Lakhamandal

Last updated

Lakhamandal Temple
Lakhamandal Temple.jpg
Religion
Affiliation Hinduism
DistrictDehradun
Deity Lord Shiva
FestivalsJagra (jagran)
Location
LocationLakhamandal, Dehradun district
State Uttarakhand
Country India
India Uttarakhand location map.svg
Om symbol.svg
Location in Uttarakhand
Geographic coordinates 30°43′52″N78°04′03″E / 30.731224°N 78.067423°E / 30.731224; 78.067423
Architecture
TypeHuna architecture

Lakhamandal is an ancient Hindu temple complex, situated in the Jaunsar-Bawar region of Dehradun district in the state of Uttarakhand. The temple is dedicated to lord Shiva. [1] This temple is popular among the Shaivites, who believe that a visit to this temple shrine will end their misfortunes.

Contents

Lakhamandal gets its name from the two words: lakha (Lakh) meaning "many" and mandals meaning "temples" or "lingam". Plenty of artistic works were found in the excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India. [2]

Location

This temple lies 128 km. from Dehradun, and 35 km. from Chakrata on the Mussoorie-Yamnotri road, past Kempty Falls. [3] It is built in North Indian Architectural style, which is common in the hilly regions of Garhwal and Himachal Pradesh state. The Yamuna River flows alongside Lakhamandal village where the temple is situated.

Ancient Temple & Remains

This NAGARA style temple of Lord Shiva was built in circa 12th - 13th century CE. A large number of sculptures and architectural members are spread in the vicinity suggest the remains of more shrines of the same cult in the past but presently only this temple is survived. The earliest evidence of structural activity at Lakhamandal goes back to circa 5th-8th century CE, on the basis of bricks structure noticed below stones build the pyramidal structure. A stone inscription (6th century CE) of the site records the construction of Shiva temple at Lakhamandal by princess Ishwara, who belongs to the royal race of Singhpura, for the spiritual welfare of her late husband Chandragupta, the son of the king of Jalandhar. - Superintending Archaeologist (Archaeological Survey of India)

Lingam

The main attraction of this temple shrine is the graphite Lingam. It shines when wet and reflects its surroundings.

Legend and the cave

According to the local people, this temple and the adjoining area are believed to be where Duryodhana of Mahabharata episode conspired to burn alive the Pandava in the Lakshyagriha house, constructed with shellac.

Twin statues of Danav and Manav are located beside the main shrine. The statues are its dwarpals (doormen). Some people believe these statues to be those of Pandava brothers Bhima and Arjuna. They also resemble Jai and Vijay, the doormen of Lord Vishnu. When someone was dying or had just died, an appearance in front of these statues, returns them briefly to life before finally expiring.[ citation needed ] The power of Manav kept the person alive, while Danav took the person's soul to Lord Vishnu's abode.

Another cave near this place is called Dhundhi Odaari in the local Jaunsari language. Dhundi or Dhund means "misty" or "foggy" and odaar or odaari means "cave" or "hidden place". The local people think that the Pandava took refuge in this cave to save themselves from Duryodhana.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Srikalahasteeswara temple</span> Shiva temple in Tirupati, India

The Srikalahasti Temple is located in the town of Srikalahasti, in Tirupati district in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. According to regional tradition, it is said to be the site where Kannappa was ready to offer both his eyes to cover blood flowing from the linga before Shiva stopped him and granted him moksha. The inner temple was constructed around the 5th century and the outer temple was constructed in the 11th century by the Rajendra Chola I and other Chola emperors such as Rajaditya Chola, Rajaraja Chola I, Rajadhiraja Chola I, Kulottunga Chola I, Kulottunga Chola III and the Vijayanagara kings especially Krishnadevaraya. Shiva in his aspect as Vayu is worshipped as Kalahasteeswara. The temple is also regarded as Rahu-Ketu kshetra and Dakshina Kailasam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vadakkunnathan Temple</span> Ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva

The Vadakkumnathan Temple is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva in Thrissur, in the Thrissur district of Kerala, India. The temple is a classical example of the architectural style of Kerala and has one monumental tower on each of the four sides in addition to a koothambalam. Mural paintings depicting various scenes from the Mahabharata can be seen inside the temple. The shrines and the Kuttambalam display vignettes carved in wood. The temple, along with the mural paintings, has been declared as a National Monument by India under the AMASR Act. According to popular local lore, this is the first temple built by Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu. Thekkinkadu Maidan, encircling the Vadakkumnathan Temple, is the main venue of the renowned Thrissur Pooram festival.

