History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c33.s3.33

v3.c33.s3.33

The above information will show to us that neither the Lakshmīnārāyaṇa and Śitalā temples in the fort nor the Indreśvara temple in the town could be the temple thrown down by Mahmud, as they are all later constructions. The only temples that remain are the Ambikā temple in the fort and the Vajreśvarī temple in Bhavan. Now the Hindu community in rebuilding this Vajreśvarī temple in Bhavan, in their printed prospectus, state that this temple was destroyed by Mahmud in 1009 and was rebuilt by a Kangra king in 1043. It was again destroyed by Muhammad Tughlaq in 1337, again rebuilt by the Hindus and again thrown down in 1360 by Feroz. It was rebuilt by Samsārchand I in 1440. It was thrown down again by Khawas Khan, general of Sher Shah, in 1540 and rebuilt by Raja Dharamchand in Akbar's days. The present Maharaja of Guler who is indeed a very learned and well informed person and of urbane manners told us that in his opinion the temple thrown down by Mahmud was the Vajreśvarī temple in Bhavan and that there was once a wall round Bhavan. This opinion is also entertained by many persons. But it seems to us that the Vajreśvarī temple was first built in the days of Samsārchand I. We will give our reasons for this view. In all descriptions of Mahomedan writers, Mahmud is said to have taken the fort of Kangra and destroyed a temple there. The Vajreśvarī temple is not in the fort but is in Bhavan a suburb at a distance of about two miles from Kot Kangra or town Nagar Kot. In order that the reader may understand the situation we