Radha Shyam Temple
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| 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 Singha |
| 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] | |
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]
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]
