{"chapterKey":"india-northern/agra-4-vrindaban-govind-deo-temple","title":"Agra 4, Vrindaban  Govind Deo Temple","regionSlug":"india-northern","status":"published","photos":[{"sha":"e2c2c26eacec94d103ad1bf9f4892386de45869294cb2785bc94fa794082b7a5","caption":"Front view. There may, or may not, have been a tower, possibly destroyed by order of Aurangzeb.","width":1632,"height":1224,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/9535a6bdc63ec708ed41a1f1a282ee43","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/13e96cd63c90ef01c1754fa48069e42a","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/bd47a5b2ab29545a37cfaeb9d746e058","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/e0786534b1579567e8c9c2aab040c993","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/e2c2c26eacec94d103ad1bf9f4892386","altText":"Front view. There may, or may not, have been a tower, possibly destroyed by order of Aurangzeb."},{"sha":"ef4e52ef37ab164d562f046ab0bf54a57d7c670373431da09c1a683a10871c50","caption":"We're walked around to the west side. Here's Fergusson, still surprisingly serviceable a century after the publication of his *History of Indian and Eastern Architecture*: \"It is, however, the combination of vertical with horizontal lines, covering the whole surface, that forms the great merit of the design. This is, indeed, not peculiar to this temple; but at Bhuvaneswar, Halebid, and elsewhere, the whole surface is so overloaded with ornament as to verge on bad taste.\"","width":1632,"height":1224,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/dbbee27dad2446fc056e1feb000fd90e","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/7e48a822f4c3f5119e5adfeed97118c1","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/24a537a32e63c1b6e6669134b839fb39","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/71474afe3ad377c0fac2d9a37e6a5e00","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/ef4e52ef37ab164d562f046ab0bf54a5","altText":"We're walked around to the west side. Here's Fergusson, still surprisingly serviceable a century after the publication of his History of Ind"},{"sha":"4162f1b84a302c2be83775497cf06dcd7e28828b4b9ccfb7dc275968ec2840a4","caption":"Balcony on the south facade.","width":1632,"height":1224,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/4874bc603937371958a8c731a67f8ee7","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/8c9b4cc1f4be2ffc51d60e5cc8a0dc9d","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/86cd0d5c4a02e6f4ba64ad9184b9a1bb","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/fa5c0879e2655879a9a26ec029143422","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/4162f1b84a302c2be83775497cf06dcd","altText":"Balcony on the south facade."},{"sha":"c1b721908be3f489d6d0570975ca23ccb9c7261b3fd72ff84602292665d85681","caption":"Almost a joke, that trace of figurative decoration.","width":1224,"height":1632,"aspect":0.75,"orientation":"portrait","layoutHint":"narrow","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/b9c1e2bf1898f447ed9d98aaf3831ce7","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/6be1e135e0815216c679b42320f89b31","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/cfe3590c3e288656260b20499d0a6631","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/c1b721908be3f489d6d0570975ca23cc","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/c1b721908be3f489d6d0570975ca23cc","altText":"Almost a joke, that trace of figurative decoration."},{"sha":"b76bca2950b5e3b7002ec0b2e81894e986d59f56e0069d1b7251e7abd31fae99","caption":"The shrine may be a make-do adaptation, if as many think the temple was supposed to continue farther est.","width":1224,"height":1632,"aspect":0.75,"orientation":"portrait","layoutHint":"narrow","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/713c71dd64b487b98eb6f1723361ed11","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/ceb31dbc9f7053d147834fe23d391197","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/75f32f376019fa6e795eed3a1e56d9d3","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/b76bca2950b5e3b7002ec0b2e81894e9","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/b76bca2950b5e3b7002ec0b2e81894e9","altText":"The shrine may be a make-do adaptation, if as many think the temple was supposed to continue farther est."},{"sha":"7a66dab096c270fe4c89437239092956cc450f1ed7c82e7239dbaa6546f23210","caption":"The striking thing about the temple is its cruciform vaulting, which amounts to a nave extending to an altar. Vaulting in Hindu temples is almost unknown, and Fergusson called this exception \"internally nearly quite perfect.