Gokulchand Stone Temple

Gokulchand Temple, located in Gokulnagar near Salda in Bankura district, is the largest stone temple in the Bankura region, standing 64 feet high. Commissioned in 1643 CE by Malla King Raghunath Singha I of Bishnupur, it is a magnificent Pancharatna (five-pinnacled) structure constructed entirely of dressed laterite stone blocks. Unlike typical terracotta brick temples of Bishnupur, Gokulchand Temple features a high stone plinth, an arched circumambulatory stone corridor around the sanctum, and low-relief stone carvings depicting Vishnu's Dasavatara and floral patterns. The temple is surrounded by a massive stone boundary wall and is a protected monument of national importance under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).