Posts by "Temple"
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on January 05, 2021 0

 


The "Char Bangla" temples in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal were built by Queen Bhavani of Natore in 1755 CE. Each of the four terracotta temples were built in the style of the traditional village huts of Bengal with two sloping roofs, called "Do-Chala" or "Ek Bangla" temples.

Each of the temples have three arched openings and 3 Shiva-lingas. Their facades are ornamented with terracotta panels, depicting scenes from the daily life and and Puranic legends.  

When the temples were built nearly 250 years ago, the Ganges (Bhagirathi) used to flow nearly a kilometer away. But today the temple is barely 10 feet away from the river bank, and its boundary wall has already been damaged by the river.

Getting to the temples is half the fun. Since they are located in Baranagar, on the other bank of the Ganges from Murshidabad, we took a ride on a country boat from the Azimganj sadar ghat for a 25 mins trip upstream. A road journey would have taken considerably longer, and certainly less enjoyable.
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on April 17, 2020 0

The temples of Bishnupur were built by the Malla kings between 1600 - 1758 AD. The temples are primarily known for their structural variety and exquisite terracotta work. Although terracotta art has a long history in Bengal, it saw a revival under the Mallas. Many temples were also erected using laterite stones with stucco decoration. Interestingly, the Malla kings maintained cordial relations with the Mughal Emperors at Delhi, because of which temple building flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries.

According to legends, the Malla kings trace their ancestry to a King who ruled near Vrindavan in the 7th century AD. This King had embarked on a pilgrimage to the Jagannath temple at Puri, when his wife gave birth to a child. Due to the difficulties of carrying a newborn on a journey, he was left in the house of a forest dweller. The child grew up to become an unmatched wrestler, and was conferred the title "Adimmalla" - meaning the "original wrestler" - by the local king. Eventually he became a chieftain himself, and went on to found the Malla dynasty. After 300 years, the 10th king Jagatmalla shifted the capital of the kingdom to Bishnupur.

Originally, the Malla kings were "Shakta" i.e. worshippers of the Mother Goddess. The first temple established at Bishnupur was the Mrinmoyee Temple in 997 AD, which still has a clay idol of the goddess Durga. This is regarded as the oldest Durga Temple in Bengal. In the early 17th century, King Bir Hambir converted to Vaishnavism. This started a long tradition of building temples dedicated to Krishna and Radha in Bishnupur. Some of these temples are today regarded as the pinnacles of Bengal Terracotta art.

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on August 07, 2019 0

The ruins of the erstwhile Vijayanagara Empire that flourished from 1343 to 1565 AD are scattered throughout the medieval city of Hampi, located on the banks of the pristine Tungabhadra river. One could spend days out here, exploring the temples and palaces, markets and rock cut monuments, riversides and rock-strewn hills. Most of the gorgeous monuments here were built by the Vijayanagara rulers, but they were destroyed, burnt and left in ruins by a coalition of Muslim sultanate armies in 1565 AD.
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on August 06, 2019 0

The Vittala Temple in Hampi is grandest of all monuments in Hampi and represents the epitome of the Vijaynagara style of architecture. Built in the 15th century by King Devaraya II, it is dedicated to Lord Vittala or Krishna, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The temple is famous for its iconic stone chariot and the unique musical pillars. Because of its amazing architecture, visitors to Hampi see this place after having seen all other attractions. In my case, as well, the visit to the Vittala temple capped of a memorable tour of this fascinating temple town.
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on August 05, 2019 0

The Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple is located in the Nandi village, at the base of the Nandi Hills, Karnataka. The temple is not very well-known and a only a few people visit it everyday. Yet, it has some of the most exquisitely carved pillars and sculptures in the whole of Southern India.

 We visited the temple after going to the Nandi Hills. It can be reached quite easily from the base of the Nandi Hills by driving 6-7 kms through verdant fields and hilly terrains. The drive was short and scenic, but since there were no signboards we had to stop ask around a couple of times to make sure that we were going in the right direction.

 The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. There are three shrine rooms (garbagriha). The central shrine room is dedicated to Uma-Maheshwara i.e. Parvati-Shiva. The temple was originally constructed in the 9th century by the Nolamba dynasty, and was built upon and enlarged by succeeding dynasties. The environment inside the temple is calm and peaceful, and its a great feeling to be able to walk around undisturbed and appreciate the architecture.
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on August 05, 2019 0

The Brahmeswara Temple in Bhubaneshwar was built in 1058 AD, by Kolavati Devi, the mother of the Somavanshi king Udyota Kesari. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Its grand architecture is reminiscent of the Mukteswara Temple, which is believed to be the earliest work of the Somavanshi period. Along with the Mukteswara and the Rajarani temples, the Brahmeswara Temple is very pleasing to the eyes, and has some excellent sculptures and relief carvings.
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on August 05, 2019 0

The Rajarani Temple in Bhubaneshwar was built in the mid 11th century AD. The temple has no images within the sanctum (probably stolen), but it is believed to have been dedicated to Lord Shiva on the basis of the carvings on the exterior. For instance, the dvarapalas (doorkeepers) carved on either side of the entrance - Prachanda and Chanda - are found in Saivite temples, while the lintel of the jagamohana (mandapa) has an image of Lakulisa, the founder of the Pasupatha sect of Saivisim. Some historians believe that the architecture of some temples of Central India, such as the Khajuraho Temples, originated from this temple. 
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