Shyam Rai Temple – Bishnupur

Around the year 695 CE, a Khastriya King found himself compelled to seek refuge in the dwelling of a Brahmin in the village of Lumlangdong (Lamangdong). This unforeseen circumstance arose due to the ailing health of the king’s pregnant wife. Situated near Kotulpur in the present-day Bankura district of West Bengal, this village would play a pivotal role in the unfolding of a remarkable tale. Tragically, the queen succumbed during childbirth, leaving the grief-stricken king with no choice but to entrust his newborn to the care of the Brahmin and depart from the village.

As fate would have it, the orphaned child thrived under the guardianship of the Brahmin and emerged as an exceptional individual, eventually ascending to become the inaugural Malla King – Adi Malla. Thus, he laid the foundation for the Malla Kingdom. Centuries later, a descendant of Adi Malla, named Jagat Malla, guided by what was believed to be divine inspiration, envisioned the establishment of a temple dedicated to Goddess Mrinmoyee in Bishnupur. This vision marked the pivotal moment when the kingdom was relocated to this newfound center.

The turning point in Bishnupur’s history occurred during the reign of the 49th Malla King, Bir Hambir, spanning from 1565 CE to 1620 CE. Initially, Bir Hambir maintained friendly relations with the Mughals and aligned himself with them in their conflicts against the Afghans. However, a transformative encounter with the Vaishnav guru Srinivas Acharya altered the king’s course. Bir Hambir embraced Vaishnavism under the guidance of his newfound spiritual mentor, sparking a cultural revolution in Bishnupur.

Following a profound pilgrimage to Vrindavan alongside his guru, King Bir Hambir initiated an ambitious temple construction project in Bishnupur. This monumental endeavor continued through successive generations, solidifying the Malla Kingdom as a bastion of Vaishnavism culture. The legacy of Adi Malla and the visionary Jagat Malla, combined with the spiritual transformation initiated by Bir Hambir, bestowed upon Bishnupur a prominent place in history as a flourishing center of art, culture, and devotion.

Built in 1643 by King Raghunath Simha, the 51st Malla King and Bir Hambir’s grandson, the Shyam Rai Temple is the oldest temple built in the Pancha Ratna style of architecture in Bishnupur. constructed entirely with clay bricks and clad with decorated terracotta tiles, the structure is an exquisite example of medieval Bengali art and architecture.

Today the temple stands within a small enclosure with a well manicured lawn and hedges, but early photographs from the 1860s tell a very different story. Prior to restoration the temple was engulfed by vegetation, and much conservation and repair has occurred over the years, in particular the central tower, the upper portion of which has been entirely rebuilt. Fortunately almost all of the fine terracotta ornamentation has remained intact, despite the constant weathering and erosion the facade is exposed to.

The temple is square in plan (11.4m x 11.4m) with a Bengali char-chala roof. Above the roof which slopes on all four sides stands four square corner towers, with a central octagonal tower rising at the center. On each of the four sides of the temple is a porch with three entrance arches.

This temple is most famous for its highly ornamental decorations in terracotta which are to be found all over the temple, both inside and outside on the four walls, and on the sides and below each of the entrance arches. Even the towers above the roof are clad in decorated terracotta tiles, which are hard to make out without the use of binoculars or a camera with a decent zoom lens.

An inscription placed on the main south-facing entrance of the temple states that this temple was “built for the pleasure of Sri Radhika and Sri Krishna”. The inscription also credits the Malla King Raghunath Simha, son and successor of Bir Hambir, as the patron of the monument, dedicated in 1643 CE.

It would probably take a number of days and over a terabyte of SD card storage to record all the imagery that adorns the facade of this temple. I spent a week in Bishnupur and visited this site twice at different times of the day (for lighting), in an attempt to at least capture a flavour of what it’s like to visit this temple in person. What follows hopefully does just that, and may encourage you to make a trip to Bishnupur yourself to see the Shyam Rai and the numerous other structures scattered around this temple town.

