The Rekh temple at Telkupi (Raghunathpur-II Block) is the lone survivor of a group of 22 temples. Historical records show that “Tailakampa” or “Telkupi” village of Purulia had been a big port city. According to Kautilya's “Artha Shastra”, believed to have written during 4th century B.C, Telkupi was directly connected with Tamralipta. “Tel” is a kind of tax and “Kampa” derived from the word “Kappan” means “Pargana”(district). Thus, Telkupi probably had been a feudal tax paying state. The area extended from the southern bank of Damodar to the northern part of Kansabati. In 1872, when J.D. Beglar visited
the site, all the twenty-two temples existed here. Most of the temples got submerged under Damodar river when the DVC dam was built in 1957.
