Gopal Temple
¤ Dedicated To Lord Krishna
Gopal Temple is dedicated to the blue god Krishna who is the divine
herdsman, the lover of milkmaids and the eighth incarnation of Lord
Vishnu, the Preserver of the Universe. The marble-spired structure is
an excellent example of Maratha architecture.
Lord Krishna’s two feet tall statue is moulded in silver and is
placed on a marble-inlaid altar with silver-plated doors.
Mahmud of Ghazni had taken these doors from the famous Somnath
Templein Gujarat to Ghazni in Afghanistan in a.d. 1026.
The Afghan invader, Mahmud Shah Abdali, later took the gates to
Lahore, from where Mahadji Scindia recovered them. The Scindia ruler
later installed them in Gopal Temple, bringing to a halt the doors’
long journey.
Bayajibai Shinde, Maharaja Daulat Rao Scindia’s queen, built the
temple in the 19th century. Its location in the midst of
the market area right in the heart of the city adds to its popularity.
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