Published Paper Details:

The 16th to 19th centuries are considered the golden age of Bengali temple architecture, with small clay temples with elegant terracotta decorations on their walls. The descriptive design and narrative storytelling of terracotta plaques are well known. The geographical, philosophical, historical, socio-religious, and cultural background of these temples, as well as their influence on the arts and crafts of rural and urban Bengal after the nineteenth century, are the focus of this paper. The conceptual discussion in this paper was built using data from secondary sources such as journal research articles, edited and published books, documentaries, and more. The history of these temples, as well as their influence on other art forms, were investigated. According to the research, terracotta temple architecture has become a symbol of Bengali Hindu artistic expression. The strong Vaishnavite and Shaivite philosophies influenced Bengali culture at this time. The finely modelled terracotta plaques of these temples represent historical shifts, the emergence of the Bhakti movement, and the influence of Muslim and Anglo-Indian culture. These ornate terracotta plaques had a major effect on Bengali textile design, woodwork, sculptures, painted scrolls, manuscripts, and metalwork.