Shyam Ray Temple (Śyāma rāẏa mandira) also known as Pancha-ratna temple, is a

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

temple in Bishnupur town of Medinipur division in 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 ...

. In this temple, the

Hindu God Hindu deities are the gods and goddesses in Hinduism. Deities in Hinduism are as diverse as its traditions, and a Hindu can choose to be polytheistic, pantheistic, monotheistic, monistic, even agnostic, atheistic, or humanist. Julius J. L ...

Krishna is worshiped in the form of S''hyam''; along with ''Shyam'', the murti of ''Radhika'' (

Radha Radha (, ), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. In scriptures, Radha is mentioned as the avatar of Lakshmi and also as the Prak� ...

) is also worshipped.

History and architecture

According to the foundation plaque found in the temple, the temple was founded in 1643 by King Raghunath Singha of

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 ...

. The Temple is built in the ''Pancha-ratna'' temple architecture, which belongs to the ''

ratna Ratna (रत्न) (also Rathna or Rathan) is a Sanskrit term for " jewel". It is also a popular female Hindu name. Ratna may refer to: People * Ratna, Queen Mother of Nepal (born 1928), Queen Consort of Nepal from 1955 to 1972 * Ratna Fa ...

'' style developed in medieval Bengal. The roof of this temple is square and curved, with curved edges and five ''chura'' or ''shikhar'' (tower). The temple is known for its ornamentation, which adorns the exterior and interior of the walls surrounding this temple. The ornaments are mainly placed on terracotta plaques set into the walls. The walls of the temple are decorated with beautiful floral designs, scenes of Krishna-''lila'', episodes from Puranic literature, designs of geometric and floral patterns, and scenes of the ''

Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...

'' and the ''

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...

''. Currently, it is preserved as one of the archaeological monuments by 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 ...

. Since 1998, the Shyam Ray temple is on the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site's Tentative list.

Gallery

File:Angular view of Shyamrai Temple.jpg File:INTERIOR5 OF SHYAMRAI TEMPLE AT BISHNUPUR IN BANKURA DISTRICT.jpg File:BP97WK - Shyam Rai Temple - Bishnupur - West Bengal.jpg File:ShyamRai Mandir Bishnupur WB Description.jpg File:ShyamRai Mandir Bishnupur WB Terracotta works False Door.jpg File:Terracotta Work at Shyamrai Temple.jpg File:Temple Shyamrai terracotta workings.jpg

References

Sources

External links

* {{Mallabhum Krishna temples Mallabhum temples Bishnupur, Bankura Tourist attractions in Bankura district Hindu temples in Bankura district Temples in Bishnupur, Bankura