Beauty in ruins: The Sun Temple at Konark

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Beauty in ruins: The Sun Temple at Konark

The Konark Sun Temple is a 13th-century Hindu temple dedicated to the sun god. Shaped like a giant chariot, the temple is known for the exquisite stone carvings that cover the entire structure.

One of the most important temples dedicated to the Sun god in India — the Konark Temple — shares the brilliance and the dazzle of the sun with its fascinating architecture, exotic sculptures and intriguing social history of medieval Odisha. Located in Konark, 35 km from Puri, the abode of Lord Jagannath, this 13th-century temple is a leading Hindu pilgrimage centre.

Origin

Konark got its name from two Sanskrit words — kona and ark — with the former meaning corner and the latter implying the sun. Experts say the Sun god worshipped in Ark Kshetra is called Konark. Legend has it that after slaying demon Gyasur, Lord Vishnu left all his belongings at several places to commemorate his victory — conch in Puri, disc in Bhubaneswar, mace in Jajapur and lotus in Konark.

Wheel at Sun Temple Konark
img source

Architectural glory

Designed as colossal chariot on 12 pairs of giant wheels being pulled by seven galloping horses, carrying the Sun god across the heavens, the temple was built by Raja Langula Narasimha Deva of the Ganga dynasty around 1250 AD.

Seven horses pulling the Sun Temple eastwards towards dawn is symbolic of the seven days of the week; a dozen pair of wheels represent the 12 months of the year and the eight spokes in each wheel symbolise the eight ideal stages in a woman’s day.

These wheels are not normal wheels but show time as well – the spokes of the wheels make a sundial. One can analyze the exact time of the day by just looking at the shade cast by these spokes.

The Wheel of Life at Sun Temple Konark
The Wheel of Life at Sun Temple Konark. img source

The beauty and aesthetics of the temple is best summed up by India’s noble laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who wrote about Konark:

“Here the language of stone surpasses the language of man.”

The placement of the main temple and the Sun God had been aligned in such a way that the first ray of the Sun from the coast would cross the Nata Mandir (Dancing Hall) and would fall & reflect from the diamond placed at the crown of the Sun God.

The temple consists of a vimana (main temple) for housing the deity, Jagamohana, a prayer and an offering hall for worshippers and a nirtya-mandapa (dancing hall). The main entrance faces the eastern side which faces the sea. Konark Temple is an epitome of Kalinga architecture.

Entrance of Konark Sun Temple Guidede by Lions
img source

The entrance is guarded by two huge lions, each killing a war elephant and beneath the elephant is a man. While the lions represent pride, elephants represent wealth and both of them consume man akin to the conquest of spiritual power over worldly power and the symbol of ignorance conquered by knowledge.

The surfaces of the temple are carved with exquisite stone sculptures with a wide variety of subjects, including many erotic scenes based on the Kama Sutra. Erotic sculptures are found especially in niches halfway up the porch, along the sides of the platform and around the doorways of the main building.

Erotic stone carving at the Konark Sun Temple
Erotic stone carving at the Konark Sun Temple. img source

Other sculptures decorating the temple’s exterior include deities, animals, floral patterns, voluptuous women, mythical beasts and aquatic monsters. The 24 giant wheels are beautifully carved and each of the eight spokes bears a medallion containing figurative carvings.

exquisite stone sculptures at Sun Temple Konark
img source

Originally built on sea shore, the temple is also known as black pagoda due to its dark colour and was used as a navigational landmark by ancient sailors to Odisha.

Magnets & Floating Idol

The uniqueness of the Sun Temple of Konark lies in the fact that it was built with an architectural setup of various magnets. According to legend, the statue of the Sun God inside the temple was built of a material with iron content and was said to be floating in air, without any physical support, due to the unique arrangements of the top magnet, the bottom magnet and the reinforced magnets around the temple walls.

Other legends state that, the magnetic effect of the lodestone was so strong that it caused disturbance in the ships compasses those passed by the coast (Konark being a major port at that time), thus making the navigation very difficult for the sailors. To save their trade and their ships, the Portuguese sailors destroyed the temple and took away the lodestone. The removal of the lodestone leads to the collapse of the main temple structure.

The Konark Temple is part of ancient Surya cult that flourished across India and was dedicated to the worship of the Sun god. The sun is held as the soul of whole manifestation, primal cause of this universe and its different cycles of manifestation and annihilation. Suryopanishad — a scripture on the Sun god — summarises the significance of the sun and the importance of its worship, saying, “From the sun arises all beings. The sun sustains them all. They all vanish into the sun…” It asserts that the sun is the creator, protector and destroyer.

