Kalachand Temple, Bishnupur

Kalachand Temple in Bishnupur, West Bengal, was founded by Raghunath Singha Dev, king of Mallabhum, in 1656, according to an inscribed plaque found at the temple. It is built in the eka-ratna, or single-tower, style, and is the earliest of the twelve such temples that survive in Bishnupur, ten of them in laterite and two in brick.

Facing south, the laterite temple measures about 11.1 metres square and 9.2 metres high, and is ringed by a corridor with three arched openings on each side. A sikhara rises from its curved roof and is capped by an amalaka. Low-relief carvings decorate the walls, mostly scenes of Krishna-lila, along with Puranic deities, ascetics and dancers. The temple is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India and has been on UNESCO's tentative World Heritage list since 1998.