Chala Style

The presence of Chala-style is observed in the Mauryan period. Mauryan granaries are similar to Charchala, one of the types of Chala style. The stone temple at Garui in Paschim Bardhaman district of West Bengal, built in the 14th century, has a Chala-style or Bengal hut shaped roof. The oldest Chala-style temple is Singhabahini temple at Ghatal. However, the Kiriteswari temple is considered to be the oldest Chala style temple. The original Kiriteswari temple was destroyed in 1405. == Types ==

There are different types of temples in Chala-style. These types are specified by number of Chala. Mainly 4 types of Chala-style temples are observed. The four most common temple types under Chala-style are Do-chala, Char-chala, At-chala and Baro-Chala. Do-chala , West Bengal, India. The word "Do" used in Bengali language means two. Temples built in this Chala style have two Chalas (roof) and gable eands. Temples of this style consist of two sloping roofs in front and back. The floor of the temples is rectangular. Most of the temples built in the Do-chala style have three arches on their fronts. Do-chala temples have one or three entrances. In temples with a single entrance, the entrance is built at the front. Narayana Temple at Bhanga in Faridpur is a single entrance temple. Some do-chala temples are built with three entrances, entrances are made on the front, left and right sides of the temples. The Panchamukhi Shiva temple built in Do-chala style at Baranagar in Murshidabad district has three entrances. According to David McCutchion, Jor Bangla style temples are mostly observed in the area from Purulia to Faridpur (i.e. south of the Ganges and west of the Padma). Char-chala In Char-chala style, the temple's roof consists of four "Chalas" (sloping roof). Sloping chalas meet at the mid-point of the roof. Generally Char-chala temple is built on a square base; but, some temples are built on elongated base. Most of the temples built in the Char-chala style have one arche on their front. The terracotta temple at Palpara and Raghabeswar temple at Diknagar are Char-chala style temple with a single entrance and elongated base. Kolkata's famous Kalighat Kali Temple is built in At-chala style. Among the very large At-chala temples are Bindavanchandra Temple at Guptipara and Radhagobind Temple at Antpur, both temples are located in Hooghly district. The Shiva temple built in 1725 at Sahaganj in Hooghly district and the Nandakisora temple built in 1741 at Halisahar in North 24 Parganas district are small-scale At-chala style temples. == Influence ==

During the Mughal period the do-chala roof was to be adopted by the Muslims and even exported to other parts of India, where it became a prominent feature of seventeenth-century architecture in Delhi, Lahore, Gulberg, etc. In the eighteenth century, from Delhi, Lahore or Gulberg it moved to the palace balconies and garden pavilions of Rajasthan. == See also ==