Raghunath Malla Dev, also known as Raghunath Singha Dev, was the fifty-first king of the

Mallabhum Mallabhum (The country originally known as Mallabhoom or Mallabani or Bishnupur kingdom) was the kingdom ruled by the Malla kings of Bishnupur, primarily in the present Bankura district in Indian state of West Bengal. History Territory of th ...

(now in the Indian state of

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

). He ruled from 1626 to 1656 CE.Malabhum, Bishnupur-Chandra, Manoranjan; 2004; Kolkata. Deys Publishing

Personal life

Because Kalaram, son of Dhari Hambir Malla Dev, was unfit to become a king due to his physical inability, his mother, who was Dhari Hambir's wife, enthroned her husband's young brother Raghunath Malla Dev, who later got the title of Singha. During his regime a very friendly relationship with the

Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of pre ...

meant that Bishnupur operated as a free and separate state. Public works that were completed during his reign include five sayars (large size ponds) and

temples A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

such as Jor Bangla, Shyam Rai, Kalachand and stone Chariot were built.

Singha title

The king's family got the title of Singha (pronunciation: sing-ho) as an honour due to the strength of Raghunath.

Mallabhum temples

Jor-Bangla temple

Bishnupur Jor-Bangla temple, built 1655 by King Raghunath Singha Dev. It is richly ornamented with

terracotta Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (; ; ), is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic OED, "Terracotta""Terracotta" MFA Boston, "Cameo" database fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used for earthenware obj ...

carvings. The roof has the classic chala style of Bengal architecture.

Pancha ratna temple

The Pancha Ratna temple (five towers) was built by King Raghunath Singha in 1643. It stands on a low square plinth and consists of an ambulatory pathway with a porch opened by three arches on the four sides of the temple. The central sikhara is octagonal, while the other four are square. The walls are richly decorated with terracotta carvings featuring aspects of Lord Krishna's life.

Malleshwar temple

This is another temple of laterite stone, built by Raghunath Singha Dev in 1622. It is a deul type of temple and the earliest temple of Lord Siva at Bishnupur. It is square in plan, its height is 10.7 m, and each side is 6.9 m. Its original sikhara was ekratna and have rekh deul style. An octagonal tower later replaced it. This monument is declared to be of national importance under the ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains act 1958.

Shyam Rai temple

Built in 1643 by king Raghunath, Shyam Rai temple has the most intricate sculptural details amongst all the Bishnupuur temples. Shyam Rai Temple is an example of the Pancha Ratna (meaning five gems) architecture. The gems in this temple are the four small towers and one main tower that build the Temple. The architecture of this Temple is unique in its own way and is one of the highest prioritized monuments of the

Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexander ...

(ASI).

Kalachand temple

The Kalachand temple built in 1656 by King Raghunath Singha in ekratna style (one tower) with

laterite Laterite is a soil type rich in iron and aluminium and is commonly considered to have formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are of rusty-red coloration, because of high iron oxide content. They develop by intensive and prolo ...

stone.

Terracotta art in Bishnupur

Image:Arches on Shyamrai Temple Bishnupur.JPG, Image:Terracotta work on Shyamrai Temple Bishnupur.JPG, Image:Pillar on Shyamrai Temple Bishnupur.JPG, Image:Arched door on Shyamrai Temple Bishnupur.JPG, Image:Terracotta work on Shyamrai Temple Bishnupur 5.JPG, Image:Terracotta work on Shyamrai Temple Bishnupur 4.JPG, Image:Terracotta work on Shyamrai Temple Bishnupur 6.JPG, Image:Inscription on Shyamrai Temple Bishnupur.JPG,

In popular culture

Film

* Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, Kolkata, brings you the Fourth Documentary from 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹. The video is a presentation on the dhrupad gharana of Bishnupur kingdom.

References

Sources

* {{Mallabhum Kings of Mallabhum 17th-century Indian monarchs Mallabhum temples