তিলন্তপাড়া জানকীবল্লভ মন্দির, (সবং) Tilantapara Janakiballabh Temple (Sabang

Janakiballabh Temple, Tilantapara (Sabang)
Chinmoy Das

Terracotta plaques, stucco sculptures, and decorative pankh ornamentation—all three styles have been employed in this temple. Moreover, not just the front façade but all four walls of the temple have been adorned using these three mediums, something that is rarely seen. Such a temple stands in Pingla police station area of Medinipur district. The story of its establishment is especially captivating.

In earlier times, it was customary for groups of monks and ascetics to travel together on pilgrimages. Along the way, they would often halt and rest at the homes of kings or landlords. One such incident occurred when a group of monks from Ayodhya, returning after visiting Puri, arrived at the landlord's house in Tilantapara, Pingla. During their stay, the leader of the group fell seriously ill. An elderly widow from the landlord's household nursed him back to health.

Pleased, the holy man asked her to request any gift she desired. The woman replied, “If you truly wish to give me something, then leave your Shalagram stone with me.”

The monk found himself in a dilemma. The sacred idol was the treasure of his heart. How could he part with it?

Without saying anything, he picked up another stone and handed it to the woman. Delighted, she accepted it and took her leave.

But the story did not end there. Rather, it marked the beginning of a history.

That very night, Lord Shri Krishna appeared to the woman in a dream. She came to know that the monk had given her a fake idol instead of the real one.

The next morning, the monks had mounted their elephants and were preparing to depart. With tears in her eyes, the woman stood before them and said, “Why did you deceive me, Maharaj? This idol is not the genuine one.”

The monk stopped in his tracks. He felt ashamed. At the same time, he realized that the deity Himself no longer wished to leave. Taking out his beloved idol from his bag, he placed it in the hands of the woman who had cared for him. The deity's name was Janakiballabh

This happened more than two hundred years ago. Joy swept through the landlord's household that day. The sacred stone was ceremonially installed, and regular worship began.

It is no longer known exactly when or by whom the zamindari of the Maity family was established. The earliest known ancestor was Gangaram Maity. He had two sons—Vaishnabcharan and Bhujabal. Later, the deeply devout Vaishnabcharan's family adopted the surname “Das” and moved to Moyna police station area, where they established a new temple and introduced religious festivals.

The descendants of Bhujabal continue to reside in Tilantapara. Even before the installation of Janakiballabh, Shiva and other deities were worshipped in the family. One branch of the family inherited the earlier deities, while another became the hereditary custodians of Janakiballabh. Today, the lineage has reached the thirteenth or fourteenth generation.

The exquisitely beautiful temple built for the deity bears a brief dedicatory plaque on its wall. It is a terracotta plaque. Preserving the original spelling and punctuation, the inscription reads:

“Shri Shri Jan / ki Ballab / Shubha Mastu / Saka Era / 1732 / Year 12 / 18”

This means the temple was constructed in Saka Era 1732, Bengali year 1218, corresponding to 1810 or 1811 CE.

Although the inscription records the date, it does not mention the founder's name. His identity survives through local tradition. Earlier, Bhujabal was mentioned. His youngest son, Vrindaban, was both intelligent and influential. One night, while returning after presiding over an arbitration meeting, a Yaksha blocked his path and gave him three pots filled with gold coins, instructing him to spend them on noble works. (Our assumption is that perhaps it was not a Yaksha at all, but a miser who entrusted the landlord with the savings of his lifetime.)

With those three pots of gold coins, Vrindaban accomplished three things:
1. He built the beautiful five-spired (Pancha-ratna) temple for the deity.
2. He reconstructed the guest house on a much larger scale.
3. He introduced the Ras festival with great grandeur.

The festival came to be known as “Vrindaban Maity's Ras.” The name remains in use even today. The Ras festival is still celebrated with great pomp. A Brahmin family bearing the surname “Mishra” was appointed as hereditary priests through grants of jagir land, and they continue to conduct the temple's worship to this day.

The temple is brick-built and south-facing. It stands on a high plinth, around which runs a broad circumambulatory path. At the front is a porch with three arched entrances. The pillars follow a masonry style. Besides the southern entrance, there is another doorway to the sanctum on the eastern side.

All five spires on the roof are divided into chariot-like projections in the Kalinga architectural style.

The fame of Janakiballabh Temple rests upon its ornamentation. There is no other temple quite like it in the entire district.

Some of its decorative themes may be mentioned here:

1. From the Ramayana—the abduction of Sita, Jatayu's battle, the cutting of Surpanakha's nose, the battle between Rama and Ravana, etc.
2. From Krishna's life—Devaki giving birth, Kamsa's attempt to kill Mahamaya, Vasudeva carrying the infant Krishna across the Yamuna, the young Krishna slaying Parvatasura (the demon sent by Kamsa to kill him), the killing of Ghotakasura, etc.
3. From the legends of Goddess Chandi—the slaying of Mahishasura, Raktabija, Shumbha and Nishumbha, etc.
4. Social subjects—the atrocities of Portuguese pirates, intimate scenes of European gentlemen and ladies seated on chairs, a British sahib hunting deer, etc.
5. Miscellaneous subjects—various types of watercraft, naval fleets embarking on sea voyages, riders on elephants, horses, and camels, the ten-armed Durga riding a lion, the four-armed image of Kali, and on the western wall a large panel depicting Jagannath, Balarama, and Subhadra.

There are also numerous plaques that can easily be categorized as erotic (mithuna) sculptures. Guardian figures, portrait-like doorway decorations—what is not found in this temple?

Only a few examples have been mentioned here. The shrine is covered with countless such plaques. The deity seems like a cherished child. The entire wealth of the zamindari appears to have been poured into adorning His abode.

Today, the zamindari no longer exists. The splendor of the year-round festivals has faded. The grandeur of the estate has dimmed. The vast mansion has gradually crumbled away. A few weathered Corinthian columns still stand as reminders of the old administrative house. The great guest house is in ruins. The boat ghat, the charitable kitchen for monks, guests, and the needy—all have vanished.

Only the temple remains.

It still stands today in its own dignity and glory. The Maity zamindar family has not allowed the slightest loss of beauty to come to this shrine. It is the one temple in the whole of Medinipur district whose memory lingers long after one has seen it.