Shahji Temple as Tedhe Khambe Wala Mandir

      Shahji Temple is popularly known as Tedhe Khambe Wala Mandir which is translated as 'Temple with Spiral Pillars'. This magnificent temple was built in 1876 by two wealthy brothers, Shah Kundan Lal and Shah Fundan Lal, hence it is known as Shahji Temple. They were wealthy jewellers from Lucknow. Both of them were ardent followers of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and great devotees of Lord Krishna.

      This temple is located at one end of Loi Bazaar, close to Nidhivan. There are many small shops that obstruct one's view of this beautiful temple. When I was standing in Loi Bazaar, I didn't even realise that such a beautiful temple with exquisite carvings the was just a few metres ahead. However, once I walked past huge Loi Bazaar gate, I chanced upon a huge field and on the other side of the field was this stunning temple in its full splendour. The entire temple is made of Italian marble.

Shahji Temple

      I asked my guide to tell me the history of this temple. He narrated, "I was told by my friends that at the entrance of the temple, you will see the faces of the two brothers engraved on the floor. At first sight, this may appeat strange because, we are normally accustomed to seeing huge decorative portraits of the builders hanging from the walls in a majestic manner. You don't expect the portraits to be on the floor, hundreds of devotees are sure to step on them every day. But then, if you want to understand the reason, you should appreciate the meaning of the true divine love that the brothers had for Radha, Krishna, and Brij Bhoomi. Shah Kundan Lal and Shah Fundan Lal were fascinated by the sacredness of Brij Bhoomi. They knew that the Lord of the Universe had spent His childhood here and there could not be a more sacred place on earth than Brij Bhoomi. They consider the entire Brij Bhoomi to be one big temple. Since people don't wear shoes at places of worship, they decided not to ever wear any footwear, during their stay in Brij Bhoomi. It was their desire that, after their death, their bodies should not be burnt because they believed that their body, in the form of smoke, will go into the atmosphere, outside Brij Bhoomi. They also did not want their ashes to be thrown into the River Yamuna because the river will carry the ashes away from Brij Bhoomi. They wanted their dead bodies to be dragged through the streets of Vrindavan. They felt that if this was done, they would be covered by holy dust. They also wanted their faces to be engraved on the floor of the temple so that when devotees come to this temple, they will invariably step on them and cover their engraved faces with the holy sand of Vrindavan." I was fascinated with this story of devotion!

      The temple is well-known for its exquisite and beautiful architecture. It has 12 pillars, made of beautiful white marble. Each pillar is 13 feet high and 35 inches in diameter. The main deities of this temple were Radha and Krishna. Since the idols are quite small, they are known as Chote Radha Raman (chote means 'small'), To the right is the idol of Goddess Ganga.

      The temple has a room known as Basanti Kamra which houses Belgian glass chandeliers and paintings. This room is situated in the eastern wing. The ceilings and walls have many paintings. This magnificent room has 15 Belgian chandeliers. In the olden days, candles were fitted into the chandeliers to illuminate the room. Since the advent of electricity, electric bulbs are used. There are three fountains in the centre of the room. This room is opened only twice a year. Unfortunately, the room was closed on the day I visited the temple.