Konark Temple Wheels
img source

Collapse

There have been several proposed theories for the collapse of the main sanctum.

As per one theory, part of the Konark temple collapsed because of its incomplete structure. The Konark Sum Temple was not completed because of the early death of the king Langula Narasimha Dev who initiated the construction of the temple.

Mayadevi Temple also called Chhayadevi Temple, Konark temple complex
Mayadevi Temple also called Chhayadevi Temple is located in the Konark temple complex. img source

Next is the theory of lodestone located at the top of the temple. Due to its magnetic effects, vessels passing through the Konark sea were drawn to it, resulting in heavy damage. Other legends state that magnetic effects of the load stone disturbed ships’ compasses so that they did not function correctly. So, to remove the cause of the trouble, Portuguese voyagers stole the lodestone. The displacement of the lodestone led to total imbalance and so the Konark temple fell down. But there is no historical record either of this event or presence of such a great lodestone at Konark.

As per another very popular theory, the temple was destroyed by Kalapahad (a Muslim governor Sultan Sulaiman Karrani of Bengal) who invaded Odisha in 1508. He had also destroyed many other Hindu temples in Orissa along with the Konark Sun Temple.

Other proposed causes include lightning and earthquake. Over the centuries, the sea receded, sand engulfed the building and salty breezes eroded the stone. It remained buried under a huge mound of sand until the early 20th century, when restoration began under the British.

Konark Sun temple chariot wheel
Close view of Konark Sun temple chariot wheel. img source

Source: TheKonark.in & India Perspectives jul-aug 2016 by Indian Diplomacy

Tsunami might have destroyed Harappan port town of Dholavira

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Tsunami might have destroyed Harappan port town of Dholavira

Port town of Dholavira in Gujarat, the fifth largest Harappan site, might have been destroyed by a massive tsunami, a study by CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) has revealed.

Dholavira, the second largest Harappan site located within the present borders of India, comprises three parts including a castle, the middle town and the lower town.Dholavira is a site of an ancient metropolitan town of the Harappan period and was known as the largest port-town of the Harappans which flourished around 5,000 years ago, until the tsunami destroyed it 3,450 years ago.

Also Read: Unearthing the civilisation of Lothal

“The results clearly indicate that massive tsunamis are not uncommon in the region. The thick wall in Dholavira shows that Harappans were not only aware of the potential threats from tsunamis, but they were also pioneers in coastal disaster management.

“Most importantly, results of this study opens that possibly Dholavira, at least in part, could have been destroyed by such a tsunami,” NIO Director Dr SWA Naqvi said yesterday.

Water tank at Dholavira
Water tank at Dholavira. img source

The team of scientists, led by Rajiv Nigam, had embarked on the study on the port town at a time when the real purpose of the Dholavira wall has been a topic of considerable debate.

The study has proposed that the thick wall was built to protect the town from extreme oceanic events such as storm surges and tsunamis.

Remains of the citadel at Dholavira
Remains of the citadel at Dholavira img source

“This well-planned urban settlement flourished for about 1500 years from about 5000 to 3450 years before present archaeological excavations show that the township comprised three parts — castle, the middle town and the lower town,” he said.

Ruins of the middle town at Dholavira img source
Ruins of the middle town at Dholavira img source

A unique feature of Dholavira is the presence of a 14-18 meters thick wall, apparently built as a protective measure.

“Intriguingly, walls of such thickness are not found even in historic times when the conflicts have been more common and the weapons had become increasingly more destructive,” he said.

 

Over 10,500 years old camping site discovered in Ladakh

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Over 10,500 years old camping site discovered in Ladakh

The site was unearthed at 14,000 feet above sea level — on the way to Sasar La which leads to the Karakoram Pass. It suggests that humans camped in the area 10,500 years ago.

As investigations revealed repeated human activity at this camping site for about eight hundred years, archeological survey of india will be carrying out further investigations into the site.

Sources said that the research so far carried out has proved the antiquity and nature of human activities to an extent, but their camping patterns, extent of camping area, tools and other cultural aspects are yet to be traced.

Over 10,500 years old camping site discovered by ASI in Ladakh
An ASI team at the unearthed camping site on the Saser La-Ladakh route. -img Tweeted by @MIB_India

Interestingly, the site was also discovered by chance. Dr SB Ota, joint director deneral in ASI, who was travelling in Ladhak, last year, along the Saser stream. After covering a distance of about 22 km, he noticed a section, exposed due to road construction, showing successive layers comprising burning residue and immediately stopped to explore the area.

