Gopalji Temple, Kalna, West Bengal

Gopalji Temple, Kalna, West Bengal

Gopalji Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu located in Gopal Bari in Kalna Town in Purba Bardhaman District in the Indian state of West Bengal. This temple is considered as one of the five Panchabimsati Ratna temples in West Bengal. The temple is situated on the banks of Hooghly River. The temple is situated behind the Siddheshwari Kali Temple.

History

The temple was constructed in 1766 CE by Krishna Chandra Barman of Bardhaman royal family during the reign of the King Trilokchand.

The Temple

The temple is facing towards east and enclosed within the compound wall. This temple follows the Panchabimsati Ratna style of architecture and stands over a raised platform. The Panchabimsati Ratna temple has 25 pinnacles. It consists of three stories with three pinnacles each at the four corners of the first storey (12 pinnacles), two pinnacles each at the four corners of second storey (8 pinnacles), one pinnacle each at the four corners of the of the third storey (4 pinnacles) and a central pinnacle.

The temple consists of sanctum with triple arched entrance porch and jagamohana. The jagamohana follows charchala (four sloped roofs) style of architecture. The jagamohana is devoid of any terracotta ornamentation and is painted yellow. The sanctum enshrines an image of Gopal. It also enshrines an image of Radha Krishna. The walls, entrance pillars and entrance arches are decorated with terracotta ornamentation. These terracotta ornamentation depicts social lives, floral designs, erotic scenes, hunting scenes and deities from Hindu pantheon.

Religious Significance

This temple is considered as one of the five Panchabimsati Ratna temples in West Bengal. The temples are;

1.    Krishna Chandra Temple, Kalna

2.    Gopalji Temple, Kalna

3.    Lalji Temple, Kalna

4.    Sridhar Temple, Sonamukhi

5.    Ananda Bhairabi Temple, Sukharia

Connectivity

The temple is located at about 1 Km from Kalna Old Bus Stand, 2 Kms from Kalna New Bus Stand and 2 Kms from Kalna Railway Station. Kalna is located at about 22 Kms from Pandua, 23 Kms from Boinchi, 26 Kms from Nabadwip, 26 Kms from Ranaghat, 27 Kms from Satgachia, 30 Kms from Krishnanagar, 33 Kms from Memari, 34 Kms from Purbasthali, 44 Kms from Bandel, 59 Kms from Burdwan, 63 Kms from Katwa, 95 Kms from Kolkata and 95 Kms from Kolkata Airport. Ambika Kalna Railway Station is situated on the Bandel – Katwa railway line.

There are many local trains (EMU) and a few express & passenger trains from Howrah and Sealdah Railway Stations. Kalna is well connected to Pandua, Boinchi, Memari, Krishnanagar, Katwa, Bandel, Bardhaman, Purbasthali and Kolkata. The main bus stand is situated beside the STKK Road (SH 6). Many private local and long route express buses are available. There is a Government bus depot operated by South Bengal State Transport Corporation (SBSTC) for long distance buses. Autos and Rickshaws are available for exploring this town. 

Location