The Terracotta Temples of Maluti in Jharkhand

When we think of terracotta temples, we think of Bishnupur in West Bengal. Never did I imagine that I would visit terracotta temples in Jharkhand, on my very first visit to the state!

Jharkhand, as a state is just around 25 years old. The state was carved out of Bihar in the year 2000. The name ‘Jharkhand’ means ‘land of the forests’, and forests and tribals are what we associate most with this state. While the idea of exploring the forests of Jharkhand sounds interesting, I was more interested in visiting Jharkhand to see Baidyanath Dham, one of the 12 Jyotirlings, which had eluded me for a long, long time. So, when we decided to do a quick trip to Deoghar to complete our pilgrimage of the 12 Jyotirlings in May 2025, I was excited at the prospect of visiting a new state. However, as usual, I couldn’t just visit one temple… there had to be something more I could see. Friends and family advised me to also visit Tarapeeth, one of the important shrines to the goddess in nearby West Bengal, just across the state border. But that was another crowded, popular temple. I was on the lookout for something off the beaten track. A little research proved fruitful, and yielded the temples of Maluti, very close to the West Bengal border.

My driver had never heard of Maluti, and he wasn’t sure of the route. He insisted we finish Tarapeeth first, so that we wouldn’t miss the more important temple, probably hoping we would get tired or late, and give up our harebrained idea of going off the highway to see some temples he had never heard of. We agreed, but much to his disappointment, we refused to change our mind. Guided by Google Maps, we directed him along increasingly narrower roads, being rewarded for our efforts by seeing a group of locals (probably from the santhal tribe), dancing on the road!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/ff1a89_a805ffcfa8714287a2b5874cfde5bee9/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/ff1a89_12f2551f614444319932729b5bf9386f/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Eventually, we reached our destination, which was a nondescript village at first glance. Inquiries led us first to the more prominent temple, to the deity known as Mauliksha Maa. The grand entrance was obviously new, but the temple itself was small, and simple, though gaily painted and adorned. And the goddess herself, though just a face, was gorgeous. There’s something about her that was way more powerful, more impressive than the temple at Tarapeeth, which is the more popular shrine. Incidentally, she is believed to be the oldest sister of Maa Tara of Tarapeeth.

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Guided by the locals, we found our way to the temples that Maluti is famous for – 72 terracotta temples, built from the 15^th century onwards.

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The temples, and the village, have an interesting history. It is said that back in the 15^th century, a brahmin named Basanta, saved the hawk (Baj) of the Muslim ruler, Allaudin Hussain Shah of Gaura. Pleased, the king gave this village to Basanta as a tax-free kingdom, and thenceforth, he was called Raja Baj Basanta. He began the tradition of building terracotta temples, which was continued by his descendants. It is believed that at one time, there were 108 temples here, in 4 clusters, of which 72 remain today, in various states of disrepair.

The name ‘Maluti’ is believed to originate from the Malla kings of Bengal, who ruled parts of present-day West Bengal and Jharkhand, from the 7^th century onwards. They seem to have been allies of first the Mughals and later the British, thus managing to survive all the way till independence, albeit as zamindars instead of kings, still holding the title of Raja. This connection of the name of the village to the dynasty is strengthened by the presence of the terracotta temples, which seem to link it to Bishnupur, which was once their stronghold.

However, in my opinion, the name is far more likely to have come from the name of the local goddess, who is the family deity of the Raja who began the tradition of building these temples, known as Maa Maulisksha. Knowing how names are often corrupted, I wouldn’t be surprised at a connection between the name of the goddess and the village.

The 72 temples standing today can be found in 4 clusters, each cluster having been built by one branch of the family. They are in reasonably good shape, thanks to efforts by a local NGO, and the Global Heritage Fund. Conservation work is in progress, and it was these workers renovating the temples who directed us from one cluster to another.

There are temples dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, and the goddess, and many are empty today. They stand in the middle of small clearings, surrounded by houses, children playing happily amongst them, almost forgotten otherwise.

What is most impressive are the details. There are depictions from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Rama fighting Ravana is a popular motif, as are episodes from the life of Krishna, especially his childhood, as well as the goddess Mahishasuramardini.

Almost every temple intact today has a scene of Rama fighting Ravana....

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There are numerous scenes from Lord Krishna's leelas... the most popular seems to be the one of Krishna killing the demon Bakasura, who was in the form of a crane. He is also seen with Radha, as well as the gopis, stealing their clothes, and killing other demons such as Dhenukasura.

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And then there are other depictions, like this one, showing the Surpanakha episode from the Ramayana...

There is a Brahma, with four faces, seated on a swan...

And, scattered here and there are the avatars of Vishnu.. I especially loved this one.. the one on the right in the image below, of Vamana, or Trivikrama.

There is this gorgeous Mahishasuramardini...

This temple has these 8 figures below the Rama v/s Ravana scene, who appear to be the Matrikas...

And then, there are the secular scenes, which depict scenes from everyday life...

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It is amazing to think of the clay being molded, with these beautifully depicted narratives, as well as ornamental designs, baked and then fixed in their place to form these gorgeous structures. The level of detail is overwhelming. Not only is every part covered with intricate patterns, but these stories extend far beyond our line of sight.

Every single niche in this temple (above) has beautiful depictions... and it is impossible to see them standing at ground level.

It would be very interesting to know more about these temples – the craftsmen who actually built them, the potters who made these terracotta bricks with patterns and stories etched on them, the kiln where these were made… there are more questions than we have answers.

These temples had essentially been a detour for us. While I had seen photos online, my experiences with travelling in the heart of rural India had taught me to keep my expectations in check. We reached these temples late in the afternoon, and by the time we were through with one cluster, the sun had already begun to set, and our driver was eager to find his way back home. Besides, the setting sun didn’t help matters with observing details of the temples.

These temples deserve to be much more than a detour. They deserve to be explored and documented at leisure, in depth. I learnt only after my return that it is possible to stay at Maluti and explore these temples with the locals. Check out the website https://www.maluti.org/ if you are interested. I cannot vouch for them since I haven’t tried them out, but if you are keen on seeing these temples the way they are meant to be seen, they are probably the best option you have.

It was late by the time we returned to Deoghar, and our return journey was filled with our driver’s complaints about the lateness of the hour, the increased traffic due to the time, and the inconvenience of a delayed dinner. However, it is easy to turn a deaf ear to complaints when one’s heart is filled with joy… and that is what our visit to these temples had accomplished. In the heart of the forest state, these gorgeous temples made of clay reminded us of just how much heritage and beauty lay hidden just around every corner of this amazing country of ours.

Information

Maluti is located in the Dumka district of Jharkhand, 55 Km from the district headquarters at Dumka.

How to Reach

The nearest railway station is at Rampurhat in West Bengal, 16 Km away.

The nearest airports are at Durgapur (115 Km) and Deoghar (120 Km).

Tarapeeth is around 26 Km away.

Where to Stay

From what I saw on my visit, Deoghar has more and better options to stay at, though Tarapeeth also has plenty of hotels. We stayed at the Ishaan Sarovar Portico at Deoghar, where the rooms, food and service were excellent. It is a hotel I would recommend for anyone visiting Deoghar or Maluti.