Ananta Basudeba Temple
Vishnu (Ananta Vasudeva) temple · Bansberia, Hooghly, West Bengal, India
Photo: Amartyabag · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Ananta Basudeba Temple (also written Ananta Vasudeva) is a Vaishnav shrine dedicated to Vishnu at Bansberia in West Bengal (Live History India). It stands inside the same temple complex as the much taller Hangseswari temple, and the Hooghly district administration lists it among the important temples near Hangseswari (Outlook Traveller; Hooghly District Administration). The temple is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, which lists the 'Hansesvari and Vasudev Temple' at Bansberia, Hugli, under its Kolkata Circle (National Monuments Authority).
The temple is best known for its terracotta decoration, which the district administration describes as very rich (Hooghly District Administration). Outlook Traveller notes that it is said to be one of the best examples of the terracotta temple architecture of Bengal (Outlook Traveller).
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Ananta Basudeba Temple
The temple was built by Rameshwar Dutta, who was a devout Vaishnav (Live History India). Live History India describes it as one of the earliest examples of intricately carved terracotta temples in Bengal, and cites the art historian Pika Ghosh as calling it a contemporary of the well-known Bishnupur terracotta temples (Live History India).
Its setting is unusual: the older Vaishnav shrine shares a compound with the Hangseswari temple, a Shakta temple built more than a century later by a descendant of the same family (Live History India). Live History India notes that within three generations Rameshwar Dutta's family had turned to Shakta-Tantric worship, mainly through his great-grandson Raja Nrisingha Deb (Live History India).
Heritage
History of Ananta Basudeba Temple
The temple was built in 1679 by Raja Rameshwar Dutta (Outlook Traveller; Live History India), and the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta, also records the date 1679 in its catalogue of the temple (Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta). Live History India describes Rameshwar Dutta (Roy) as a local landholder whose father, Raghab Datta Roy, had been appointed a zamindar by the court of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (Live History India).
The neighbouring Hangseswari temple was built between 1801 and 1814; it was commissioned by King Nrisinghadev and completed by Rani Shankari (Outlook Traveller). The pair of temples was notified as a protected monument in 1964 (National Monuments Authority).
Architecture and sacred features
The temple is a single-towered (ek-ratna) building with a curved, hut-style roof, topped by an octagonal spire (Live History India; Outlook Traveller). Three of its walls are covered in carved terracotta plaques showing scenes from Krishna Lila, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata (Outlook Traveller; Live History India), and panels above the arches depict the Ramayana war (Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta).
The plaques also show everyday and courtly life, including royal courts, hunts, musicians and palanquin bearers (Outlook Traveller; Live History India). Outlook Traveller describes a panel of two boats facing each other, one with a plain prow and the other with a dragon's head, and notes that the palanquin bearers' headgear resembles European top hats (Outlook Traveller).
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
The Ananta Basudeba temple is a protected monument (National Monuments Authority), and Outlook Traveller reported in 2016 that it was maintained by the ASI and could be visited regardless of the opening hours of the Hangseswari temple (Outlook Traveller). Confirm current arrangements with the Archaeological Survey of India (Kolkata Circle) or the Hooghly district administration before visiting.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with the temple administration before travelling. Last reviewed 11 October 2026.
Location
How to Reach Ananta Basudeba Temple
The Hooghly district administration says the Hangseswari temple complex, which contains the Ananta Basudeba temple, is near Bansberia and Tribeni railway stations on the Bandel–Katwa line (Hooghly District Administration). It lists the trip from Bansberia station as about five minutes by rickshaw, and from Bandel station as about 20 minutes by auto or local transport (Hooghly District Administration). The nearest airport it names is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata (Hooghly District Administration).
Location: Bansberia, Hooghly, West Bengal, India
Nearest airport: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata
Nearest railway station: Bansberia (Bandel–Katwa line); Bandel Junction also nearby
More in Hindu temples in West Bengal · Vishnu (Ananta Vasudeva) temples · Temples in Bansberia (P) · Temples in Chinsurah-Mogra community development Block · Temples in Hooghly District
Questions
Ananta Basudeba Temple: Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Ananta Basudeba Temple?
It is at Bansberia in Hooghly district, West Bengal, inside the same complex as the Hangseswari temple (Hooghly District Administration; Outlook Traveller).
Who built the Ananta Basudeba Temple and when?
It was built in 1679 by Raja Rameshwar Dutta (Outlook Traveller; Live History India). Rameshwar Dutta was a devout Vaishnav (Live History India).
Which deity is worshipped at the temple?
It is a Vaishnav shrine dedicated to Vishnu as Ananta Vasudeva (Live History India).
What is the temple famous for?
It is known for its carved terracotta plaques showing Krishna Lila, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and scenes of royal courts, hunts and musicians (Outlook Traveller). It is described as one of the earliest examples of intricately carved Bengal terracotta temples (Live History India).
How is it different from the Hangseswari temple?
The Ananta Basudeba temple is an older, single-towered terracotta Vaishnav shrine from 1679, while the Hangseswari temple beside it was built between 1801 and 1814 (Outlook Traveller; Live History India).
Is the temple a protected monument?
Yes. The Archaeological Survey of India's Kolkata Circle lists the 'Hansesvari and Vasudev Temple' at Bansberia as a protected monument notified in 1964 (National Monuments Authority).
How do I reach the temple?
The nearest railway station is Bansberia on the Bandel–Katwa line, about five minutes by rickshaw from the temple complex, and the nearest airport is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata (Hooghly District Administration).
Sources and attribution
- © OpenStreetMap contributors — location data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Wikidata Q4751442 — structured data (CC0)
- Wikipedia — Ananta Basudeba Temple — text facts from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hooghly District Administration (Government of West Bengal) — Hangseswari temple
- National Monuments Authority (Government of India) — Monuments of Kolkata Circle, Archaeological Survey of India
- Outlook Traveller — On A Heritage Trail Through Hooghly In West Bengal
- Outlook Traveller — This Temple In Bengal Is Known For Its Unique Architecture
- Live History India — Bansberia Temples: One Family, Two Faiths
- Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta — Ananta Basudeva temple, Bansberia, Hooghly Sadar (George Michell photographic archive)
Further reading: Ananta Basudeba Temple on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Write to info@hindutone.com — see our editorial policy.
