Surul
| Surul সুরুল | |
|---|---|
| village | |
  Surul Location in West Bengal, India | |
| Coordinates: 23°40′13″N 87°39′25″E / 23.6702900°N 87.6569520°ECoordinates: 23°40′13″N 87°39′25″E / 23.6702900°N 87.6569520°E | |
| Country |
 India |
| State | West Bengal |
| District | Birbhum |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Bengali, English |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Bolpur |
| Vidhan Sabha constituency | Bolpur |
| Website |
birbhum |
Surul is a village in Bolpur subdivision of Birbhum district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Geography
Sriniketan now adjoins a part of Surul. It is 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from Santiniketan.[1]
History
Surul is a village adjacent to Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan/Sriniketan, founded by Rabindranath Tagore. A major part of the university stands within Surul mouja.
Surul consists of a large population of Bagdis, Bauris, Haris and Doms, as well as weavers. The Sarkars who were zamindars of the village brought in Brahmins and other upper castes.[2] The Sarkar family had contributed a vital role towards development of the overall area and establishment of Visva-Bharati.
The village was economically sound, being the centre of business and was the site of a commercial residency under John Cheap. After East India Company gave up its mercantile dealings in 1835, the residency was allowed to fall into decay.[3]
Culture
The temples at Surul are well-protected and terra cotta carvings are distinct. The older temples were built in 1830, within a few years of John Cheap’s death. Most of the temples are dedicated to Shiva, one to Manasa and one pancharatna (five towered) temple to Lakshmi-Janardan. Most of the carvings are traditional depictions such as the Ramayana war but the depictions of Europeans need special mention.[2](See the picture alongside). During the late 1940s Indian artist Mukul Dey extensively photo-documented the terracotta temples of Surul, which were subsequently published in an album titled Birbhum Terracottas, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, 1959.
References
- ↑ "Santiniketan-Bolpur". Retrieved 2009-03-05.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ghosh, Binoy, Paschim Banger Sanskriti, (in Bengali), part I, 1976 edition, pp. 304-308, Prakash Bhaban
- ↑ O’Malley, L.S.S., ICS, Birbhum, Bengal District Gazetteers, p. 145, first published 1910, 1996 reprint, Government of West Bengal
External links
- Little help matters. Intention counts. Attitude counts.
-
Surul travel guide from Wikivoyage - Mukul Dey's Terracotta Documentation: A Short Note by Satyasri Ukil
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