Gokulchand Temple

{{Infobox religious building

| name = Gokulchand Temple

| native_name= An ASI Listed Monument

| religious_affiliation = Hinduism

| image = Gokulchand Temple Gokulnagar Bankura.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Gokulchand Temple

| map_type = India West Bengal # India

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| coordinates = {{coord|23.0412|N|87.4617|E|display=inline,title}}

| location = Gokulnagar
Bankura district

| state = West Bengal

| country = {{flag|India}}

| architecture_type = Bengal temple architecture

| architecture_style = Pancharatna style

| founded_by = Raghunath Singha

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| established = {{Start date and age|1643}}

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| designation1 = Monument of National Importance (India)

| designation1_type = Cultural

| designation1_offname = Gokul Chand Temple

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| designation1_number = N-WB-31

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Gokulchand Temple is a 17th-century stone built pancharatna temple in Gokulnagar village in the Joypur CD block in the Bishnupur subdivision of the Bankura district in the state of West Bengal, India.

Geography

{{OSM Location map

| width=360| height=370| zoom=10

| coord={{coord|23|7|30|N|87|30|0|E}}| float=left|caption=Places in Bishnupur subdivision in Bankura district
M: Municipal town, CT: census town, R: rural/ urban centre, T: ancient/ temple centre
Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly

|mark-coord1={{coord|23|10|25|N|87|23|15|E}} | label-pos1=right|label1= Bhara| numbered1=R| mark-title1= Bhara (R)|label-color1= #800000 |label-size1=11| mark-size1=12|shape1=l-circle| shape-color1=#C42222|shape-outline1=white|label-offset-x1=2

|mark-coord2={{coord|23|1|12|N|87|30|55|E}} | label-pos2=right|label2=Chatra| numbered2=R| mark-title2= Chatra, Bankura (R)

|mark-coord3={{coord|23|9|0|N|87|37|55|E}} | label-pos3=right|label3=Indas| numbered3=R| mark-title3= Indas (R)

|mark-coord4={{coord|23|3|10|N|87|26|48|E}} | label-pos4=right|label4=Joypur| numbered4=R| mark-title4= Joypur, Bankura (R)

|mark-coord5={{coord|22|55|22|N|87|36|36|E}} | label-pos5=right|label5=Jayrambati| numbered5=R| mark-title5= Jayrambati (R)

|mark-coord6={{coord|23|12|16|N|87|31|50|E}} | label-pos6=right|label6=Patrasayer| numbered6=R| mark-title6= Patrasayer (R)

|mark-coord7={{coord|23|10|10|N|87|19|25|E}} | label-pos7=top|label7=Radhanagar| numbered7=R| mark-title7= Radhanagar, Bankura (R)

|mark-coord8={{coord|23|9|15|N|87|16|45|E}} | label-pos8=right|label8=Ajodhya| numbered8=R| mark-title8= Ajodhya, Bankura (R)

|mark-coord9={{coord|23|0|15|N|87|40|21|E}} | label-pos9=bottom|label9=Laugram| numbered9=R| mark-title9= Laugram (R)

|mark-coord10={{coord|23|6|40|N|87|18|51|E}} | label-pos10=bottom|label10=Joykrishnapur| numbered10=R| mark-title10= Joykrishnapur (R)

|mark-coord11={{coord|23|3|50|N|87|19|12|E}}| label-pos11=right |label11=Bishnupur| numbered11=M| mark-title11 =Bishnupur, Bankura (M)| shape-color11=#800000

|mark-coord12={{coord|23|18|0|N|87|25|12|E}}| label-pos12=left |label12=Sonamukhi| numbered12=M| mark-title12 =Sonamukhi (M)| shape-color12=#800000

|mark-coord13={{coord|23|1|10|N|87|35|37|E}}| label-pos13=right |label13=Kotulpur| numbered13=CT| mark-title13 =Kotulpur (CT)| shape-color13=#A40000

|mark-coord14={{coord|23|8|14|N|87|17|57|E}} | label-pos14=right|label14=Dharapat| numbered14=T| mark-title14= Dharapat (T) |shape-color14=#AA6666

|mark-coord15={{coord|23|7|25|N|87|21|18|E}} | label-pos15=bottom|label15=Dihar| numbered15=T| mark-title15= Dihar (T) |shape-color15=#AA6666

|mark-coord16={{coord|23|6|14|N|87|43|20|E}} | label-pos16=left|label16=Akui| numbered16=T| mark-title16= Akui (T) |shape-color16=#AA6666

|mark-coord17={{coord|22|57|48|N|87|29|51|E}} | label-pos17=right|label17=Baital| numbered17=T| mark-title17= Baital, Bankura (T) |shape-color17=#AA6666

|mark-coord18={{coord|23|9|50|N|87|33|6|E}} | label-pos18=left|label18=Balsi|labela18= Purbapara| numbered18=T| mark-title18= Balsi Purbapara (T) |shape-color18=#AA6666

