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Introduction
For an example of a temple-town, once in all her glory and playing all important role in history and now in ruins, there could be no better instance in Bihar than Benusagar, a village in Singhbhum district. Benusagar, now a hamlet with age-old relies, jungles, bushes and snakes, is situated seven miles south from Majgaon by road, in the extreme south-west of the Kolhan area and on the border of Singhbhum district in Bihar and Mayurbhanj district in Orissa.
The village takes its name after a large tank to the north of the village. The tank is evidently ancient and is now silted up with weeds. There is a small island in the middle of the tank, which is covered with shrub and jungle; but it is this island which once had a number of temples and throbbed with life and pilgrims. There are a number of low mounds of brick marking the ruins of several old temples and a number of beautifully sculptured images lying half buried in the ground. According to local tradition, the tank was excavated and Raja Benu, son of Raja Keshna of Keshnagarh, built a fort round the
township.
Author - P. C. Roy Choudhury
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