Please click on any of the images to view them in a larger format.

Perhaps the most notable and exceptional feature of the Shyam Rai temple are the circular medallions, the largest pair can be found on the south-facing elevation which is also the main entrance to the temple, but four smaller versions can also be seen on the east-facing elevation. These are Rasa Mandalas, which unfold as a sublime cosmic dance, an exquisite portrayal of Lord Krishna’s divine play. The term “Mandala” denotes the cosmic circle that encapsulates the profound significance of this celestial event. The enchanting episode transpires on a moonlit night in Braj, where the air is saturated with the heady fragrance of jasmine.

In a state of absolute ecstasy, Lord Krishna, the epitome of divine bliss, commences playing his flute within a moonlit grove. This mystical melody, described in the Bhagavat Purana, resonates through the surroundings, reaching the ears of the enraptured gopis. Compelled by the irresistible allure of Krishna’s music, the gopis, disregarding the pleas of their husbands, abandon their households and hasten towards the beckoning Yamuna.

At the heart of this cosmic dance, Lord Krishna twirls in tandem with Radha, symbolizing the axis of the cosmos. Together, they embody the Supreme Self and its ardent seeker. As depicted in the Bhagavat Purana, each of the gopis yearns for Krishna’s exclusive attention. Through divine orchestration, Krishna assumes multiple forms, dancing intimately with each gopi individually and simultaneously within the collective circle. Note how each ring of dancers consists of a pair facing each other.

The gopis, forming an unbroken chain, link arms to create a vast circle. In this divine choreography, Lord Krishna dances with every gopi at once, and miraculously, each gopi perceives herself as the sole focus of his attention. This manifestation exemplifies the realization of the Divine within, epitomizing the essence of devotion.

Meanwhile, the husbands attempting to restrain the gopis symbolize the material world that the gopis willingly forsake in their quest for a union with the Divine. The profound symbolism extends to the periphery of the celestial circle, where you can see musicians playing drums to accompany Lord Krishna.

The bold and dynamic Rasa Mandalas depicted on the Shyam Rai temple are the earliest surviving representations of this subject in an architectural setting in Bengal. The basic composition likely entered Bengal as part of the pictures accompanying texts such as Bhagavata Purana and Caitanya Caritamrta. One of the earliest painted depictions of the rasalila occurs in a Bhagavata Purana manuscript from the first half of the 16th century, from Palam, not far from the Vaishnava center of Vrindavan. Such texts were likely copied and illustrated under the patronage of the growing Vaishnava movement in north India and disseminated through the territories. Pivotal to Bishnupur’s foundation narrative is Srinivas Acharya’s arrival with a cartload of books, and the visual imagery may have arrived along this route with the texts.

Major battle scene compositions are found on some of the panels above the entrance arches, of particular note are the examples on the east-facing facade. These consist of rows of fighting figures, sometimes in flying or acrobatic postures, surrounding Rama and Ravana who, in their chariots, ride towards each other, their bows drawn. Ravana is easily recognisable by his many heads and arms and his host of dramatic warriors.

Other battle scenes, more generic in nature, reside in smaller panels on the temple facade.

Panels above other entrance arches depict couples beneath canopies as well as musicians, all packed into different shaped panels, not always in rows. The panels above the north and west-facing entrances depict Ramayana battle scenes, the figures being loosely arranged into rows.

Typical of early Bishnupur sculptures are the crowded compositions, not only within individual panels but over the whole facade as well. Figures are clearly modeled, though somewhat flat and shallow, and are incised with detail to produce a vigorous delineation. The outstanding quality of the sculpture is its energy, unique in Bengali terracotta art. This is expressed mainly in the agitated postures and gestures of the figures. Many of the friezes and panels, as well as the compositions above the arches, are carried across two or more plaques. They possess a distinct rhythm, largely achieved by the frequent repetition of identical panels.

