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Maluti Terracotta Temples
Shiva, Durga & Kali · Maluti, Jharkhand
॥ ॐ नमः शिवाय ॥
The village of Maluti in Dumka district, Jharkhand, holds an astonishing cluster of old terracotta temples — once said to number more than a hundred, of which some seventy survive — their brick walls covered in carved clay panels of gods, epics and village life. Built by the rajas of the little Baj Basanta kingdom between the 17th and 19th centuries, Maluti is one of the great, little-known treasures of Bengal-style temple art.
A village of a hundred temples
Maluti’s temples were raised not as one grand shrine but as a scatter of small brick towers across the village, built over generations by the local rajas in place of palaces — the family is said to have vied to build temples rather than mansions. Dedicated to Shiva, to the goddess Mowlakshi (the family deity), to Durga, Kali and Vishnu, they range across the Bengal chala and ratna forms.
Stories told in clay
The glory of Maluti is its terracotta: panels of fired clay set into the brick, carved with scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, with gods and goddesses, hunts, boats and the daily life of old Bengal. Weathered by centuries of monsoon, many remain vivid, a picture-book of myth and memory pressed into the temple walls.
A heritage at risk
Long overlooked, Maluti has in recent years been recognised as a heritage of national importance, and efforts have begun to conserve the surviving temples against decay. It remains a living village of worship — Maha Shivaratri and Kali Puja fill its lanes — as well as an open-air museum of a vanished kingdom’s devotion.
How to reach Maluti
- By road: Maluti is in Dumka district, about 55 km from Dumka town and near Rampurhat just across the West Bengal border.
- By train: Rampurhat (in West Bengal) is the nearest convenient railhead, about 16 km away.
- By air: Kolkata and Deoghar are among the nearer airports.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Maluti temples?
They are a cluster of old terracotta brick temples in Maluti village, Dumka district, Jharkhand — once over a hundred, with some seventy surviving — dedicated to Shiva, Durga, Kali, Vishnu and the goddess Mowlakshi.
Who built the Maluti temples?
They were built by the rajas of the small Baj Basanta kingdom between the 17th and 19th centuries, who are said to have competed to raise temples rather than palaces.
What is special about their art?
Their brick walls are covered in carved terracotta (fired clay) panels showing scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, gods and goddesses, and the daily life of old Bengal.
How many temples survive at Maluti?
Of the more than a hundred said to have once stood, about seventy survive today, in varying states of preservation.
How do I reach Maluti?
Maluti is about 55 km from Dumka, near Rampurhat across the West Bengal border; Rampurhat is the nearest railhead, about 16 km away. Kolkata and Deoghar are the nearer airports.
What festivals are held at Maluti?
Maha Shivaratri and Kali Puja are the main festivals, when the village temples fill with worship.
॥ हर हर महादेव ॥ • Bhaktiras.net Temple Guide
| Deities | Shiva, Mowlakshi, Durga, Kali, Vishnu |
| Number | ~70 surviving (of 100+) |
| Built | 17th–19th c, Baj Basanta rajas |
| Art | Bengal terracotta panels of epics and village life |
| Style | Bengal chala and ratna |
| Region | Dumka, near Rampurhat |
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