Kantaji temple in Dinajpur is on the verge of destruction as high salinity in the soil beneath its foundation has been seeping through the structure, damaging its beautiful terracotta embellishments by a huge number.
Also known as Kantajio Mandir, this is one of the three nine-spired or "Nava Ratna" temples built in the region in the eighteenth century. It sits on the west bank of the river Dhapa, 14 km away from Dinajpur town, Khaleque said adding, the temple was declared a protected archaeological site in November 1960 by the then government of Pakistan.
The wretched condition of this eighteenth-century marvel is mostly caused by "absence of proper maintenance and sufficient manpower due to fund shortage of the department” in the last six years, said a senior official of Department of Archaeology (DA).