Gems in the Crown of Bengal: The Creation of Ratna Temples and Gaudiya Vaishnava Identity

This work identifies the formation of a distinctive temple-type in seventeenth-century Bengal. This architectural form, called Ratna (jewel), is hailed as new in the temples' dedicatory inscriptions. I assert that the temples are new in being double-storied, that is, in their incorporation of an upper shrine, stacked above the conventional sanctum on the lower level. I argue that the particular historical context of the seventeenth century-the spatial requirements for a new set of rituals for the emergent Gaudiya Vaishnava community, and the need for the newly established Malla dynasty of Vishnupur to legitimate itself through affiliation with the spiritual leaders of the Gaudiya Vaishnava movement-provided fertile ground for experimentation in temple forms toward the creation of the Ratna temple. The temples use the earlier Bengal Sultanate mosque's square box-like structure as a base for the upper shrine. In doing so, they assert the political agenda of their royal patrons as heirs to the authority of the independent sultans of Bengal during the Mughal military conquest and initial establishment of Mughal sovereignty in the region. Multiple architectural forms are selected for the upper shrine above the consistent Sultanate base. These range from miniature vernacular thatched huts, Sultanate mosques, palatial pavilions, older temple forms and combinations thereof. I explore each for its range of social, political and symbolic meaning for the community of users. This unique architectural pastiche is sheathed in a terra cotta veneer that draws attention to the new spatial organization of the temple compound that departs dramatically from older temple complexes. The terra-cotta facade highlights the dual entrances and axes of these temples that accommodate traditional priestly rituals and Gaudiya Vaishnava performance on a daily basis.