Sat Deul Jain Temple- West Bengal

Address

Sat Deul Jain Temple- Deul, Purba Bardhaman district, West Bengal 713401

Diety

Trithankaras

Introduction

Sat Deul is a 10th-century Jain temple at Deule / Sat Deule in the Memari I-CD block in the Bardhaman Sadar South subdivision of the Purba Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Sat deuliya as a rare Jain icon. In the List of Monuments of National Importance in West Bengal it is mentioned as a Jain brick temple.

Puranic Significance

“This is a beautifully constructed 10th century temple which resembles the Odisha art pattern of rekh. The exterior walls of Sat Deul contains elaborate brick work decoration of floral and geometric patterns, sadly most of it has been lost.” Nothing much is known about the history of the temple. However, some of the Jain designs on the walls indicate that it was possibly a Jain temple. The predominant traditional architectural style for temples in the western areas of Bengal in the pre-Muslim period is the tall curvilinear Rekha deul and it went on developing from the late 7th century or early 8th century to around the 12th century, increasing its complexity and height but retaining its basic features. Such temples had “curvilinear with chaitya mesh decoration, surmounted by a large amalaka and kalasa finial. Examples of such dilapidated deuls are still standing at Satdeula (in Bardhaman), Bahulara and Sonatapal (in Bankura) and Deulghat (in Purulia). On the brick deuls already mentioned here, plus Jatar (in 24 Parganas) and Para (in Purulia).