Pakbirra | |
|---|---|
Village | |
  Pakbirra Location in West Bengal, India Show map of West Bengal Pakbirra Pakbirra (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates:23°09′13″N86°39′57″E / 23.1535°N 86.6658°E /23.1535; 86.6658 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | West Bengal |
| District | Purulia |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 1,754 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Bengali,English |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 723151 |
| Telephone/STD code | 03253 |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Purulia |
| Vidhan Sabha constituency | Manbazar |
| Website | purulia |
Pakbirra is a village in thePunchaCD block in theManbazar subdivision of thePurulia district in the state ofWest Bengal,India.
]]]]Pakbirra is located at23°09′13″N86°39′57″E / 23.1535°N 86.6658°E /23.1535; 86.6658.
Purulia district forms the lowest step of theChota Nagpur Plateau. The general scenario is undulating land with scattered hills.Manbazar subdivision, shown in the map alongside, is located in the eastern part of the district. It is an overwhelmingly rural subdivision with 96.32% of the population living in the rural areas and 3.68% living in the urban areas. There are 3 census towns in the subdivision. The map shows the Kangsabati Project Reservoir. TheMukutmanipur Dam is in Bankura district but the upper portion of the reservoir is in Manbazar subdivision. The remnants of old temples and deities are found in the subdivision also, as in other parts of the district. The subdivision has a very high proportion ofScheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Bandwan CD block has 51.86% ST population, Manbazar II CD block has 48.97% ST population. Manbazar I CD block has 22.03% ST and 22.44% SC. Puncha CD block has 24.74% ST and 14.54 SC.[1][2][3][4] Writing in 1911, H. Coupland, ICS, speaks of the aboriginal races largely predominating in the old Manbhum district. He particularly mentions the Kurmis, Santhals, Bhumij and Bauri.[5]
Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.
According to the2011 Census of India, Pakbirra had a total population of 1,754, of which 864 (49%) were males and 890 (51%) were females. There were 219 persons in the age range of 0–6 years. The total number of literate persons in Pakbirra was 1,081 (70.42% of the population over 6 years).[6]
Pakbirra is about 40 km fromPurulia town.[7] A short stretch of local roads link Pakbirra toPuncha town.[8]
Pakbirra Jain temples are a collection of three temples. Relics here date back to the ninth and tenth centuries AD. Most impressive of sculptures present in this temple is the colossal 7.5 feet high statue Shitalnatha and 8 feet high statue of Padmaprabha carved of polished black stone. Statue of Padmaprabha is also worshipped as Bhairavnath by people of Hindus faith. The temple has many sculptures including sculptures of Tirthankar Rishabhnath, Parshvanatha, Mahavira along with Goddess Devi Ambika and Padmavati.[9]
This temple have the basictri-ratha plan with simplified squad of moldings and several level of the wall niches and lower façade stones. The largeamalaka fragments lying about, and the stonekalasha with lotus buds emerging of nagara stying. The principal temple, contains preliminary chambers and sanctum. That temple, facing west, perhaps enshrined the colossal figure of aTirthankar over 2 meters high, with lotus symbol on its pedestal. The temple also has sculptures of eight standing tirthankaras, including threeRishabhanatha, 2 ofMahavira,Sambhavanatha,Padmaprabha,Chandraprabha and two images ofYaksha andYakshi beneath a tree with a Jina in the branches. Threeayagapata or votive stupas and an idol ofambika with child and attendant, standing on her lion, beneath a flowering tea are also present here.[10]
