‘Puthia Group of Temples’ is a cluster of Hindu temples on the grounds of Puthia Royal Palace. If you want to learn about temple classification and architecture of Bengal, then this is the best place. There are at least nine different types of surviving temples, including Govinda temples, Anhik temples, Shiva temples, Gopal temple, ‘Dol Mancha’ and ‘Ras Mancha’. Most of the temples were built in the 18th century by the Puthia royal family.
Of all the temples, the large Shiva temple is the most stunning edifice. Situated on the bank of Shiv Sagor (a large reservoir), it is a good example of pancha-ratna type architecture. It was built by Rani Bhuban Mohini Devi in 1823. On the other hand, the small Shiva temple is a chau-chala building, located beside the road to Char Ani Palace. There is another bigger temple, called Ras Mancha, beside the large Shiva temple. It is octagonal in shape with stucco decorations.
The large Govinda temple is a gorgeous pancha-ratna type edifice. The outer wall elegantly depicts the legends of Ramayan, Radha-Krishna, and also historical incidents of Mughal campaigns in Bengal. The small Govinda temple is of chau-chala type.
The small Anhik temple is a ‘do-chala’ building. Located behind the Rajbari, it was built by Rani Bhuban Mohini Devi in 1823. The large Anhik temple is a composite building, a combination of one do-chala and two chau-chala temples.
The Gopal temple is a two-storied flat roofed temple. Dol Mancha is a four-storied temple, built by Rani Hemanto Kumari Devi in 1895.

Photos: M Mahmud Ali
Reference: Internet