The area offered a perfect site for camping. It was a small flat area with snow-covered peaks on one extreme, dry barren land with loose rocks all around and gushing stream within the deep western gorges, an ideal place for camping in a picturesque setting.

A charcoal sample collected from the site, which was sent to Beta Lab, Florida for radiocarbon, dated it back to 8500 BC. Realising the significance of the evidence, a team of ASI officials were sent for further inspection.

“During this visit, more charcoal samples and associated bones were collected. Two of the charcoal samples from lower and upper deposits sent for dating have provided new radiocarbon dates of c. 8500 BC and c. 7300 BC (c. 10500 and 9300 years before present) respectively. These dates have indeed confirmed the earlier date,” the culture ministry official statement said.

Apart from that, new dates also indicate repeated human activity at this camping site for about eight hundred years. Preliminary studies of charred bones collected from here, carried out by Prof P.P. Joglekar of Deccan Collage, Pune, have shown the presence of Gorel and Yak.

ASI has planned to carry out proper archaeological excavations and explorations to address these issues. It added that it would be difficult to carry out the task in such a rugged terrain at an altitude of 14,000 feet, with low oxygen and habitation.

Source: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

The Rock Cut Cave Temples Of Pataleshwar

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The Rock Cut Cave Temples Of Pataleshwar

Pataleshwar cave temple is one of the most popular rock- cut cave temples of India. This temple is a reminiscent of Ellora and was carved out of a single gigantic basalt rock during the Rashtrakuta dynasty in the 8th century.

It was originally built outside of town but due to the expansion of the city frontiers over the years, it is now situated in the downtown Jungli Maharaj road in Pune. The temple is dedicated to Lord Pataleshwar (God of Underworld) and Lord Shiva. The entire cave temple is below the ground level, making ‘Pataleshwar’ an appropriate name (‘Patal’ is an underground civilization as per Hindu mythology).

Pataleshwar cave temple provides the perfect example of rock cut architecture. The entire temple is hewn out of a single block of stone, and houses gigantic pillars, a shrine of Lord Shiva and a Nandi bull.

Pataleshwar Caves Internal Temple Corridors
Pataleshwar Caves Internal Temple Corridors. – img source

The construction of temple is left incomplete, but the original plan was to build something on the lines of elephanta caves.

It is believed that the construction of this temple remained unfinished, may be due to the presence of a defective line, detected at the back region of the sanctum, or due to the political turmoil that resulted in financial loss. Still, the architecture and the elegance of the temple surprise the visitors every time and remind them of how difficult it was then to build such a beautiful monument.

The Pataleshwar cave temple has an exotic arrangement of circular stone at the entrance. The entrance is a sight worth seeing, as it highlights acute sense of geometry of these architects.

The temple also has the seating arrangements for the tourists along with small rooms. Most of the rocks in the cave, dates back to the 700 – 800 AD. One can see  few ornate carvings on the black rock, which are simply amazing.

Pataleshwar Caves 04 - img source
Pataleshwar Caves 04 – img source

The architecture of the temple cave looks similar to that of the Elephanta caves And Ellora caves. The shrine of Lord Shiva forms the main attraction of the temple. The pillars of the temples are extremely beautiful and unique.

A linga, the symbol of Shiva, is housed in the sanctum, which is a cube-shaped room about 3 to 4 metres high. On each side of the sanctum, two smaller cells are present.

There are a number of massive pillars those add to the grandeur of the temple along with grand statues of Nandi, Sita, Ram, Lakshman, Lakshmi and Ganesh and an oversized shivalingam under a single roof.

Diwali lighting at Pataleshwar Caves Temple Maharashtra
Diwali lighting at Pataleshwar Caves Temple Maharashtra. – img source

There is a museum in the cave temple that is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. In the museum, there is a grain of rice which is believed to have around 5,000 characters inscribed on it.

Lachit Borphukan – The Unsung Hero who Stopped Mughals From Conquering Northeast India

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Lachit Borphukan – The Unsung Hero who Stopped Mughals From Conquering Northeast India

Assam was the only State in India which defeated successive attempts at invasion by the Delhi Sultans and the Mughal Emperors. The state survived 17 invasions.

Lachit Borphukan and many other brave kings and generals ensured that the North East of India remained free from the Muslim invasions.

In the mid 1600s the Mughal Empire was in the noontide of its glory – one of the greatest and largest empires in the world with a power army to match it. By force and conciliation it had overrun a large part of India before their fanatical policies of religious persecution led to a series of uprisings and revolutions that brought the entire empire crashing into the dustbin of history.

