Kandariya Mahadeva Temple, Khajuraho- Madhya Pradesh
Built the Kandariya Mahadeva Mandir
After Muhammad Mahmud Ghaznavi
Attacked the Kalinjar fort again and again
Only to fail and concede defeat
Dedicated to Prabhu Shiva
The mandir from 1025-1050 AD
Is the largest, tallest, and intricately carved
structure in Khajuraho
That complies with the rules of Vaastu
And appears as a shiv ling to the aerial view
Getting another name Chaturbhuj aalayam
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Kailasha Temple, Ellora (cave 16)- Maharashtra
Someone between the 8th and the 10th century
Ordered the biggest monolithic temple in
Ellora
The caves of Ellora spans centuries of marvels
As each king continued the tradition
In the flourishing commercial center of the Deccan region
With nay advanced technology except for skills
Beyond modern-day comprehension
The mandir stands stall in the Dravidian architecture
Among more than 100 structures
The Kailasha mandir in cave 16
Was built from the top, as the sculptors chipped
their way down
Architech from Kokasa, the mastermind,
Suggested this idea when the queen in her ill-health
Vowed to fast until she saw the mandir’s
shikara
Let’s built the shikara first, the architect
suggested
So that the queen would break her fast and continue to live
Kopeshwar Temple, Khidrapur, Kolhapur district-
Maharashtra
Have you visited the masterpiece of Chalukyan
architecture?
Located in Kolhapur, Kopeshwar mandir saw glory and
destruction
Surviving enough to share its story with the coming
generations
Others say it was the Kalyani Chalukyas from the 9th century
A few others declare it was the Shilahar kings from the 12th century
The inscriptions on the walls in old Kannada and Devanagari
Thankfully hold the clue to the origin
Mentioning the Yadava Kings of Deogiri from 1204
As the ones, who renovated the structure
To give fresh artistic additions
What do we even say about the Swarg Mandap
A circular stone disc held high by 48 pillars
All carved to the minutest details, displaying art like no other
The Grabhagriha or the sanctum is no different
As every mesmerizes with the sculpting of the highest perfection
Kopeshwar mandir shares history with Maa Sati’s death
As Prabhu Vishnu enters the scene to pacify the Eshwar
To control his anger and save the world from destruction
The mandir has two shiv lingams, one for each of them
Marking the event forever in the pages of history
Alas! The mandir lost a part of its charm
When Aurangzeb, during his 1702 CE visit
Destroyed the murtis and scattered the broken parts
around
The majestic 92 elephants, each uniquely carved on
the outer walls
Are a testimony to the destruction caused by the
Mughals
With their broken trunks and leftover bodies
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Source:
https://greatancientindia.com/kandariya-mahadeva-temple-khajuraho/
https://www.livehistoryindia.com/amazing-india/2020/04/25/ellora-kailasa-temple
https://www.inditales.com/kopeshwar-temple-khidrapur-maharashtra/
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#FreeHinduTemples
All the temples you mentioned today are on my to-visit list. Hopefully, one day.
ReplyDeleteMine too. Hoping we can visit the places soon. :)
DeleteSo many dedicated to shiva! You have really researched them..the more I read the more I want to visit these marvels.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yes, Quite a lot of temples dedicated to Shiva.
DeleteMe too! I so want to visit all these places.
never been to that part of the country now I am interested
ReplyDeleteHere from AtoZ https://poojapriyamvada.blogspot.com/2021/04/kummerspeck-newnormal-a2z.html
Me neither, though I wish to go one day. :)
DeleteWow ...these pics are breathtaking and I miss home terribly now
ReplyDeletehttps://pagesfromjayashree.blogspot.com/2021/04/k-for-key.html
They are, right! I love how wonderful the architecture is. Aww... this stupid virus is making it hard. :/
DeleteOh my, this one is amazing! Love the pilars and the circular hole for the roof!
ReplyDeleteQuilting Patchwork & Appliqué
Thank you! Oh, yes. When I saw a post about that temple, I knew I had to write about it. :D
DeleteThe architecture, inscriptions, etc make one's jaw drop, don' they. Amazing! Nicely put together.
ReplyDeleteK for Karaga
Thank you! Yes, absolutely! Breathtaking architecture. :)
DeleteSuch beautiful architecture, such beautiful stories! Wow!!!! Thank you for making this virtual tour possible.
ReplyDeleteOne small thing..... you have written "was" instead of "saw" in the line "until she was the mandir's shikara". Sorry to be pedantic, but this beauty of a post should not have any blemish.
Thank you so much, Meena. My pleasure.
DeleteOopsie! I'm glad you pointed it out. Editing right away. Please do highlight any typos you find. :)
Aren't those breath-taking!? Inspiring. And we with all those masters degrees cant even come close to what our ancestors did back in those days.
ReplyDeleteYou have an amazing theme here.:-D
Absolutely! I think of the same, you know. They built such intricate structures when there was barely any of the modern education or technology. Their skills, their talent, their dedication, just amazing.
DeleteThank you so much. This theme means a lot to me. :D
Thank you for selecting the theme. :-D
DeleteMy pleasure. :)
DeleteFirst of all...yayyyyyyy... So so happy to see my name appear here 😊. I have been to Ellora temple and loved every bit of your description on it. For a long time till I had seen the temple with my own eyes I had never understood why my parents had named me after that temple... But after visiting it I did realise what must have mesmerized them 😊. The other two temples are in my must visit list.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was searching for temples, I thought of you immediately and knew I had to write about Ellora. That's so beautiful! The name suits you perfectly. <3
DeleteThank you, girl, and I hope you get to visit the other two temples very soon. :)