Special Issue (Vol. IV, No. 1)

on

From Dandabhukti to Dantan: a Historical and Cultural Journey

This is a project taken up by Chitrolekha Magazine (www.chitrolekha.com, ISSN 2231-4822) for locating the ancient janapada Dandabhukti at and around modern-day Dantan, Paschim Medinipur and for exploring its cultural history from the ancient to the modern times. This also seeks to discuss various aspects of the Moghalmari Buddhist Monastery (Sri Vandak Mahabihar), other archaeological remains of the village, and other historical sites around Moghalmari like Kakrajit, Kurumbera Fort, Satdeulia of Dantan, the ponds like Sarashanka, Bidyadhar, Dharmasagar and the Raibania Fort of Orissa, all of which at some points of time functioned through a live interconnected cultural and economic network. We have preliminarily selected certain topic/s or areas for convenience:

Topics:

General Topics:

  • Buddhism in Bengal (Bangladesh and West Bengal)
  • Buddhist Sites in Bengal
  • Tamralipta and its relation to Dandabhukti

Topics relating to Dandabhukti and Moghalmari Buddhist Monastery

1.Locating and justifying ancient Dandabhukti at and around Dantan
2. The trade and pilgrimage road from the eastern india via Dantan to the South India and Puri
3. Moghalmari Buddhist monastery

  • History
  • Architecture
  • Sculpture
  • Pottery
  • Buddhist Sect/s
  • Other Buddhist structures found at Moghalmari

4. Plan for archaeological and eco tourism centring round the Monastery.
5. Satdeulia or the place of seven temples and its surrounding areas
6. Kakrajit and its statues of Surya
7. Sarashanka and its history
8. Temples of Dantan: Shyamaleshwar, Chandaneshwar and Jagannath temples
9. Statues found at Dantan and their analyses
10. Local legends
11. Gaganeshwar, Kurumbera Fort and its historical significance
12. The shifting course of the river Subarnarekha
13. Raibania Fort of Orissa.

We cordially invite your opinions, suggestions for inclusion of other topics and contributions to the topics. The issue will be published online and hopefully in hard paper format as a volume.

Word-limit: 2000-5000 words (including notes and references)

Style-sheet to follow: APA

Contact: Tarun Tapas Mukherjee & Sreecheta Mukherjee at editor@chitrolekha.com and ttm1974@gmail.com

Submission Deadline March 31, 2014.

Expected Schedule of Publication: May 2014.