Haveli temples of vrindavan: conservation strategies for shri radha raman temple

Abstract

Vrindavan has been an integral part of the sacred region of Braj – the land associated with the pastimes of Lord Krishna. After the rediscovery of the Braj region By Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the 16th century, some major temples of exceptional architectural character were constructed. With the increasing activity of destruction of the sacred architecture in the region by Mughal ruler Aurangzeb and other tyrant rulers like Sikander Lodhi, the Krishna idols from Vrindavan began to be shifted in Rajasthan in the safer haven of Rajput Kings, giving rise to a completely new and unique temple type known as the Haveli Temple. It is a subdued form of a temple, with no shikhara, to save the temples from further invasion. But mostly, the Bhakti philosophy of the Vaishnava sect and their belief in the devotional worship of Lord Krishna in his popular form led to the development of a temple following the medieval house form of the Haveli. [1] The earliest examples of the typology can be traced back to the Pushtimarg Vaishnava sect in the Braj region, which has its roots in the villages of Gokul and Jatipura and the town of Mathura. Shortly afterwards, Shrinathji‟s Haveli temple at Nathdwara was built and then the typology spread widely among other Vaishnava sects as well, and in other parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Today, the dominant typology in Vrindavan is that of the Haveli temples. Shri Radha Raman Temple is one of the oldest examples of this typology and is the first one of the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya to have come up in Vrindavan. The complex is a close-knit cluster of Goswami residences with the main Haveli Temple situated at its core, strategically concealed amidst the private residences. It has high significance since the deity of Shri Radha Raman is the original one being worshipped here right from the time of his appearance, and has high associative and historic values. The Temple complex needs a comprehensive framework at the building, site and area level for the conservation of these values, since a number of factors affect the overall fabric of the Temple and some insensitive activities on the management level pose a threat to the authenticity and integrity of the heritage.