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 | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Bankura |
| Deity | Radha Shyam (Divine couple in Hinduism) |
| Location | |
| Location | Bishnupur |
| State | West Bengal |
| Country | India |
| Geographic coordinates | 23°4′20.85661″N 87°19′35.04274″E / 23.0724601694°N 87.3264007611°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Bengal temple architecture |
| Style | eka-ratna style |
| Founder | Chaitanya Singh |
| Date established | 1758 |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | South |
| Length | 12.5 metres (41 ft) |
| Width | 12.5 metres (41 ft) |
| Height (max) | 10.7 metres (35 ft) |
| Official name: Radha Shyam Temple | |
| Type | Cultural |
| 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
edit- ^ a b c Biswas 1992, pp. 20–21.
- ^ a b Biswas 1992, p. 20.
- ^ Chakraborty, Shantanu (18 January 2018). "Mallabhūma biṣṇupura" মল্লভূম বিষ্ণুপুর [Mallabhum Bishnupur]. www.anandabazar.com (in Bengali). ABP. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ Biswas 1992, p. 21.
Bibliography
edit- 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.