Archaeological sites in West Midnapur District

116. Parihati:

This is a well-known archaeological site, which attracted several scholars for a considerable period of time, situated about 22 kms. north-west of Jhargram. The objectives of our fresh reappraisal of the site include studying the evidence of metal bearing find-spots reported earlier, a thorough documentation of the Jain sculptural and architectural remains (Pl.V.C) of early medieval period scattered all over the village, and locating the old habitational remains so as to get an idea about the course of habitational deposits, i.e., the reconstruction of the chronocultural phases with the help of surface finds. Unfortunately, the evidence of ancient metal working reported earlier by several scholars was no longer traceable and according to the local inhabitants the concerned find-spots have been gradually over the years encroached by the present market constructions. A headless Tīrthaṅkara sculptural specimen was recorded from the modern temple complex of Rumkini. Significantly, while exploring the village of Parihati we collected a good number of potsherds including Black and Red Ware, habitational debris, eroded decomposed earth containing potsherds which altogether suggest that the genesis of settlement was primarily related to a Black and Red Ware associated one. Our short visit confirmed that human settlement started here with the Black and Red Ware associated Early Village Farming phases. Again, on the basis of the earlier reports, the involvement of metal working groups cannot be ruled out. The presence of Jain images and the worship of Rumkini suggest the involvement of the Jain Sarāks who were by profession metal workers for generations and other metal working groups like the Lohars and the Agarias during the early medieval period. A memorial stone has also been recorded from a locality near a tank locally known as Satasgera pond, 2 kms from the school complex.

117. Hirapari:

Hirapari also known as Loha Baranchak yielded a magnificent Viṣṇu image along with damaged an image of a Tīrthaṅkara as well as Ambikā from Canditala. The elevated land in and around Canditala as well as the sections of the pond are scattered with habitational debris including a few Black and Red Ware sherds (Pl.V.D). It is our general impression that most of the villages between Hirapari and Pakurseni possess a good number of Black and Red Ware occurrence deposits and we have noticed the same.

118. Tetulia Bhumjan:

This is a large village situated about 2 kms from Hirapari and 28 kms south of Khragpur. This village also yielded Black and Red Ware sherds along with other early historic and historic potsherds and clay objects. A noticeable occurrence of Black and Red Ware sherds has been recorded from Baita Danga, a low elevated habitational mound (Pl.V.E). We have also documented a few fragmentary pieces of Jain sculptures made of lateritic stone at Sitalatala including a hero-stone depicting a male figure holding a sword and riding on a horse and a female figure in seated posture.

119. Tildah:

This site falls under the Pingla Police Station and is situated along the Balichak-Maina road in District West Midnapur. This village is also known as Tildaganj. Like Bahiri, this village is now quite away from any flowing channel, however, there is evidence of dried-up channels of former rivers in its vicinity. It is certainly a destroyed site and scattered habitational remains are still found concentrated over an area covering about 0.5 km including a centrally located area of about 15 acres surrounded by a ditch and presently marked by a number of ponds. This area is locally known as a garh or a fortified complex. Evidence of mud walls surrounding this centrally situated area probably suggests fortification. Trial excavation at the Chandpur mound by K.G. Goswami of the Asutosh Museum, University of Calcutta, exposed two structural phases assignable to the Gupta and post-Gupta periods (IAR 1954-1955:23). This trial excavation of a limited area failed to trace either the purpose or the plan of the unearthed brick structures of both the phases. Besides potsherds and a few intact pieces of pottery, a large number of terracottas were also unearthed. According to the excavator, the majority of these terracottas are of the Gupta and post-Gupta periods. The excavation report states that a solitary sherd of Northern Black Polish Ware and a terracotta figurine, both of the pre-Gupta period were also found during this trial excavation. No structure of the pre-Gupta period was reported. The nature of modelling and costume of this terracotta figurine is stylistically comparable to the so-called Kushana idiom of art. An inscribed terracotta plaque (having Greek letters), presently in the collection of Indian Museum, Kolkata, was also reported from this site.

