Shyam Ray Temple

Shyam Ray Temple (Śyāma rāẏa mandira) also known as Pancha-ratna temple,^[1] 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 Radhika (Radha) is also worshipped.

Shyam Ray Temple
শ্যামরায় মন্দির
Religion
Affiliation	Hinduism
District	Bankura
Deity	Shyam Ray
Location
Location	Bishnupur
State	West Bengal
Country	India
Geographic coordinates	23°4′16″N 87°19′27″E
Architecture
Type	Bengal temple architecture
Style	Pancha-ratna style
Founder	Raghunath Singha
Date established	1643; 382 years ago (1643)
Specifications
Direction of façade	South
Length	11.4 m (37 ft)
Width	11.4 m (37 ft)
Height (max)	10.7 m (35 ft)
Monument of National Importance
Official name: Shyam Rai Temple
Type	Cultural
Reference no.	IN-WB-25
[1]

History and architecture

According to the foundation plaque found in the temple, the temple was founded in 1643 by King Raghunath Singha of Mallabhum. The Temple is built in the Pancha-ratna temple architecture, which belongs to the ratna style developed in medieval Bengal.^[2][3][4]

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 and the Mahabharata.^[5]

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

Gallery

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