Pages

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Lalji Temple, Bishnupur, West Bengal

Lalji Temple, Bishnupur, West Bengal
Lalji Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu located in Bishnupur Town in Bankura District of West Bengal State, India. Lalji Temple, also called as Radha Laliju temple was built by the Malla King Bir Singha II in 1658 CE. This Temple was built exactly 100 years earlier than the Radhashyama Temple. The Temple is located at about 2.5 Kms from Bishnupur Bus Stand, 4.5 Kms from Bishnupur Junction Railway Station and 3.5 Kms from Bishnupur New Bus Stand.




For brief details, please refer below link;

The Temple
There are seven Eka Ratna (meaning single pinnacled) temples located in Bishnupur. Lalji Temple is one among them. In earlier days, all these laterite temples were all covered with stucco images. However, with passing of time, most of the stucco works are lost. Lalji Temple is a beautiful laterite temple built as per Ek Ratna temple architecture style. Like most of the other temples in Bishnupur, this is also dedicated to Lord Krishna. However, it is not a living temple and currently has no deity.




The temple is square on plan and stands on a high plinth consisting of ornamental stucco decorations on low relief carvings. It has a char chala (sloping) roof and a single sikhara (single pinnacled tower) on top of that. Most of the terracotta panels on the exterior except for few on the upper part of arched openings are destroyed.



In its verandah is preserved a stone slab (lying loose) with an inscription in Bengali characters, dated 1577 Saka (1655 A.D.), recording the erection of a Navaratna temple of Krishna by Rani Lakshmanavati, wife of Raja Hari Narayan. In front of the Lalji temple is a Natamandira or dancing hall, to the west of which stands an Orissan tower with a porch in front dedicated to Raghunathji.



The outer yard is separated from the inner by a wall and contains a small Pancharatna temple of Kameshwar Siva with an inscription dated 1577 Saka; to its south-west lies a circular pavement for the Rasmancha. The whole is enclosed by a high wall, with a large gateway to the east; over the gateway is a slab with a Bengali inscription ascribing the erection of the Thakur Bari to the Burdwan Raj in 1238 B.S. (1831 A.D.).



In front of the gateway are two cars, which are drawn on the Dasara day, the smaller being that of Lalji and the larger that of Raghunathji. The cost of the establishment and of the festivals is met from the income of a Debottar estate set apart for the purpose by the Burdwan Raj. As the stone inscriptions states the temple was built by Bir Singha II of Malla dynasty in 1658 AD.


Connectivity
For brief details, please refer below link;
Location

No comments:

Post a Comment