances, entrances are made on the front, left and right sides of the temples.<!-- Nandadulal temple at [[Chandannagar]] in [[Hooghly district|Hooghly]] district and--> The Panchamukhi Shiva temple built in ''Do-chala'' style at [[Baranagar, Murshidabad|Baranagar]] in [[Murshidabad district|Murshidabad]] district has three entrances.<ref name="mccutchion"/> {{multiple image|perrow=3/1|total_width=360 | align = left | image_style = border:none; | image1 = সিদ্ধেশ্বরী কালীমন্দির, কালনা.jpg | caption1 =''Jor-bangla'' Siddheshwari Kali Temple at [[Kalna City]] in [[West Bengal]]. | image2=Jor Bangla Temple Arnab Dutta 2011.JPG | caption2 = Jor-Bangla Temple (c. 1655), [[Bishnupur, Bankura|Bishnupur]], West Bengal, India. | image3= জোড় বাংলা মন্দির.1.jpg | caption3 = [[Gopinath Temple, Pabna|Jor Bangla Temple]], Pabna, [[Bangladesh]]. | image4= | caption4 = }} To further strengthen the structure of the temple, two ''Do-chala'' temples are paired side by side, popularly known as ''Jor-bangla'' style. Apart from the tower; a few prominent ''Jor-bangla'' style temples are the Siddheswari Kali Temple at [[Kalna City]], the Gopinath Temple at Pabna and the Radha-Krishna Temple at [[Birnagar]]. In many cases, a char-chala roof is constructed between the two do-chalas of the ''Jor-Bengali'' style temples. [[Jor Bangla Temple]] (also called Keshta Rai temple) at [[Bishnupur, Bankura|Bishnupur]] was built in this style.<ref name="isical">{{cite web |title=Jor-bangla temple - BHID: Bishnupur Heritage Image Database |url=https://www.isical.ac.in/~bsnpr/jorbangla.php |website=www.isical.ac.in |access-date=9 June 2023}}</ref> According to [[David McCutchion]], ''Jor Bangla'' style temples are mostly observed in the area from Purulia to Faridpur (i.e. south of the [[Ganges]] and west of the [[Padma River|Padma]]).
=== Char-chala === [[File:Charchala temple at Palpara in Nadia district 16.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Charchala temple at Palpara in Nadia district.]] In ''Char-chala'' style, the temple's roof consists of four "Chalas" (sloping roof). Sloping chalas meet at the mid-point of the roof. Generally ''Char-chala'' temple is built on a square base; but, some temples are built on elongated base. Most of the temples built in the ''Char-chala'' style have one arche on their front. The terracotta temple at [[Palpara]] and Raghabeswar temple at [[Dignagar|Diknagar]] are ''Char-chala'' style temple with a single entrance and elongated base.<ref name="Temples-of-Bengal"/>
=== At-chala === [[File:Radha Gobind Jiu Temple Antpur West Bengal.jpg|200px|thumb|left|''At-chala'' Radhagobind Temple, Antpur, West Bengal.]] In ''At-chala'' style, the temple's roof consists of eight "Chalas" (sloping roof). These 8 chalas form 2 ''Char-chala'', one of which large and the other is small. The large ''char-chala'' is placed leaning on the 4 walls of the main chamber of the temple. After the large chalas reach the required height above the center of the temple chamber, they form the pedestal for supporting walls of the smaller Char-chala. In many cases, temples of this style have a ''Char-chala'' structure attached to the central chamber to provide structural strength and create a corridor.<ref name="Temples-of-Bengal">{{cite journal |last1=Mangaonkar |first1=Priyanka |title=Temples of Bengal: Material Style and Technological Evolution |journal= Chitrolekha |url=https://chitrolekha.com/temples-of-bengal-material-style-and-technological-evolution/ |date= 1 March 2013 |access-date=10 June 2023}}</ref> Kolkata's famous [[Kalighat Kali Temple]] is built in ''At-chala'' style. Among the very large ''At-chala'' temples are Bindavanchandra Temple at [[Guptipara]] and Radhagobind Temple at Antpur, both temples are located in [[Hooghly district|Hooghly]] district. The Shiva temple built in 1725 at Sahaganj in [[Hooghly district|Hooghly]] district and the Nandakisora temple built in 1741 at [[Halisahar]] in [[North 24 Parganas district|North 24 Parganas]] district are small-scale ''At-chala'' style temples.<ref name="mccutchion"/>
== Influence == During the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal period]] the ''do-chala'' roof was to be adopted by the Muslims and even exported to other parts of India, where it became a prominent feature of seventeenth-century architecture in [[Delhi]], [[Lahore]], Gulberg, etc. In the eighteenth century, from Delhi, Lahore or Gulberg it moved to the palace balconies and garden pavilions of [[Rajasthan]].<ref name="Temples-of-Bengal"/>
The [[Naulakha Pavilion]], located next to the Sheesh Mahal courtyard in the northern part of the Lahore Fort, is built in the ''do-chala'' style, white marble used in its construction.<ref name="archnet">[http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=3992 Lahore Fort Complex: Naulakha Pavilion] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101214014242/http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=3992 |date=14 December 2010 }} at [http://archnet.org/lobby/ Archnet] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080502142136/http://archnet.org/lobby/ |date=2 May 2008 }}. Retrieved 9 Jun 2023.</ref>
== See also == * [[Bengal temple architecture]] * [[Hindu temple architecture]]
==References== {{reflist|3}}
{{Architecture of India}}
[[Category:Hindu temple architecture]] [[Category:Bengal temple architecture]]