Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni on Sunday visited the historic Kantaji temple in Dinajpur which came under attack by banned militants in 2015.
The eighteenth century brick temple is located at Kantanagar under Kaharole Upazila.
After touring the temple, the minister was fascinated by the mythology, construction style and craftsmanship embedded with terracotta inlaid plaques on the temple.
Among others, Dinajpur 1 MP Manoranjan Shill Gopal, Deputy Commissioner Khaled Mohammad Zaki, Superintendent of Police Mohammad Anwar Hossain, Kaharol Upazila Parishad Chairman Abdul Malek Sarkar, Raj Debottar Estate Agent Ranjit Kumar Sitah, Upazila Awami League President AKM Far and others were present during the visit.
According to Banglapedia, the pyramidal temple rose in three receding terraces and was crowned with nine ornamental spires or ratnas (jewels) on the corner of the three terraces which imparted to it an appearance of a huge ratha or an ornate chariot resting on a high plinth.
It was provided with arched openings on all four sides in order to enable devotees to see the deity enshrined inside from all directions.
Every available inch of its wall surface from the base to the crest of its three stories, both inside and out, pulsates with an amazing profusion of figured and floral art in unbroken succession.
The vast array of subject matter include the stories of the mahabharata (Mahabharata) and the ramayana (Ramayana), the exploits of Krisna, and a series of extremely fascinating contemporary social scenes depicting the favourite pastimes of the landed aristocracy.
The second register depicts animated hunting scenes of wild games, royal processions of elephants, horses, camels, and dainty ox-carts of the nobility with their retainers in Mughal dress and arms.