Popularly referred to as Momai Tamuli, the first Borbarua and also Commander-in-Chief of Ahom forces during the reign of King Prataapa Singha. Momai Tamuli ensured that his son Lachit was properly educated in the disciplines necessary for nobility. After the completion of his formal education, Lachit was appointed as the scarf bearer of the Ahom Swargadeo, a post equivalent to that of a private secretary.

From his father, Lachit had inherited an unwavering sense of duty, involvement and loyalty. He now immersed himself completely in the preparations for the war. He was a harsh taskmaster, but very sincere to his job that he did not hesitate to behead even his uncle, who was found to be negligent on duty during an important situation of the war.

Statue of Lachit Borphukan (in the middle) at Sivasagar with other Ahom Warriors.
Statue of Lachit Borphukan (in the middle) at Sivasagar with other Ahom Warriors. img source

Liberation of Ahom territory

In August 1667, Lachit accompanied by Atan Burhagohain lead the Ahom warriors towards Guwahati. In November 1667, he captured the Itakhuli fort and later drove the Mughal forces beyond Manas after taking the faujdar Firruz Khan as prisoner.

In December 1667, the tyrant Aurangzeb was informed of the defeat of the Mughal forces at the hands of Ahom warriors. He ordered a massive army commanded by Raja Ram Singh to attack and subdue the Ahoms. Aurangzeb added an additional 30,000 infantrymen, 21 Rajput chiefs with their contingents, 18,000 cavalry, 2,000 archers and shielders, and 40 ships to Ram Singh’s forces of 4,000 troopers (from his  char-hazaari mansab), 1,500 ahadis and 500 barqandezes.)

Selection of the Battlefield

Lachit Borphukan anticipated such an move by the Mughals. Therefore, immediately after capturing Guwahati he began strengthening the defenses around the Ahom territory. He used the Brahmaputra as a natural perimeter defense and augmented her banks with stockades and mud embankments. He was fully aware that he did not stand a chance against the Mughal troops on the plains. He cleverly choose the hilly and forested terrain just outside Guwahati as his battleground, were the Ahom warriors had an advantage over the Mughals.

Siege of Guwahati and the Alaboi

The Mughal forces attacked Guwahati in March 1669 and for over a year laid siege to it. During the entire period, the Mughals could not achieve any breakthrough as the Ahoms had erected secure defenses. The unaccustomed terrain and climate also turned against the Mughal forces. The Ahoms had the advantage and were using it fully by conducting guerilla raids against the Mughal troops.

lachit borphukan leading the advance on the Brahmaputra
Lachit Borphukan leading the advance on the Brahmaputra. –img source

The Mughals tried to sow dissension among the Ahoms through trickery. They shot an arrow into the Ahom camp with a letter addressed to Lachit. In that letter, the Mughals offered to pay Lachit one lakh rupees and urged him to evacuate Guwahati. This incident was informed to the Ahom king, which raised doubts in his mind about the loyalty of Lachit. Atan Burhagohain quelled the king’s doubts about Lachit’s loyalty.

Followed by this the Mughals lured the Ahoms for a confrontation on the plains. The Ahom king urged Lachit to take this up as a challenge. A small force of Mughal troops commanded by Mir Nawab was to engage the Ahom warriors at Alaboi. The Ahoms had made elaborate preparations and concealed their reinforcement in trenches. This helped the Ahoms capture Mir Nawab and rout his troops. The Mughals enraged by this defeat let loose their entire forces on the Ahoms that led to a massacre of 10,000 Ahom warriors.

Lachit withdrew his forces up to the Itakhuli fort after this major setback. While the war was raging on, the Ahom king Chakradhwaja Singha died. He was succeeded by Udayaaditya Singha. Observing that none of the Mughal strategies were successful, Ram Singh offered the Ahoms 300,000 rupees to give up their claim on Guwahati and return to an earlier treaty agreed in 1639. However, this was fiercely opposed by Atan Burhagohain, who raised the suspicion that the tyrannical emperor of Delhi may not abide by this proposal.

Meanwhile, Munnawar Khan, the Mughal admiral joined Ram Singh, with a rebuking message from Aurangzeb to make war with the Ahoms and not friendship. Ram Singh was now forced to move in full strength against the Ahoms. He was informed of a breach in the embankment near Andharubali. At this time, Lachit was down with severe illness and could not actively oversee the battle preparations.