|mark-coord19={{coord|23|3|10|N|87|16|20|E}} | label-pos19=right|label19=Dwadashbari| numbered19=T| mark-title19= Dwadashbari (T) |shape-color19=#AA6666

|mark-coord20={{coord|23|2|15|N|87|27|42|E}} | label-pos20=right|label20=Gokulnagar| numbered20=T| mark-title20= Gokulnagar, Bankura (T) ||shape-color20=black| label-size20=13|label-color20=black

|mark-coord21={{coord|23|7|36|N|87|23|0|E}} | label-pos21=right|label21=Gumut| numbered21=T| mark-title21= Gumut, Bankura (T) |shape-color21=#AA6666

|mark-coord22={{coord|23|16|28|N|87|31|26|E}} | label-pos22=left|label22=Hadal Narayanpur| numbered22=T| mark-title22= Hadal Narayanpur (T) |shape-color22=#AA6666

|mark-coord23={{coord|23|0|41|N|87|29|30|E}} | label-pos23=left|label23=Maynapur| numbered23=T| mark-title23= Maynapur (T) |shape-color23=#AA6666

|mark-coord24={{coord|23|10|36|N|87|34|18|E}} | label-pos24=right|label24=Patit Dommahal| numbered24=T| mark-title24= Patit Dommahal (T) |shape-color24=#AA6666

|mark-coord25={{coord|23|19|29|N|87|24|58|E}} | label-pos25=left|label25=Madanmohanpur| numbered25=T| mark-title25= Madanmohanpur (T) |shape-color25=#AA6666

|mark-coord26={{coord|23.2888|87.5548}}| label26=Damodar River| label-color26 = #77A1CB| label-angle26=50| label-pos26=top| label-size26=10| mark-size26=0| mark-title26 =none

|mark-coord27={{coord|23.0968|87.4558}}| label27=Dwarakeswar| label-color27 = #77A1CB| label-angle27=-10| label-pos27=top| label-size27=10| mark-size27=0| mark-title27 =none

|mark-coord28={{coord|23.0982|87.5086}}| label28= River| label-color28 = #77A1CB| label-angle28=25| label-pos28=top| label-size28=10| mark-size28=0| mark-title28 =none}}

=Location=

Gokulnagar is located at {{coord|23.0412|N|87.4617|E|display=inline}}.

Gokulnagar is off the State Highway 2 at Salda.{{cite web| url = https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/next-weekend-you-can-be-at-gokulnagar/cid/1273714 |title = Next week end you can be at Gokulnagar| first = Somen| last = Sengupta| publisher= The Telegraph, 16 January 2011 | access-date = 17 April 2020}}

Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.

History and architecture

David J. McCutchion mentions the Gokulchand temple at Gokulnagar as one of the earliest pancharatna temples of the Malla kings. It has turrets on four columns, a kind of chhatri, instead of the corner wall sections. Along with the at-chala, the pancharatna is the most popular type of temple in Bengal. With a 45 feet square base, it is built of laterite with stucco figures. According to the badly damaged temple plate it was built in 1639 (and that obviously goes with a question mark).McCutchion, David J., Late Mediaeval Temples of Bengal, first published 1972, reprinted 2017, pages 10, 11, 44, 45. The Asiatic Society, Kolkata, {{ISBN| 978-93-81574-65-2}}

This pancharatna (five-pinnacled) temple at Gokulnagar is the largest stone temple in Bankura district. It is 64 ft. in height and the area of temple complex is 23,500 sq. ft. According to the ASI information board at the temple, it was built in 1643, during the reign of the Malla king, Raghunath Singha.{{cite web |title=ASI, Kolkata Circle |url=https://www.asikolkata.in/bankura.aspx#Gokul |website=www.asikolkata.in}} The style of construction of the temple is similar to that of the Shaymaraya temple at Bishnupur. The wall decorations depict various avatars of Vishnu and raslila motifs and other mythological incidents.{{cite web| url =https://isharethese.com/laterite-temple-of-gokulnagar-west-bengal/ |title = Laterite temple of Gokulnagar, West Bengal | first= Indrani| last= Ghose|publisher= I share | access-date = 1 April 2020}}{{cite web| url = https://tripsaround.in/gokulnagar-a-small-village-in-bankura-district-of-bengal/|title = Gokulnagar, a small village in Bankura district of Bengal|publisher= Trips Around | access-date = 17 April 2020}}

The temple was in a bad shape and plundered till it was taken over by the Archaeological Survey of India in 1996. The idol of Lord Krishna has long been removed to Bishnupur. The complex is abuzz with activity when the idol is brought back for 5 days during Holi and worshipped here.

According to the List of Monuments of National Importance in West Bengal (serial no. N-WB-31) Gokulchand Temple is an ASI listed monument.{{cite web| url = http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_alphalist.asp | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140627005558/http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_alphalist.asp | url-status = dead | archive-date = 27 June 2014 |title = List of Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains of National Importance| work= West Bengal|publisher= Archaeological Survey of India | access-date = 17 April 2020}}