JATAR
DEUL - ART AND CULTURE
News: Sea winds erode 11th century Sundarbans
temple
What's
in the news?
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An ancient
terracotta temple in West Bengal’s Sundarbans, which has survived the
ravages of time for millennia, is now facing a very modern threat.
Key
takeaways:
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The impact of climate change, especially
the increase in air salinity, is gradually eroding the outer wall of Jatar
Deul, an eleventh century structure, which is located at Raidighi in South 24
Parganas, only a few kilometres from the sea.
Jatar
Deul:
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The temple is datable to the 10th or 11th
century AD on the basis of its architecture.
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Jatar Deul is a Shiva temple and is the tallest standing temple in the Sundarbans
on the bank of the river Moni.
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The temple has a curvilinear tower similar to temple architecture of the Nagara
order of Odisha temples.
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Jatar Deul is traditionally connected to
an inscription, no longer traceable, by one Raja Jayantachandra, purported to have been issued in 975 AD.
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The base of the temple has suffered damage
because of hydraulic action or air salinity.
Go
back to basics:
Sundarbans:
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Sundarbans
is a vast contiguous mangrove forest
ecosystem in the coastal region of Bay of Bengal spread across India and
Bangladesh.
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It covers approximately 10,000 square kilometres
of area of which 60% is in Bangladesh and remaining in India.
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It is located in the delta region of
Padma, Meghna and Brahmaputra River basins.
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It is the largest tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world.
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The Sunderbans Delta is the only mangrove forest in the world inhabited
by tigers.
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Sundarbans forests are known for Royal
Bengal Tiger and other numerous species of animals, including Chital Deer,
Crocodile and Snakes.
Protection:
●
The Sundarban National Park is a National Park, a Tiger Reserve and a
Biosphere Reserve. This delta is densely forested and it is one of the
Bengal tiger's most important habitats. A variety of bird, reptile and invertebrate
species, including the saltwater crocodile, live in this park.
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In 1973, the current Sundarbans National
Park was designated as the core area of the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve and in
1977, it was designated as a wildlife sanctuary.
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It was designated as a National Park on
May 4, 1984.
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It was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
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Sundarban Wetland, India was recognised as
the ‘Wetland of International
Importance’ under the Ramsar Convention in January 2019.
Threats:
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It is facing threats from climate change
and rising sea levels.
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It also faces threat from widespread
construction and clearing of mangrove forests for fisheries.