Snatching Victory from Defeat

The Ahom army was demoralized after their defeat at the hands of the Mughals in the previous battle at Alaboi. When they saw the huge enemy boats looming nearer, they were devastated and were on the brink of deserting and fleeing the scene. Sensing this, Lachit immediately ordered a flotilla of seven boats to be prepared for him and forced himself from the sickbed and on to the boats. He firmly stated that regardless of what happens, he will never desert his country. Seeing their general back on foot and hearing his words gave the Ahoms a big morale boost. All soldiers rushed to Lachit’s side and their numbers swelled immediately.

The Ahoms launched their small boats and Lachit led them to a head on confrontation with the Mughals in the middle of the river. The smaller Ahom boats had greater maneuverability as opposed to the large Mughal vessels. The Mughal boats were stuck in the water unable to navigate efficiently. In a closely fought battle, the Mughals were decisively defeated. The Mughal admiral Munnawar Khan was killed in battle. Many of the Mughal commanders and numerous troops were also killed.

The Ahoms chased the Mughals upto the Manas, which was the western boundary of the Ahom. Lachit also instructed his troops to be always alert for counterattacks from the Mughals. All these events are presumed to have taken place in the month of March in the year 1671.

Though Lachit emerged victorious in the war against the Mughals and restored the glory and dignity of Ahoms, the strains of war had taken their toll on him. He never recovered from his illness and died an year later in April 1672.

Legacy

He was put to rest at the Lachit Maidan built by the King Udayaditya Singh at   Hoolungapara in 1672. His statue was unveiled at the National Defense Academy at Khadakwasla in 2000 by then Governor of Assam, Lt. Gen. S K Sinha. Every year the best cadet passing out of the Academy is awarded the Lachit Medal . Nov 24th is commemorated as Lachit Divas in remembrance of this heroic son of Maa Bharati.

Source: AssamInfo; hvk.org; AriseBharat

1,000-Year-Old Hindu Temple Excavated In Bangladesh

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1,000-Year-Old Hindu Temple Excavated In Bangladesh

A rare Vishnu temple with a unique ‘nava-ratha’ architecture has been excavated at Madhabgaon village in Kaharol upazila of the northern district of Dinajpur by a team of archaeologists from Jahangirnagar University.

Archaeologists from Jahangirnagar University’s department of archaeology in Savar, Dhaka, including its director Prof. Swadhin Sen, Prof. Syed Mohammed Kamrul Ahsan, Prof. Seema Hoque and Sabekunnaher Sithi started an excavation at the site in April this year. They also received the support of the department of archaeology.

The 52-member excavation team included four teachers, 13 students and 13 experienced workers from Mahasthan.

They found a seven-metre-high brick-built structure and a 144-sq-metre solidly built platform, with a 4.48-metre square cell at the centre. The cell represents the ‘garbhagriha’ (sanctum) where the idol was worshipped.

The external surface of the platform has ‘ratha’ or vertical offset projections at the west, north and south. There are nine ‘rathas’. That is why the temple is known as a ‘nava-ratha’ temple, according to ‘Early Temple Architecture’.

The team found more artefacts, including a decorated stone image, a good number of broken fragments of stone sculptures, along with pottery, decorated bricks and stone pieces during the ongoing archaeological excavations at the site. The sculptural fragments represent various iconographic attributes of Vishnu, the Hindu deity.

“The temple is about 1,000 years old. It was constructed in the 10th to 11th centuries. No temple of the ‘nava-ratha’ type has been discovered in Bangladesh till now,”

said Prof. Swadhin Sen.

He also said radiocarbon dating of the collected samples would shed light on the precise date of the temple.

“The superstructure of the sanctum is characterized by a ‘shikhara’ (curvilinear tower). Among the very few existing brick-built standing temples with ‘shikhara’ in undivided Bengal, the Siddheshwar Temple at Bahulara of Bankura in West Bengal has the closest resemblance,” said Prof. Dipak Ranjan Das, a former professor of the University of Calcutta and an expert on early eastern Indian temple architecture.

The same team had discovered a Hindu temple with ‘pancha-ratha’ variety in Nawabganj upazila of Dinajpur in 2007. The four-pillared ‘mandapa’ was possibly capped with a ‘shikhara’ and is known as a ‘pida deul’ (tiered roof) variety.

Prof. Syed Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan said this temple was a very good addition to their research in the northern part of Bangladesh over the past 15 years. He added that their team has already excavated nine sites in this region and documented more than 1,000 archaeological sites in the Dinajpur-Joypurhat region. More than 800 among them could be dated to the early medieval period.

The history of river systems and landscapes was crucial for the development of settlements, which had religious edifices at the core. The excavation accompanied by archaeological studies will continue for the next couple of months.