The most recurring theme depicted in the terracotta work is undoubtedly Krishna with Radha and Gopis. Throughout temples in all periods the Radha-Krishna motif is incorporated into large-scale friezes or repeated on principal wall panels as well as appearing as an isolated theme on wall and corner panels and base friezes.

In general, the pose consists of Krishna putting his arm around Radha’s shoulder or touching her chin. Often another gopi is included in to create a symmetrical composition. These figures may be standing or seated and often dance together. Particularly at Shyam Rai temple this scene often takes place beneath trees or canopies, and even inside miniature pavilions.

In 17th century temples, dancers and musicians decorate many parts of the temple facade. In the Shyam Rai temple, wall and column panels as well as base friezes are carved with these figures, which also enter the building to cover the walls of the porches and sanctuary.

The dancers are mostly female, with bent legs and arms outstretched or one arm flung over the head.

Musicians are both male and female and play long drums, cymbals, stringed instruments (vina) and pipes.

Hunting scenes are particularly common motifs on terracotta temples, and the Shyam Rai is no exception with the full repertory represented (sadly, many not photographed!). These include animals fighting (especially tigers, lions, and bulls), men with sticks and clubs, flag-bearers, footmen holding swords, hunters with bows and arrows, sometimes mounted on elephants, horses, camels, captured animals suspended from poles, wild deer, antelope, lions, boars, and elephants.

There are various other deities depicted on the exterior of the temple, but as one would expect, the imagery is dominated by Krishna. Shiva also makes a few appearances, as does Indra and Matsya.

An unusual image is depicted on the west-facing elevation, which I believe is a Chungul Chidiya. This mythological creature with the head of an elephant and body of a tiger was said to have swallowed seven elephants, and is usually shown with the elephants around his tail, trunk, mouth and feet. This certainly corresponds with the seven elephants depicted in the panel.

A very similar image also exists on the same west-facing elevation, but in this case it definitely appears to be a bird, with in excess of ten elephants involved in the tussle.

The terracotta decoration is not limited to the temple facade, it continues into the interior and adorns the porches and shrine chambers. The Shyam Rai temple has the most prolific interior ornamentation of any terracotta temple, but sadly a visitor can only view a fraction of it. For many years now it has not been possible to enter the temple, and I can certainly understand that with the increased number of thefts occurring at these temples. Being sheltered away from the elements, these panels are the best preserved of all, but you only get a glimpse of some examples standing at the temple entrances are peering into the porches. The low light conditions certainly don’t help matters either. What follows is a brief description of the interior, with some images were I was able to take them.

The domes of the central sanctuary and pavilion above have concentric rows of female dancers and drummers, who also appear on the supporting pendentives, squinches, and arches, as well as on the vaults in the porches. Rows of similar figures also line the walls, together with repeated motifs such as trees with birds and animals beneath, and attendant females in devotional attitudes.

On the back wall of the shrine chamber is a great circular medallion with Krishna at the center surrounded by two rings of dancing figures (another Rasa Mandalas). Interior doorways lead from one porch one to another by way of narrow unlit corner chambers. The doorways repeat many of the features of the external arched entrances, but the panels above are slightly different. The porch doorways have panels with battle scenes; the surrounding wall panels depict various deities including Krishna. The base frieze in the porches is in three layers with a particular emphasis on hunting and pastoral scenes.

That concludes my short photo essay on the Shyam Rai temple in Bishnupur. If your time is limited in the temple town, this is certainly one of the temples not to be missed. It is also one of three ticketed monuments in Bishnupur (the other two sites being Rashmancha and Jor Bangla) for which you have to purchase a ticket prior to arriving via the ASI website. The ticket is valid for all three monuments, and can be purchased from https://asi.payumoney.com/quick/bis. This is one of the temples that is worthy of a repeated visit if time permits, as the sun shifts from east to west it can make a dramatic difference to the viewing experience on some of the temple’s facades.  

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