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Research Paper | Art and Architecture | Volume 15 Issue 4, April 2026 | Pages: 264 - 269 | India
Living Traditions and Sacred Art: Vaishnava Devotion, Iconography, and Social Harmony at the Shri Shri Ananta Basudev Temple, Hooghly, West Bengal
Abstract: This paper examines the Shri Shri Ananta Basudev Temple in Jolkul village, Gurap, Hooghly, West Bengal, as a significant centre of social harmony and cultural continuity in rural Bengal. The temple is distinguished by its unique Krishna-Balarama Vigraha, where Ananta represents Balarama and Basudeva represents Krishna. The fourteen-armed form of Ananta, depicted under a multi-hooded serpent canopy, holds the child-form of Narayana, symbolising fraternal protection and divine unity. The sculptural composition, marked by classical wooden craftsmanship and dynamic iconography, reflects the artistic excellence of artisan Hiralal Kundu. The temple is associated with the Vaishnava saint Khonja Bhagavan Acharya, a companion of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. It preserves Gaudiya Vaishnava traditions where Chaitanya and Nityananda are revered as Krishna and Balarama. Annual festivals such as the Chaitra Sankirtan and Ananta Chaturdashi attract large gatherings of devotees. Situated in an agrarian context, the temple symbolically integrates agricultural life, local craftsmanship, and devotional practices. This study argues that the temple functions not merely as a religious site but as a vital repository of Bengal?s rural heritage, embodying the interconnectedness of socio-cultural life, devotion, and traditional knowledge systems. It concludes by emphasising the urgent need for systematic documentation and community-based conservation of such heritage sites amid rapid urbanisation and socio-economic change.
Keywords: Basudev Temple, Balarama Iconography, Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Temple Architecture Bengal, Rural Heritage Conservation, Religious Art India
How to Cite?: Shuvra Debnath Shuva, Rajiv Mandal, "Living Traditions and Sacred Art: Vaishnava Devotion, Iconography, and Social Harmony at the Shri Shri Ananta Basudev Temple, Hooghly, West Bengal", Volume 15 Issue 4, April 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 264-269, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26402153457, DOI: https://dx.dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26402153457