| 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 / 23.0724601694; 87.3264007611 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Bengal temple architecture |
| Style | eka-ratna style |
| Founder | Chaitanya Singha |
| Date established | 1758; 267 years ago (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) |
| Monument of National Importance | |
| Official name: Radha Shyam Temple | |
| Type | Cultural |
| Reference no. | N-WB-23 |
Radha Shyam Temple 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.
History and architecture
According to the foundation plaque found in the temple, the temple was founded in 1758 by King Chaitanya Singha of Mallabhum. The temple is a unique example of eka-ratna temple architecture, which belongs to the ratna style developed in medieval Bengal.
The roof of this temple is square and curved, with curved edges and a domed shikhar (tower) in the middle. 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. The walls of the temple are decorated with scenes from the Ramayana, Anantasayin Vishnu and widely recurring figures of Radha-Krishna.
Currently the temple is preserved as one of the archeological monuments by the Archaeological Survey of India. Since 1998, the Radha Shyam temple is on the UNESCO World Heritage Site's Tentative list.
Gallery
References
- ^ Biswas 1992, pp. 20–21.
- ^ Biswas 1992, p. 20.
- "ASI, Kolkata Circle". www.asikolkata.in.
- 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.
- "ASI, Kolkata Circle". www.asikolkata.in.
- Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Temples at Bishnupur, West Bengal". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2024-09-03.
Bibliography
- 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.