PROBASHI- A Cultural News Magazine Volume 2 Issue 2 | Page 49
Probashi- Invited Article
journey by bullock cart—an
expensive labour which requires
endowment, and unless funds
can be found abroad the
hundreds of photographs already
taken cannot be published.”12
A number of interesting facts
come to light from these
photographic records, if these
are compared concurrently with
Dey’s writings. The first and
foremost, they give a wealth of
information on the methods
adopted by the temple builders.
For example, quite like the
architecture, the decorative
aspect of the temple façade and
the base was pre‐meditated and
must have been carefully
followed on the basis of a well‐
documented plan This is evident
from the façade and door‐arch
close‐up of the temple at
Adityapur in Birbhum, wherein
various irregular sized terracotta
tiles were used. Multiple
decorative terracotta tiles were
crafted and baked to create the
composite image of Raja Ram and
his consort Sita. Some of these
tiles are pentagonal, and the ones
used on the entrance arch are
distinctly wedge shaped for
structural stability.
About such terracotta tile making,
Mukul Dey records: “The head of
the artists’ guild always had his
several well measured and
calculated plans from which new
temples could be built. When one
particular plan was finally chosen
by the donor, the master artist
gave the complete design and
detailed directions to his workers.
At once the expert clay modeller
and potter of the guild went
round searching for the most
suitable clay procurable nearby,
brought back with them the best
Pancharatna and Atchala‐type temples at village Surul, district Birbhum,
late‐1940s.
samples. When the best clay
available was chosen, then the
brick makers began making
bricks. Next the artist modellers
made
the
figures
and
compositions of new designs in
well prepared clay. When those
dried, the expert carpenter made
moulds from them in carved
wood. Later from these moulds
several impressions of each were
taken in finely prepared clay—
when those dried, the finishing
artists craftsmen polished and
cleaned the details of everything
with their Narun—or nail‐cutter,
fine little chisel like instruments,
giving
finishing
touches
everywhere in the dry clay brick
sculptures. This was the time to
make corrections if necessary.
Finally these well carved tiles of
each different subject were very
carefully baked in their specially
made kiln. Only the best ones
were used on temple façade or
other walls. Several copies of
sculptured tiles were made of
each important panel or subject.
When the whole temple was
completed, the band of temple
builders went to another village
for a new commission. These
temple builders formed a
travelling group of artists—like
Kirtan singers and Jatra parties of
Bengal. This was their trade;
going about making temples in
different places, at the same time
spreading their art. Recently an
interesting discovery was made.
In places the sand and lime
plaster on the façade had
crumbled away, and underneath,
on the brick work itself, some
early handwriting in Bengali was
noticed. It looked as if it was
written with a thick needle. On
closer examination this writing
was found to be instructions to
the builder. On bricks were
written such remarks as 2nd
horizontal, 1st side, in the middle
or side columns etc. This discovery
clearly indicates that the temples,
at least the fronts with their
terracottas, were planned before
building commenced. Each brick
was made to a plan and chart,
and, at length ready, they were all
placed together according to that
plan of the master builder.”13