Radha Shyam Temple[1] or Rādhāśyāma mandir is a Krishna temple in Bishnupur town of Medinipur division in Indian state of West Bengal. In this temple, the Hindu god Krishna is worshiped in the form of Shyam; along with Shyam, the murti of Radha is also worshipped.[2] According to the foundation plaque found in the temple, the temple was founded in 1758 by King Chaitanya Singh of Mallabhum.[3] The temple is a unique example of eka-ratna temple architecture, which belongs to the ratna style developed in medieval Bengal.

Radha Shyam Temple
রাধাশ্যাম মন্দির
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
DistrictBankura
DeityRadha Shyam (Divine couple in Hinduism)
Location
LocationBishnupur
StateWest Bengal
CountryIndia
Geographic coordinates23°4′20.85661″N 87°19′35.04274″E / 23.0724601694°N 87.3264007611°E / 23.0724601694; 87.3264007611
Architecture
TypeBengal temple architecture
Styleeka-ratna style
FounderChaitanya Singh
Date established1758; 266 years ago (1758)
Specifications
Direction of façadeSouth
Length12.5 metres (41 ft)
Width12.5 metres (41 ft)
Height (max)10.7 metres (35 ft)
Official name: Radha Shyam Temple
TypeCultural
Reference no.N-WB-23
[1]

The roof of this temple is square and curved, with curved edges and a domed shikhar (tower) in the middle.[2] The temple is known for its ornamentation, which adorns the surrounding walls of this temple. The ornamentations are mainly placed on terracotta plaques set into the walls.[1] The walls of the temple are decorated with scenes from the Ramayana, Anantasayin Vishnu and widely recurring figures of Radha-Krishna.[4]

Currently the temple is preserved as one of the archeological monuments by the Archaeological Survey of India.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Biswas 1992, pp. 20–21.
  2. ^ a b Biswas 1992, p. 20.
  3. ^ Chakraborty, Shantanu (18 January 2018). "Mallabhūma biṣṇupura" মল্লভূম বিষ্ণুপুর [Mallabhum Bishnupur]. www.anandabazar.com (in Bengali). ABP. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  4. ^ Biswas 1992, p. 21.

Bibliography

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  • Biswas, S. S. (1992). "The Temples". Bishnupur (2nd ed.). New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  • Ghosh, Pika (2005). Temple to Love: Architecture and Devotion in Seventeenth-Century Bengal. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press.
  • Bandyopadhyay, Amiya Kumar (1971). Bām̐kuṛā jēlāra purākīrti বাঁকুড়া জেলার পুরাকীর্তি [Antiquities of Bankura District]. Kolkata: Public Works Department, West Bengal.