\"","width":1224,"height":1632,"aspect":0.75,"orientation":"portrait","layoutHint":"narrow","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/f4b888faad1dc2b076017c2e5915650e","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/931a66dcd92f4f1c7dc2e7f95304b0bc","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/83df434a21076f0be13df06a925fd2d3","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/7a66dab096c270fe4c89437239092956","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/7a66dab096c270fe4c89437239092956","altText":"The striking thing about the temple is its cruciform vaulting, which amounts to a nave extending to an altar. Vaulting in Hindu temples is a"},{"sha":"f5ae9973ce2df72b18ee626bf57d0835d33cc6e0d184026b53fd010b4b208241","caption":"The crossing. Fergusson again: \"Over the four arms of the cross the vault is plain, and of 23 1/2 ft. span, but in the centre it expands to 35 ft., and is quite equal in design to the best Gothic vaulting known.\"","width":1632,"height":1224,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/9fe8b9093ae29cd05989f79336f68cc2","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/dd8afc287ed5e5213f35eb5369f661af","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/e079abcc0968683387dc3b8fe149f9f4","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/7a92387ea9efc5f3647ed9bae21cc6ee","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/f5ae9973ce2df72b18ee626bf57d0835","altText":"The crossing. Fergusson again: \"Over the four arms of the cross the vault is plain, and of 23 1/2 ft. span, but in the centre it expands to"},{"sha":"7acd1155e896e0534b93cb28101f20d155734461b36f9f0badda492412457e72","caption":"Lintel over the shrine; the monkey belongs to a troop that can be a nuisance.","width":1632,"height":1224,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/30b86c341c5713c76cad69cb2dc0112d","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/5104600183fd25db406d49424587395a","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/59db966e2375d6f09c12befe02233737","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/d60c6da96682b7b8bed7a221c6cab8c3","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/7acd1155e896e0534b93cb28101f20d1","altText":"Lintel over the shrine; the monkey belongs to a troop that can be a nuisance."},{"sha":"dc00c1a03dcd89e749977d7b6413deedfd3815a1ef43a97daa7aa9d138963212","caption":"Aisle pillars.","width":1224,"height":1632,"aspect":0.75,"orientation":"portrait","layoutHint":"narrow","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/c0a32bc3a3d5d9aeb702120c62a1d47f","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/62769b290ad740db8e32c87f003269ce","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/ecbcd427c9ce62c6234808c3876f2fe3","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/dc00c1a03dcd89e749977d7b6413deed","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/dc00c1a03dcd89e749977d7b6413deed","altText":"Aisle pillars."},{"sha":"f6008f809f69eca061ce9731b2a9e87bfbe0eefaec46e0d4b4d2e74e6c7c629b","caption":"Compare this with the very similar work done for Akbar at about the same time at Fatehpur Sikri.","width":1224,"height":1632,"aspect":0.75,"orientation":"portrait","layoutHint":"narrow","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/11d5de350d0323c456fc28a735315699","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/d3ce2acdd280bccde680fde06e281119","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/05283ee406e36739e34c8eea1beaece9","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/f6008f809f69eca061ce9731b2a9e87b","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/f6008f809f69eca061ce9731b2a9e87b","altText":"Compare this with the very similar work done for Akbar at about the same time at Fatehpur Sikri."},{"sha":"82092861aa39030c6431d936b8ac9f0903568c9d05d2f34b5a271617a0951765","caption":"The context you'd rather not see; buildings immediately south of the temple.","width":1632,"height":1224,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/ddd717518627250bf241d1f756695aa3","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/9a858a44fb9806e911ec7dd6233a4b1b","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/7563c25350e4c001faf8b8f3dd0a1271","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/df712335be925445d694530ef2352f40","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/82092861aa39030c6431d936b8ac9f09","altText":"The context you'd rather not see; buildings immediately south of the temple."}],"createdAt":"2022-05-01T15:58:42.493Z","updatedAt":"2022-05-01T15:58:42.493Z","lead":"Vrindaban (formerly Brindaban) is along the Yamuna River upstream from Agra. Here Man Singh of Amber (Jaipur) built a remarkable temple to Govind Deo, an avatar of Krishna. Man Singh was a contemporary of the Emperor Akbar, and the shape of the building echoes Akbar's own works at the same time as it embodies an utterly foreign tradition.","visitedDate":"2007","publishedDate":"2007-03-27T04:00:00.000Z","originalUrl":"https://www.greatmirror.com/index.cfm?countryid=563&chapterid=1185&picturesize=medium","heroSha":"e2c2c26eacec94d103ad1bf9f4892386de45869294cb2785bc94fa794082b7a5","authorLabel":"Bryan Wallach","_meta":{"sameAs":[]}}