Temple of India: Madan Mohan Temple, Bishnupur

 

Stamp on Madan Mohan Temple, Bishnupur

The Madan Mohan Temple of Bishnupur is a Hindu temple situated in Bankura district. This temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna.'Madan Mohan' is another name of Lord Krishna. This temple was built by King Durjana Singh Deva of Malla Dynasty in the year 1694. It is one of the largest temple of Bishnupur. It is made up of brick with terracotta tablets cladding the walls, portico and pillars of the temple.

The roof of the temple is typical Bengali 'chala' type surmounted by a single 'sikhara' or tower. The temple is mainly built of earthen bricks on a laterite block platform and the frontal facade of the temple is profusely decorated with rich terracotta plaques depicting mythological stories like ‘Krishna Leela’. Around the innermost sanctuary where the idol is kept, there are covered porches on three sides. Except the rear wall, on each of these three sides there are three arched openings, the main entrance being on the west.

Madanmohan temple is probably the most famous because of the interesting story involving its deity. The original deity was installed in a village in Bengal. The fame of the deity spread far and wide after the personal visit by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the famous Vaishnava saint. So the Malla king carried the idol to his capital at Vana-Vishnupur and installed him in a terracotta temple built for that purpose. Legend says that the deity Madanmohan himself defended the Malla king in the battle with the 'bargi' or Maratha invaders who attacked Bengal. In 1820, the original temple was destructed due to a massive earthquake. After that the present temple was built.

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