Mediaeval Temples of the Dakhan c11: Temples in the Sātārā District
Mediaeval Temples of the Dakhan c11
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Contents
- c11.s1 Khatāv — 3 parts
- c11.s2 Kātarkhatāv — 1 part
- c11.s3 Gursāla — 2 parts
- c11.s4 Siṅghaṇapur — 4 parts
Temples in the Sātārā District
Khatāv
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THE Sātārā District has a very poor lot of old temples. At Katāv, some twenty-five miles east of Sātārā, are a few old examples of the " Hemadpanti " class, the most complete among them being that of Nāganātha across the stream bed upon the north-west of the town. It occupies a conspicuous position upon high ground, having an open front with a neatly decorated façade. It is a small building, measuring no more than 60 by 30 feet, and consists of a plain square hall, antechamber and shrine. Four pillars support the central ceiling, and two more the eaves and cornice of the open front. The pillars are of the later Chālukyan type. Ganapati presides above the shrine doorway, and, within, is the linga. The śikhara, or spire, has disappeared. Without, facing the shrine, is the bull Nandi. (Plates LXXXVIII and LXXXIX.)
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Beside this temple is a smaller one of Ganapati, which, having been stripped of the outer casing of its walls, shows the manner of building, and the rough backs of the blocks forming the inner shell.
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The temple of Someśvara, in the fields beyond the stream, on the north of the town, is similar to that of Nāganātha, but smaller. It was never finished, much of its decoration being merely traced out on the walls. The temple of Bhāiroba, in the village, is a long clumsily-built old shrine, on either side of the entrance doorway of which stands a roughly carved viragal. The temple of Nārāyaṇadeva, near by, consists of a partly ruined old temple repaired and added to with brick and mortar masonry, and a wooden-tiled mandapa or hall. Nārāyaṇadeva is set up within the shrine, but, in a niche in the inner hall, is placed a linga. There is rather a good doorway inserted in the entrance to the courtyard.
Kātarkhatāv
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At Kātarkhatāv, twelve miles south-east of Khatāv, is the old temple of Kātareśvara of similar construction to that at Khatāv. The pillars are better finished. Along the face of the façade wall are several indecent figures in panels. The temple has portions of its original brick tower remaining, sufficient to show that it rose after the Chālukyan style, with cusped arches, as in the temple of Kāsiviśveśvara at Lakkundi, the brickwork having had a thin layer of plaster over it. Where a part of the walls has fallen away at the back, may be seen the mode of "filling-in", between the outer and the inner casings, with boulders eight to ten inches in diameter set in a grouting of white mud. (Plates LXXXIX and XC.)
Gursāla
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The temples of Gursāla, a few miles to the south-west of Kātarkhatāv, are of special interest. That of Somaliṅga, in the village, has its spire intact. The total disappearance of the spires of the great majority of the old Chālukyan and "Hemadpanti" temples seems almost unaccountable. The finely-carved stone spires of those that are left would lead one to suppose that they were all in that material. But this shrine, the Kātarkhatāv one, and a few to be found in the adjoining Haidarābād territory, shew that brick spires were in as much, if not greater, use than those of stone, but whether on account of the greater lightness of the mass or the cheaper mode of construction, it is difficult to say. This temple of Somaliṅga is a very solidly built structure, whose walls are severely plain. The pillars, within, are also plain, but are well proportioned. (Plates XC—XCIII.)
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The temple of Rāmliṅga, outside the village, is a neat little combination of kuṇḍa, or tank, and shrine, the latter standing upon the west margin of the tank, and forming, with it, part of one general design. There is a row of the usual grossly indecent figures on the front wall of the temple. The tank is square, with flights of steps leading down to the water's edge from an inside platform which runs around some distance below ground level, the stair to which descends from the side opposite the temple.
Siṅghaṇapur
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Siṅghaṇapur, with its celebrated temple and fine large tank, is situated in a depression in the hills upon the very crest of the high tableland which here falls abruptly into the valley of the Nirā, about forty miles to the east by north of Sātārā. From the hills around, and especially from the court of the great temple, which is perched upon the highest summit, a magnificent view of the country below is obtained, which stretches away from Phaltan to Mālsiras and further. The town is said to have been founded by the Yādava king Siṅghaṇa (A. D. 1210-1247), who is also credited with having built one hundred temples of Śiva daily! (Plates XCI, XCII and XCIV.)
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The great temple of Śambhu Mahādeva, which is a good example of a very late "Hemadpanti" temple, is situated about three quarters of a mile west of the village upon the highest point of the range, and is a conspicuous object for miles around. Beneath this temple, upon the north side, is the older one of Amṛteśvara, while, around them both, upon the sloping eastern and northern sides of the hill, nestles the little village of Brahman ministrants. A broad flight of steps leads down, under two great archways, to the plain beneath, where it joins the road which connects the hill with the village. On either side of this road are dharmaśālās or rest-houses, wells, and samāds or tombs.
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The present temple of Śambhu Mahādeva is a reconstruction of an older one, or, rather, a new building entirely erected upon the site of an older, the pillars, lintels and other fragments of which lie about the hill. The present temple is said to have been built by the great Marātha chief Śivāji (1627-1680). In the Nandi pavilion, hanging from the roof, are two old bells dated 1720, in Roman letters, which probably belonged to some old Portuguese church in the Koṅkaṇ. The columns are copied from those of the older building, but the work is not quite so good. The lower temple of Amriteśvara, which is said to have been in existence before the larger one, is probably coeval with the foundation of the town. It is now in a very shattered condition, and is dangerously unsafe for use, nevertheless people use it, and stand about unconcernedly under tons of cracked masses of stone whose temporary props look as if they might collapse at any moment.
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Near by are the tombs of Shāhji, the father, and of Śambhaji, the son, of Śivāji. The great tank is ascribed to Māloji, the grandfather of Śivāji.