Prabhas Patan, also known as Somnath Patan, historically named Dev Patan, is locality situated in Veraval, Gir Somnath district in Saurashtra region of Gujarat, India. Somnath temple, a place of pilgrimage due to its importance as Jyotirlinga site dedicated to Shiva, is located here.

Chakrata is a cantonment town and also a sub district/tehsil, in Dehradun district in the state of Uttarakhand, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nellitheertha Cave Temple</span> Temple in India

Nellitheertha Cave Temple in Nellitheertha, Karnataka, India is dedicated to the Indian deity Sri Somanatheshwara, or Shiva. The temple dates back to at least 1487 CE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Undavalli Caves</span> Rock-cut cave temples in India

The Undavalli Caves, a monolithic example of Indian rock-cut architecture and one of the finest testimonials to ancient viswakarma sthapathis, are located in Vijayawada of Guntur district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The caves are located south west of Vijayawada, 22 km north east of Guntur City of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the centrally protected monuments of national importance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kedarnath Temple</span> Hindu temple in Uttarakhand, India

Kedarnath Temple is a Hindu temple, one of the twelve jyotirlinga of Shiva. The temple is located on the Garhwal Himalayan range near the Mandakini river, in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Due to extreme weather conditions, the temple is open to the general public only between the months of April and November. During the winters, the vigraha (deity) of the temple is carried down to Ukhimath to be worshipped for the next six months. Kedarnath is seen as a homogeneous form of Shiva, the 'Lord of Kedarkhand', the historical name of the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ekambareswarar Temple (Kanchipuram)</span> Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu, India

Ekambareswarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located in the town of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu, India. It is significant to the Hindu sect of Saivism as one of the temples associated with the five elements, the Pancha Bhoota Stalas, and specifically the element of earth, or Prithvi. Shiva is worshiped as Ekambareswarar or Ekambaranathar or Rajlingeswaram, and is represented by the lingam, with his idol referred to as Prithvi lingam. His consort Parvati is depicted as Elavarkuzhali. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. The temple also houses Nilathingal Thundam Perumal temple, a Divyadesam, the 108 temples revered in the Vaishnava canon Nalayira Divya Prabhandam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramanathaswamy Temple</span> Hindu temple in Rameswaram island in the state of Tamil Nadu, India

Ramanathaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva located on Rameswaram island in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is also one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples. It is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, where Nayanars, Appar, Sundarar and Tirugnana Sambandar, have glorified the temple with their songs. The temple was expanded during the 12th century by the Pandya Dynasty, and its principal shrine’s sanctum was renovated by Jeyaveera Cinkaiariyan and his successor Gunaveera Cinkaiariyan, monarchs of the Jaffna kingdom. The temple has the longest corridor among all Hindu temples in India. It was built by King Muthuramalinga Sethupathiy. The temple, located in Rameswaram, is considered a holy pilgrimage site for Shaivites, Vaishnavites and Smarthas. Mythological accounts depict the presiding deity, the Lingam of Ramanathaswamy (Shiva), as having been established and worshiped by Rama, before he crossed his bridge to the present-day island of Sri Lanka. It is one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaunsar-Bawar</span> Place in Uttarakhand, India

Jaunsar-Bawar is a hilly region in Garhwal division of Uttarakhand, northern India. It is located in the north-west of Dehradun district, along the border with the state of Himachal Pradesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narthamalai</span> Village in Tamil Nadu, India

Narthamalai, a cluster of small hills, is 25 km from Trichy on the Trichy-Pudukottai highway in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Here can be seen some of the oldest rock cut cave temples, as well as the longest rock-cut edicts, similar to Asokan edicts and extremely rare in the south of India. The town houses Vijayalaya Choleeswaram built during the 9th century. The two rock-cut temples are classic examples of how temple architecture styles were fusing in different parts of the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kotipalli</span> Village in Andhra Pradesh, India

Kotipalli also known as Koti Theertham is a village located in K. Gangavaram mandal of Ramachandrapuram revenue division in Konaseema district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The temple town is also known as Kumararama of the Pancharama Kshetras, and is located 15 km from Amalapuram. Every year festivals such as Maha Sivaratri, Vaisakha Suddha Ekadasi, Aswayuja Suddha Padyami to Dwadasi and Ksheerabdi Dwadasi Teppotsavam are celebrated in this village.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patal Bhuvaneshwar</span> Cave Temple in Uttarakhand, India

