Radha Shyam Temple,[1] also known as Rādhāśyāma Mandir, is a Krishna temple in Bishnupur town of Medinipur division in the 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]

History and architecture

According to the foundation plaque found in the temple, the temple was founded in 1758 by King Chaitanya Singha of Mallabhum.[3][4] 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.[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.[5]

Currently the temple is preserved as one of the archeological monuments by the Archaeological Survey of India.[6] Since 1998, the Radha Shyam temple is on the UNESCO World Heritage Site's Tentative list.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Biswas 1992, pp. 20–21.
  2. 1 2 Biswas 1992, p. 20.
  3. ↑ "ASI, Kolkata Circle". www.asikolkata.in.
  4. ↑ Chakraborty, Shantanu (18 January 2018). "Mallabhūma biṣṇupura" মল্লভূম বিষ্ণুপুর [Mallabhum Bishnupur]. www.anandabazar.com (in Bengali). ABP. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  5. ↑ Biswas 1992, p. 21.
  6. ↑ "ASI, Kolkata Circle". www.asikolkata.in.
  7. ↑ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Temples at Bishnupur, West Bengal". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 3 September 2024.

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.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radha_Shyam_Temple