TEMPLES OF BRAJ: INTERPRETING SYNCRETIC AND ECLECTIC CONFLUENCES

The highly revered land of Braj comprises thousands of historical temples, water bodies, and other built structures, all of which are associated with episodes of the Hindu deity Lord Krishna. The architecture of the Braj region is a conglomeration of regional styles propagated by popular religious movements. Temple architecture in Braj does not conform to the purist archetypes of classical Hindu temple design; instead, it reflects a fusion of regional styles and Indo-Islamic influences.  The syncretic architecture of Braj displays a conscious joining of different religious styles but not as a by-product of religious syncretism and communal harmony. This research emphasizes the importance of interpreting these temples not only as places of pilgrimage, but also as built testimonies of cultural exchange, spirituality, and political patronage. This study investigated the constituent elements that shape the architecture of Braj region. The contextual interrelationships between these constituent elements have been studied using interpretive structural modelling (ISM). This understanding of a rich, layered architectural idiom will help to spread the consciousness of contemporary debates over religious pluralism and contested heritage. This will also help develop a preservation approach that respects the syncretic character and composition of architecture in the Braj region.