Patal Bhuvaneshwar is a limestone cave temple 14 km from Gangolihat in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand state in India. It is located in the village of Bhubneshwar. Legend and folklore have it that this cave enshrines Lord Shiva and thirty three koti demigods [33 types and not crore]. The cave is 160 m long and 90 feet deep from the point of entrance. Limestone rock formations have created various spectacular stalactite and stalagmite figures of various hues and forms. This cave has a narrow tunnel-like opening which leads to a number of caves. The cave is fully electrically illuminated. Built by the flow of water, Patal Bhuvaneshwar is not just one cave, rather a series of caves within caves.

Bettadapura is a village located in Mysore district, in the Indian state of Karnataka. The name is derived from two Kannada words, "Betta" and "pura". Betta means "hill" and pura means "town". As per census survey of India 2011, the location code number assigned to Bettadapura is 618171.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahasu Devta Temple</span> Hindu Temple in Uttarakhand

Mahasu Devta Temple, is located on the Tyuni-Mori road at Hanol, Dehradun district, Uttarakhand, India and was built in the 9th century. The temple is dedicated to Mahasu Devta. The temple was constructed in the Kath-Kuni or Koti-Banal style of architecture and is included in the Archaeological Survey of India's list of the ancient temple in the Dehradun circle, Uttarakhand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhima Devi Temple Site Museum</span> Hindu temple in Haryana, India

The Bhima Devi Temple Complex, nicknamed Khajuraho of North India for its erotic sculptures, comprises the restored ruins of an ancient Hindu temple dating from between 8th and 11th century AD, together with the adjacent 17th-century Pinjore gardens, located in Pinjore town in Panchkula district of the state of Haryana, India. The old temple was destroyed by Islamic invaders and the present 8-11th CE temple is likely built on the same place under the old name, and the nearby ancient baoli still has old Hindu pillars. Bhimadevi belongs to the Shakti tradition that was derived from the Buddhist tantric goddess. Further, in the Devi Mahatmya it is said that in the Western Himalayas of Himachal Pradesh, Bhimadevi appeared in an enormous form of Bhimarupa and gave protection to the sages. The site was worked upon extensively by the team of Speaking Archaeologically from 2017 to 2019, with preliminary survey beginning as early as in 2015 and the report was published as the Speaking Archaeologically Journal Volume III:Bhima Devi Project Edition in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karunellinathar temple</span> Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu, India

Karunellinathar temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, located in Thiruthangal, a town in the outskirts of Sivakasi, a in Tamil Nadu, India. Shiva is worshiped as Karunellinathar, and is represented by the lingam and his consort Parvati is depicted as Chokki Amman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vijayalaya Choleeswaram</span> Temples in Tamil Nadu, India

Vijayalaya Choleeswaram in Narthamalai, a panchayat town in Pudukottai district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, India, is a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, Vishnu and houses the 8th century Jaina Abode. The temple is considered one of the oldest stone temples in South India. The other portions of Narthamalai houses the 8th century Jaina Abode, the Aluruttimalai Jain Caves. The Temple is Constructed in the Dravida style and rock cut architecture, the temple is believed to have been built during the 9th century by Mutharaiyar dynasty kings, the cardinals of Pallavas, with later expansion from the Cholas. The rock-cut architecture is an early example of Cholan Art, continuing the tradition of the Pallavas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pallikonda Perumal Temple, Malayadippatti</span> Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu, India

Pallikonda Perumal Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Vishnu, located at Malayadippatti in Kulatthur taluk of Pudukkottai district in Tamil Nadu, India. This is a small village and one of the important rock cut temples of Pudukkottai district such as Thirumayam Rock cut temple. The Dvarapala's have only 2 hands unlike the other Dvarapala's who have 4 hands in other Vishnu temples.

References

  1. Madhu Jaina (1995). The Abode of Mahashiva: Cults and Symbology in Jaunsar-Bawar in the Mid-Himalayas. Indus Publishing. pp. 21–23–. ISBN   978-81-7387-030-9.
  2. "Archaeological Survey of India, Dehradun Circle". ASI website. Archived from the original on 27 February 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  3. "Lakhamandal". District of Dehradun, official website. Retrieved 29 October 2015.