A few decades after this trial excavation, Tildah was extensively explored by the present author. He recorded the occurrence of BRW associated habitational deposits from the adjoining regions of the structural mound excavated by Goswami. On the basis of the in situ remains along the exposed sections, the author feels that the genesis of the settlement could be traced to the Black and Red Ware associated early village farming phases, however, more evidence are required to substantiate this early beginning. The explored database (personal collection) of the author include potsherds, terracotta objects, beads of semi-precious stones, fragments of copper objects, broken parts of stone sculptures, clay dabbers, net-sinkers, hopscotch sets, bone tools, etc. Absence of diagnostic types of occupational remains generally associated with the Mauryan and post-Mauryan phases, constrain us to explain the growth of the settlement. A single sherd of Northern Black Polish Ware is quite vulnerable in suggesting the settlement dynamics associated with the early part of the Christian era. The structural remains including the possibilities of fortification suggest that during the Gupta-post-Gupta period, the settlement witnessed considerable growth and expansion. The database retrieved from Tildah is comparable to a certain extent with the archaeological parameters of Moghalmari, Dantan, Bahiri, Panna and Tamluk, but with a difference. In absence of horizontal excavations and epigraphic-literary data, the identity, function and the nature of the settlement at Tildah are not yet clear. Its database definitely rules out maritime activities. Śaśāṅka’s Egara and Midnapur land grants hints to the expansion of the agrarian economy in the immediate hinterland areas. Santra mentioned that among other objects a gold coin of the Gupta period was found from this village. According to Mukherjee, this coin is of Viṣṇugupta. Mukherjee also recorded some terracotta figurines including a Jain image (Mukherjee 1996: 87).

120. Lacchipur-Nepura:

The site is situated on the western banks of the river Kansai and in this village there is a desolate area locally known as Dhanyantarir Danga. The Lacchipur-Nepura region is between Sijua in the north and Daintikri in the south. Several Jain sculptures are scattered at Dhanyantarir Danga. Among the sculptural remains, an icon of Pārśvanātha is kept beneath a huge tamarind tree. The icon is stylistically assignable to the nine -tenth centuries CE. A caumukha or a miniature stone replica of a śikhara type temple has been found from the nearby Kansai bed. This village quite far from the coastal lines can be placed in the intermediary part between the coastal lines and the immediate hinterland. This site is to be visualized in the context of the procurement network beween the plateau and the plain and it is clearly evident that it was inhabited by followers of the Jain ideology at least from the 10^th century onwards.

121. Daintikri:

This site along the Kansai is on the Midnapur-Lalgarh road and falls within the Binpur police station. Besides abandoned temples and sculptural specimens of the Jain pantheon, the site yielded habitational remains, potsherds and other habitational debris that occur at places. There is an almost ruined pañca-ratha temple made of laterite blocks and it was possibly a Jain temple. The genesis of the settlement could be traced to the Black and Red Ware associated phases. Adjoining Daintikri Netai is another small village from where several Jain sculptures were also documented.

122. Mayta:

This site falls within the Garbeta Police Station and is 2 kms away from Krishnanagar, near the confluence of the Silavati and Purandar. The high old mound along the river bank is strewn with potsherds and other habitational remains. Asutosh Museum of the University of Calcutta has in its collection a Varāha image and an icon of Ṛṣabhanātha from this site. In the recent years, a good collection of different varieties of ceramics has been collected from this old habitational mound.

123. Jinsar (Balihati):

This site is along the Kharagpur-Midnapur road under the Kharagpur police station. This village lies along the river Kasai/Kansavati, 8 kms. north-west of Midnapur town. Archaeologically, particularly in the context of the emergence and growth of village settlements, the river Kansavati played an important role and we may recollect the growth of BRW associated village settlements in and around the region of Tulsipur in the adjoining district of Bankura. In this connection, it may not be unwise to postulate that since the river Kansavati flows through a great length of space that is very rich in metal and mineral resources (from the upland plateau area to the low-lying alluvial tract almost touching upon the littorals), the growth of settlements along this river had deep association with the procurement processes of raw materials. The exploitation of such metal and mineral resources besides the gradual acceleration of agricultural activities (as evident from the database of the concerned excavated sites, Tulsipur, Ambikanagar, etc.) along the contiguous low-lying areas of the Midnapur region, substantiate that the resource base nurtured (i.e., exploited by the village settlers) both farming and non-farming subsistence strategies. Significantly, the contribution of the rivers like Kansavati and Subarnarekha in the growing population along with settlement formation in the coastal region, may not be ruled out. One really cannot separate the history of the hinterland from the history of the coastal region and rivers like Kansavati, Subarnarekha, Baitarini (further west) are to be blamed for this. The name of the village indicates that the village is abode of the Tīrthaṅkaras. A desolate temple was also recently discovered at this site and this temple must be associated with Jain ideology (Pl.V.F). An abraded Tīrthaṅkara image was reported from this site. Jinsar has a number of old mounds scattered with potsherds, sculptural remains particularly Jain icons. It may not be out of place to state here that the Kansavati played an equally relevant role in the transmission of the Jain ideology from the Chhotanagpur plateau to the surrounding low-lying region of West Midnapur.

