There are ten Eka-Ratna temples built in laterite stone in Bishnupur. According to their time of construction they are; Kalachand (1656), Lalji (1658), Patpur (1658), three temples in Jor Mandir Complex (1726), Radha Govinda (1729), Radha Madhab (1737), Radha Shyam (1759) and this temple – Nandalal, for which we have no construction date. An old ASI noticeboard used to claim this temple is 17th century, but a replacement noticeboard has revised that estimation to the late 18th century.
This south-facing temple set within a pretty garden is situated 400m west of Lal-bandh, and measures 10.2m square and 9.2m in height, with a single tower resting on a curved roof.
Unlike the Radha Shyam temple that had ornamentation fashioned from stucco, here the motifs were carved directly into the laterite and consists mainly of two bands of rectangular panels framing the main triple-arched entrance. These carvings would once have been covered in stucco, perhaps with more detail then applied, but almost all of that has now disappeared. The raw images left visible on the laterite blocks are now very hard to make out.
Right – West-facing elevation
An observant visitor might spot a curious oddity on the east-facing elevation, where the roof suddenly dips on the right side before continuing its expected profile. In subsequent research I have discovered that at one time this side of the temple was in ruins and has now been restored. I have to say the repair is quite impressive.
Right : The same elevation today, note the “dip” in the curved roof where the repairs have taken place.
Clearly this temple has been subjected to some subsidence, there is a definite lean to it, and square metal plates visible on the exterior walls would seem to indicate that the whole structure has been braced with rods spanning the interior.
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