Bhitargaon

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Bhitargaon
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Bhitargaon temple in Kanpur district, Uttar Pradesh, India
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Bhitargaon
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Bhitargaon
Bhitargaon (Uttar Pradesh)
LocationBhitargaon, Kanpur district, Uttar Pradesh, Flag of India.svg  India
Coordinates 26°12′38″N80°16′34″E / 26.210556°N 80.276111°E / 26.210556; 80.276111
TypeHindu Temple
History
FoundedLate 5th century CE
Cultures Gupta Empire

Bhitargaon is a town, near city of Kanpur in Kanpur Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh, India, known for its ancient Hindu temple, the largest Indian brick temple to survive from the time of the Gupta Empire. Despite being heavily restored, a number of original features remain. [1] It is dated to the late 5th century. [2]

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Bhitargaon Temple

Rear view of the temple at Bhitargaon, 1875. Bhitargaon back.jpg
Rear view of the temple at Bhitargaon, 1875.

The Bhitargaon Temple is a terraced brick building fronted with a terracotta panel. Built in the 5th century during the Gupta period, [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] it is the oldest remaining brick/terracotta Hindu shrine with a roof and a high shikhara, though its upper chamber did sustain some damage in the 18th century.

The temple is built on a square plan with double-recessed corners and faces east. There is a tall pyramidal spire over the garbhagriha. The walls are decorated with terracotta panels depicting Shiva and Vishnu etc. When Alexander Cunningham first visited the site, the remains of the porch and of the ardhamandapa were still visible, which later collapsed.

Description of the architecture and layout of Bhitargaon temple

The construction material is bricks and terracotta. The brick size is 18" x 9 x 3" and the other salient features are following:

Behta Bujurg temple

ASI notice Behta bujurg temple (ASI inscription).jpg
ASI notice

There is another ancient temple in Behta Bujurg (or Behata Bujurg) village which is only 4.3 km far from Bhitargaon, also protected by the Archaeological Survey of India. The temple is dedicated to Lord Jagannath, and has a highly unusual curving shape, with buddhist stupa(Mound) like resemblance. However a close look reveals nagara style curvilinear shape. There are significant detached ancient sculptures: Lord Jagannath idol, a Surya (sun deity) sculpture and a Lord Vishnu sculpture carved on a large block of stone depicting lord vishnu resting on seshnaga. The temple is known locally as the "Rain Temple" as the ceiling is said to drip water several days before the rain arrive, which is of great interest to local farmers day by day most of tourist and urban peoples came in this temple.

Other historic brick temples

The Idol of Lord Jagannath inside the temple at Baheta Bujurg. Lord Jagannath, Jagannath Temple, Behta Bujurg, Uttar Pradesh, 2023.jpg
The Idol of Lord Jagannath inside the temple at Baheta Bujurg.

See also

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