The Art of Loving Krishna: Ornamentation and Devotion

The Radhavallabha Temple: One Is Better than Two

The Radhavallabha Temple: One Is Better than Two “Alldarshansarealike,”IwasonceassuredwhenIfirstcametothis subject. Armed with this attitude, I headed down to the Radhavallabha (meaning “the lover or beloved of Radha”) temple, the residence of the self-manifested image that found its way into the care of Hit Harivansha, the sixteenth-century founder of the Radhavallabha sect. I assumed I would simply be adding a bit of comparative information to the perspectives I had gleaned from the Radharamana temple, but as I was to learn, a great deal would be not alike about the darshans I would experience at this temple, and the distinctions would have everything to do with how this temple identifies itself in the interpenetrated continuum of Vrindaban’s history and its many ways of worshiping Krishna and Radha. The current temple’s exterior does, however, share the same level of architecturalmodestyanditsinteriorlayoutisroughlysimilartothat of the Radharamana temple, although it is larger. Its eighteenthcentury exterior and large interior courtyard abut the remains of the original late sixteenth-century Mughal-era red sandstone temple , now in a considerable state of disrepair but still used for some religious functions, such as devotional singing.1 The Radhavallabha temple has a front and a back entrance, both reached after one negotiates the warren of small streets that delve into the midst of Vrindaban. Upon entering the temple from either direction,thevisitorwillstepintoalarge,semi-openinteriorcourtyard (with a retractable roof) and encounter a raised dais in the manner of the Radharamana temple. But two major distinctions exist: the first is that devotees can step up onto the dais, bringing them up to the same level as the sanctum; the second is that Radhavallabha is a physically much larger image than Radharamana, and consequently the impact of his iconic presence is markedly different. We will also see that these physical differences extend to 2 include many other areas of differentiation, encompassing the sectarian history and viewpoint, aspects of the liturgy, the temple calendar , and the decorative and ornamental traditions. If the silver doors to the sanctum are open, devotees might at first see a curtain stretched across its opening. When it is pulled back for the deity’s public presentations, what they will view is a sturdy black figure, approximately three feet tall, standing in Krishna’s familiar posture of right leg crossed in front of the left, arms raised with redlacquered hands poised to play his flute.2 His height is extended by a tallturbanuponwhichisoverlaidaconfigurationofcrowns.Snaking downthegod’sleftsideiswhatappearstobealongdecoratedextension of the headdress. Beneath this towering assemblage, the details of Radhavallabha’s broad black face shine with scented oil. Most arresting of all are his huge ovoid eyes with their lightly etched pupils, left black and not covered with a white enameled pair as with Radharamana (see pl. 5).3 Inlaid gold and ruby eyebrows follow the dramaticcurvedcontourofhiseyes ,accentedbyateardrop-shapedgold and ruby tilaka set in the middle of his forehead. A slight smile is mademoreapparentwithanarrowstripofredcolor.Beautifulhandpainted patterns made from light yellow sandalwood-and-saffron pastearetracedinloops,dots,andcurvesacrosshistallforeheadand fullcheeks;heisadditionallyadornedwithapearlanddiamondnose ring and a glittering round diamond set into his chin. Radhavallabha’s relatively larger size allows for an elaborate and highly visible schema of ornamentation that cloaks every available surfaceofhisbody:multiplestrandsofbeadsencirclehisneck,avariedcollectionofnecklacesislaidinconcentriclayersacrosshischest , andhiswristsandupperarmssportanarrayofcuffsandbracelets.At his waist can be found several belts; chains are draped across his upper thighs; several anklets are arranged in tall stacks that extend from ankles to shins. Not to be outdone, his headdress assemblage alsoglimmerswithembellishment.Itisafairlycomplicatedarrangement ,withabaselayerofawrappedfabricturbanuponwhichrestsa multipart crown consisting of bifurcated halves joined by a decorativemiddlesection ,perhapsframedbyafanortwoofpeacockfeathers . Augmenting this might be crinkly fabric extensions fanning out to the sides, sparkly pendants, or extra rows of beads, all of which provide further embellishment to the extent that it becomes almost impossibletodistinguishtheindividualcomponents.Addtothisthe embroideredserpentineextensionthatcurvesdownhisleftsideand hisequallyornamentalclothing,andRadhavallabhabecomesatruly The Radhavallabha Temple 75 magnificent sight to behold. To his left side, as in the Radharamana temple, is stationed a similarly adorned mound that serves as a symbolic reminder of Radha. My first reaction to this visual extravaganza was, I will admit, puzzled dismay and bewilderment: although visually compelling, what exactly was I to make of all this excess and splendor? How did this fit in with the conceptually refined Chaitanyaite aesthetic norms exhibited at the Radharamana temple? Later, as I gained a bit of proficiency in the temple’s visual vernacular, it finally came to make fascinating sense, but this involved an extended learning process requiring the able guidance of some very helpful members ofthegoswamifamiliesandothers.Ihadtolearnhowtoseeanew— or at least with...