Source: The Independent

Manthani – Ruins of the Village of Hymns

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Manthani – Ruins of the Village of Hymns

The ageing crumbling walls and the creeper adorned sculptures of the silent ruins of the once glorious Gomateshwara temple at Manthani will make you feel like you have been transported straight into an Indiana Jones movie.

The place was once a centre of Vedic learning, the village was believed to have been once occupied by scholars of the Vedas. Manthani is popularly believed to house a thousand Brahmin families or Sahasra Brahmana Gadapa.

The old people here say that “Manthani” refers to a pot of buttermilk. Just like butter-milk gets churned into a pot so were the Vedic Mantras that used to churn in this village. So Manthani got its name from Mantra-Mathana, meaning churning of the Mantras.

Ruins of ancient Hindu Temple at Manthani, Telangana, India
img source

This temple is mainly dedicated to Lord Shiva, which is also stated as Gautameswar. A big Shiva linga of about 1.25 m, made of black stone is enshrined in the sanctum sanctorum on a beautifully carved ‘Panawatika’ (platform or pedestal) according to ‘Somasutra’. Lord Ganesh is installed in the inner right corner in between the entrance room and sanctum sanctorum. A big Nandi idol, beautifully carved in black stone, can be seen in the entrance room. The ears and nose of the Nandi are said to have been destroyed by Muslim invaders.

The temple is quite fragile at this point of time, but the idol of Lord Shiva and his bull is quite prominent even now. The temples have sunk into the ground, ceiling and walls have collapsed, the sculpture has faded, creepers and overgrowth have taken over.

Ruins of ancient Hindu Temple at Manthani, Telangana, India
img source

The Manthani village is surrounded by the sacred Godavari river in the northern side, Bokkala Vaagu in the south, a lush green reserve forest in the east and Ravula Cheruvu – a small lake in the Western side.

The Manthani temples are reminiscent of early Buddhist and Jain cultures, which makes it clear that Manthani was an important center for Jainism and Buddhism.

As per the latest historical evidence, there is no such history of who constructed this temple. However, the idol of Lord Shiva is more or less similar to the Thousands Pillar Temple, which is located in Warangal. It is also stated that the Kakatiya rulers might have renovated the old temple in order to create a new look.

Ruins of ancient Hindu Temple at Manthani, Telangana, India
img source

It is said that Aadi Shankaracharya (A.D.788-820), who visited Manthani, was pleased to see the ceaseless recitation of Vedic Mantras in the village and recognized it as a Dharma-Pitham. The subjects like Vedas, Logic, Grammar, Astrology, Chandassu and Mimamasa are said to have been taught here by the scholars in Sanskrit.

Even today Manthani is famous for Vedic Ghanapathis and the scholars well-versed in Agama Sastras and Dharma-sutras.

The temple of Manthani in the state of Telangna has a rich cultural heritage as far as historical, archaeological and religious aspects are concerned. The other temples in Manthani are Laxmi Narayana Swamy temple, Saileshwara Temple, Mahalaxmi Temple, Vinayaka Temple, Gautameswara Temple, Dattatreya Temple, Ramalayam temple, Saraswati Temple, Omkeshwara temple and Panchayatanam Temple.

Ruins of ancient Hindu Temple at Manthani, Telangana, India
img source
Ruins of ancient Hindu Temple at Manthani, Telangana, India
img source
Ruins of ancient Hindu Temple at Manthani, Telangana, India
img source

 

US Returns 200 Stolen Artefacts Worth $100 M to India

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US Returns 200 Stolen Artefacts Worth $100 M to India

The United States has returned more than 200 ancient artifacts to the government of India. The artifacts were valued at more than $100 million. They had been stolen from religious sites in India and taken out of the country.

The artefacts include religious statues, bronzes and terra cotta pieces, some of which date back to 2,000 years, which were looted from some of India’s most treasured religious sites.

They were returned to the Indian government at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. The meeting was attended by U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“For some, these artifacts may be measured in monetary terms but for us this is beyond that. It’s a part of our culture and heritage,” said Modi.

Among the pieces is a statue of Saint Manikkavacakar. The saint was a Hindu mystic and poet who lived during the ninth century. That statue was stolen from the Sivan Temple in Chennai, India. It is valued at $1.5 million. Another is a bronze sculpture of the Hindu god Ganesha. It is estimated to be close to 1,000 years old.