124. Kiyarchand:

The site is under the Kesiari Police Station on the Kharagpur-Kultikri road. A large number of stone pillars possibly architectural members and other fragmentary pieces of āmalakas are noticeable here (Pl.V.G). The discovery of sculptural remains particularly Viṣṇu and a tenarmed female deity and a few images of Jain Tīrthaṅkaras deserve special mention.

125. Marandighi:

Located north of Kiyarchand, this site under the Kesiari Police Station is 1km north of Matnagar. An image of Ṛṣabhanātha (1.3 m in height) made of makra stone and an image of Lokeśvara Viṣṇu (2 feet 7 inches in height) made of chlorite are worshipped at Garamchandi than of this village. The Jain sculptures found from Kiyarchand and Marandighi are assignable to the 10^th-11^th centuries CE.

126. Kesiari:

This village under the Kesiari Police Station is 26 kms south of Kharagpur station and is on the Kharagpur-Kesiari road. Kesiari has some early medieval structural ruins scattered in the different localities of the site (Pl.V.H). The renowned Sarbamangala temple of lateritic stone has a few stone icons of the early medieval period. These icons are associated with the Jain ideologies. The usual parameters of the so-called early medieval phenomenon are well defined and Kesiari must have gone through an early historic phase too. This site needs further investigations.

127. Sat Deula:

This is an ancient settlement which includes the area close to Dantan town covering Ektiarpur-Tokinagar mouzas/villages. The report of Harison (1873) mentions Satdeula from where large number of bricks and stone slabs apparently from the structural ruins scattered in the village were used for the construction of the local roads. The Sat Deula locality has seven ponds in the centre of the village. Most of the dried-up beds of these ponds yielded pottery in profuse quantities, especially Hatpukur which yielded a huge collection of potsherds from almost every section. The red ware potsherds are similar to those found from Tokinagar Gram. The re-excavation of Hatpukur during 2010 yielded a black basalt Bhairava head along with a Jain caumukha.

128. Uttarraybar:

The present village, not far from Sat Deula, is situated to the east of Dantan village under the Dantan Police Station. During our recent exploration, we noticed a find-spot which is basically a habitational mound and presently scatter with sculptural remains, among them a beautiful image of a Śaivācārya is notworthy. According to the local villagers, an image of the 23^rd Jain Tīrthaṅkara Pārśvanātha is kept in the Narmadeswari temple of the village. However, the temple authority did not cooperate with me and I failed to collect the details of this image.

A damaged specimen of Jain Tīrthaṅkara Ṛṣabhanātha’s image is kept in the Dantan village library and according to the library authorities they collected this image from the nearby village of Dantan. An image of Yakṣī Ambikā is kept under a piple tree in the cremation ground (Samsan) of Dantan village. Though the Dantan and Moghalmari region is presently well-known among the scholarly world with the discovery of a Buddhist monastery, however, the scattered discovery of Jain images excite us to think about the possible Jain connection in this area.

129. Manoharpur:

This site under the Dantan Police Station is about 5 kms east of Moghalmari. The village has an old temple known as Ananta Purushottam which was probably built over an old habitation mound. A wide variety of ceramic types have been reported from this site. Some fragmentary sculptures and potsherds have been found from a pond locally called Debla at the northern side of this temple. The Rajbari locality has yielded a number of architectural remains comprising pillars, door jambs, lintels, etc., of the earlymedieval-medieval periods. An image of Śāntinātha, stylistically assignable to the ten-eleven centuries CE, is enshrined in the single porched Sitala temple.

130. Ayodhyabar:

This site under the Kespur Police Station is 7 kms. west of Tabageria. A distributary of the Kasai flows past this village. This is an old settlement and the village deity Chandiburi is actually a serpent hooded deity identify as Tīrthaṅkara Pārśvanātha. This vermillion anointed image is worshipped as a form of Durgā. The settlement of Ayodhyabar may be conceived in terms of the radiation of the late historic-early medieval settlements along the Kansavati.

131. Pathra:

This village is situated 10 kms. east of Midnapur town along the river Kansavati. There are a number of temples enshrining Jaina, Buddhist and Brahmanical deities. A few low mounds have yielded early historic potsherds, terracotta objects including net sinkers and structural remains of the post-Gupta period. The site is well known for her sculptural remains. These include images of Jain Tīrthaṅkaras and caumukhas. A beautiful icon of snake hooded Viṣṇu found from this village is presently displayed in the Asutosh Museum of Indian Art, University of Calcutta. The early medieval character of the settlement is clearly evident from the habitational remains; however, the genesis of the settlement may be traced to the early historic period. Above all, the large concentration of Jain sculptural remains and the associated habitational debris suggest that it was a major settlement associated with the spread of the Jain ideology, not far away from the coastal region of ancient Tamralipta.