US Returns 200 Stolen Cultural Artefacts Worth $100 M to India
The statues include a bronze Ganesh and a Jain figure of Bahubali, among other returned cultural artefacts. (Photo: ANI)

“More than 200 antiquities and cultural artifacts that speak to India’s astounding history and beautiful culture are beginning their journey home. It is my hope – and the hope of the American people – that this repatriation will serve as a sign of our great respect for India’s culture; our deep admiration for its people; and our sincere appreciation for the ties between our nations,” said US Attorney General Loretta E Lynch.

Most of the pieces were seized during Operation Hidden Idol, an investigation that began in 2007 after Homeland Security special agents received a tip about a shipment of seven crates destined for the United States and labeled as “marble garden table sets.”

Examination of the shipment in question revealed numerous antiquities. The shipment was imported by Subhash Kapoor, owner of Art of the Past Gallery in New York. The investigation found that Kapoor allegedly created false provenances to disguise the histories of his illicit antiquities, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The stolen treasures were recovered as a result of a massive collaborative effort between U.S. customs officials, New York and federal prosecutors, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.

Prime Minister Modi thanked the U.S. for returning the national treasures to their rightful home.

The Temple town of Maluti

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The Temple town of Maluti

There is temple, after temple, after temple. Some still standing, their exquisite terracotta designs preserved for centuries, others in varying stages of decay and mostly in ruins.

Maluti temples are a group of 72 terracotta temples located in the Maluti village near Shikaripara in Dumka District on the eastern part of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Initially, there were 108 temples clustered in a radius of just 350 metres. Out of these, 36 temples have crumbled to dust over passage of time. The remaining ones are in various stages of decay.

The terracotta temples in the village Maluti are built in four groups and they are dated between 17th and 19th centuries.

Ruins of maluti temples
img source

History

History of the temples is directly linked to the kingdom of Maluti, then known as “Nankar raj” that was granted to a Brahmin named Basanta by the Muslim ruler Alauddin Husain Shah of Gaura (1495–1525). Son of a poor Brahmin Basanta managed to catch the pet hawk of the sultan and gave it back to the sultan. In lieu of the hawk (Baj), Basanta was given the kingdom. Hence, the king was called Raja Baj Basanta. The capital of Baj Basanta dynasty was in Damra. Later it was shifted to Maluti.

Ruins of maluti
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How Maluti — the capital of Baj Basanta dynasty — turn out to be a ‘temple city’ is also an interesting story. Instead of constructing palaces, the Raja Baj Basanta built temples.

Subsequently his family got divided among four clans and they continued to build the temples, competing with the others. In the end, it turned out be a unique temple village. The name Maluti is said to be derived from Mallahati, the Malla Kings of Bankura.

Temples of Maluti

Ruins of maluti temples
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Today the importance of the village Maluti lies in accommodating 72 ancient temples. Initially there were 108 temples built in the village. Later generation could not maintain such huge number of monuments and most of them were left uncared for.

Of the 108 temples, only 72 still stand, but in a semi-dilapidated condition; the other 36 temples have been lost.

Maluti’s temples are decked with detailed and intricate terracotta carvings based on Hindu mythologies, especially the epics – Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

Artwork at Maluti temples
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The architectural style of the temples is predominantly the regional Bengali style which flourished all over Bengal in that period.

At some places social scenes are also depicted like tilling of land, worship in progress, sacrifice of goat etc. Some temples have inscriptions which help in reconstructing the history of the temples as well as the socio- politico scenario of the period. The inscriptions are in early Bengali script which is a mixture of Sanskrit, Prakrit and Bengali.

The Maluti temples were not known to the outside world till by A.K.Sinha, Director of Archaeology, Government of Bihar publicized them, for the first time in 1979.

Terracotta Temple Village, Maluti
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Conservation

Global Heritage Fund has declared this site as one of the world’s 12 most endangered cultural heritage sites.

The 72 out of the 108 temples of Maluti stands to this day. They have survived due to the efforts of a single man Gopaldas Mukherjee (locally known as Batuda). The 82 years old Batuda have been a custodian of the Maulti temples for over half a century. It is only due to the efforts of this gentleman the temples of Maluti have survived.

In 2009, an NGO called Save Heritage and Environment (SHE) contacted the Global Heritage Fund (GHF) to help conserve this unique temple village. Not far long after, GHF declared this village one of the world’s twelve vanishing cultural heritage sites- however, Maluti is the sole site from India on that list which received concern (SHE.)

Today, neglect including poor water drainage, overgrown vegetation, and vandalism are taking a toll on the entirity of the temples. But “with proper restoration and maintenance, the temples have the potential to be a major source of economy in the small town of Maluti,” the Global Heritage Fund says in its report concerning the Maluti Temples.

Jharkhand tableau on display during the 66th Republic Day parade at Rajpath in New Delhi showcasing the temples of the village Maluti
Jharkhand tableau on display during the 66th Republic Day parade at Rajpath in New Delhi showcasing the temples of the village Maluti on 26th January 2015. – img source

The terracotta temples of Maluti are slowly and steadily walking the revival talk. Soon after the award-wining depiction of Maluti Temples during Republic Day parade on Rajpath in New Delhi, the government resolved to take up its conservation and on June 25 2015 an MoU was signed between the state government and the Indian Trust for Rural Heritage and Development (ITRHD), for conservation, promotion and renovation of the temples.

Terracotta Temple Village, Maluti
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Terracotta Temple Village, Maluti
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Source: Maluti.org & Wikipedia

Indian Monuments and their Historical Significances

Sunil Vishwakarma
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Indian Monuments and their Historical Significances

India is a country of profound history from bad times to good times, it has witnessed all. Every heritage of India depicts the story of its own, making you aware of the olden and golden time, moreover an insight into the India’s culture past. These historical places are widely spread across the nation and should be visited by every traveler to experience the era they were not abled to see. Below we bring to you some of the major Indian monuments with their historical importance for India.

Read more about: Top Religious Places to Visit in India.

Taj Mahal, Agra

taj mahal tour
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Located on the banks of Yamuna River of Agra, Taj Mahal is a beautiful structure constructed using white marble stone. The monument was started to be made in the year 1632 by the orders of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the loving memory of his beloved wife late Mumtaz Mahal. As one of the seven wonders of the world, Taj Mahal is the perfect destination to enjoy the feel of witnessing the long lost history.

Jalianwala Bagh, Amritsar

jaliwala-bagh-amritsar
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This place located in the city of Amritsar has been the ground that has witnessed the huge massacre by General R.E.H Dyer on April 13, 1919 where thousands of people were killed and died. The monument still holds the reminiscences of the past with the walls depicting bullet marks as a reminder of that ruthless incident. It is one of the incidents that will remain unforgettable in the history of India.

Wagah Border, Amritsar

wagah border
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Located in the intersection between the Lahore and Pakistan in the state of Punjab, Wagah Border is one of the most stunning locations visited by the people from all over the world only to witness the ceremonial closing of gates while lowering the flags of the both countries. The area is culturally rich and gives you the most perfect feel of reliving the history.

India Gate, New Delhi

delhi city tour
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A famous tourist destination, located in Rajpath, Delhi is a monument filled with immense history. The monument was built during world way to commemorate the soldiers who have lost their lives. Charming as ever during the night, the monument truly displays the glorious history India has. It has an interesting ‘Amar Jawan Jyoti’ burning since 1971in the honor of soldiers who have given away their lives for the country.

Andaman Nicobar Island Jail

cellular jail
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Famously known as the Kaala Paani, the jail of Andaman and Nicobar Island serves as the great historical significance with many freedom fighters’s coming from this destination. The major function for the construction of this prison was to give solitary confinement to the prisoners. Traveling to this destination will give you the feel of walking in the historical past.  The most famous freedom fighters such as Veer Savarkar and Batukeshwar Dutt were among some of  the people confined in the prison.

Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi

delhi rashtrapati bhawan

 

As a home to the President of India, the monument houses relics, national treasures, from the era of the colonial times when it was constructed for the viceroy of India. The monument clearly explains the historical past of India through its magnificent structure and architecture. Earlier called as the Viceroy House, the building renamed later as the Rashtrapati Bhavan in 1952.

Red Fort, New Delhi

delhi red fort

Constructed during the time of Shah Jahan as the Mughal capital, Red fort is something in India one must visit to experience the feel of history. The monument hosts 15th August Independence Day parade every year with a great enthusiasm. The people of the nation are addressed by the Prime Minister, created a great charm earlier and now in the current days also.

Gateway of India, Mumbai

gateway of india
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During the colonial times, the monument has acted as the major entrance to many governors and viceroys for the establishment of British Empire.  Every visit to that monument takes you to the time when the monument was built to celebrate the victory over India.

Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad, Gujarat

sabarmati ashram

 

Situated in Ahmedabad, the monument takes you to the time when it played a major role in India’s struggle for independence. Home to the father of the nation- Mahatma Gandhi, the Ashram is located near Sabarmati River. There is nothing better than experiencing the grand history of India while walking through the ashram where Mahatma Gandhi lived and walked.

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