There are innumerable temples of these types spread all over the state but the ones that deserve mention are the Masrur temples, the Baijnath temple, the Laxmi Narain temple of Chamba, Brahmaur temples, Trilokinath temple in Lahul, Basheshwar Mahadevi temple at Hat Bajaura, Gauri-Shankar temples of Dashal (Kulu district), Hat Koti temple (Shimla district) and Trilokinath and Ardhanarishwara temples (Mandi).
The monolithic temples at Masrur (Kangra) are the earliest specimen of Nagara design not only in Himachal Pradesh but probably in the entire Himalayas. These shrines which have been cut out of rocks belong to the eighth century. Masrur temples that belong to the class of rock-hewn temples, mostly common in south and western India, are specially remark-able as their style of rock-cut construction was not practised in the Himalayas. They are a group of fifteen shrines of the Shikhara type profusely decorated with sculptural ornaments. The main shrine known as Thakurdwara contains the stone images of Rama, Lakshman and Sita which seem to have been later introduced. From archaeological evidence the temple appears to be originally dedicated to Shiva. Also Visit - Manali Volvo Packages
The Baijnath temple Himachal Pradesh, dedicated to Vaidyanath (Shiva), is located at Baijnath (Kangra) which in earlier times was known as Kirgran—the famous capital of Kirats, who fought a forty-year war against the Aryans. The present temple was built in the beginning of the thirteenth century but it was renovated by Raja Sansar Chand in the nineteenth century. The shrine consists of adytum (which contains the linga known as Vaidyanath), surmounted by a spire of the usual conical shape, and of a mandap (front hall). The roof of the mandap is supported by four massive pillars. In the front of the mandap rises a stately porch resting on four columns.
There are many other Shikhara type temples in the Kangra valley Himachal Pradesh, but those worth mentioning are the Lakshmi Narayan, Shitala and Ambika Devi temples of Kangra fort and Vrajeshwari Devi and Indreshwar temples in Kangra town.
The Lakshmi Narain temple in Chamba Himachal Pradesh is one of a group of six stone temples in a row. Three of these are dedicated to Vishnu and three to Mahadeva. The principal temple is dedicated to Narayana. Built by Sahil Varman (A.D. 920-40), who founded Chamba town, the temple contains a marble image of Lakshmi Nath. A brass image of Gauri Shankar in one of the shrines was installed by Yugakara, son of Sahil Varman. There is also another Vishnu shrine, known as Hari Raj temple in Chamba. It is profusely decorated with carvings and was constructed by Lakshman Varman in the eleventh century.
Two Nagara type temples are found at Brahmaur Himachal Pradesh, the ancient capital of Brahmpur (Chamba). The larger of these two which was built by Sahil Varman, is dedicated to Mani Mahesh (Shiva). It is a monumental stone temple with a beehive shikhara of the middle Pratihara type without any sculptural decoration. The smaller shrine at Brahmaur is known as the Narasingha temple and was built by the queen of Yugakara Varman. Also VIsit - Himachal Travel Package
The famous shrine of Trilokinath or Avalokiteshvara (Bodhisattva) is located in the Chandra-Bhaga Valley (Lahul) in Himachal Pradesh. The original temple was built by Lalitaditya in the beginning of the eighth century but was transformed into a Buddhist shrine towards the end of the century by Padma Sambhava. It was later repaired and renovated many a time and it appears that its present one-metre Lamaistic marble image of Avalokiteshvara is not earlier than the twelfth century. This shrine has the distinction of remaining completely Buddhist for so long in India and this exclusiveness is en-joyed by, no other temple but that of Bodh Gaya. This temple is built of stone and the spire (Shikhara) of small, partly unmolded bricks. The porch supported by two graceful pillars, is profusely adorned with carvings. The edifice of this artistic shrine built in inaccessible Himalayas has unfortunately been spoiled by being encased in a shed-like structure—a later innovation.
The temple of Basheshwar Mahadevi (Visveshwara) was built in the tenth century and is considered to be one of the finest monuments of the western Himalayas. It is a unique example of the later Gupta tradition of Shikhara temples. Dedicated to Shiva, it was badly damaged during an invasion in the eighteenth century. The temple consists of a squat bulging tower with a stone sun disc on the top. The outer surface of the shrine is covered with carvings of architectural motives above and decorative motives below, pot and foliage patterns repeated frequently. The architectural details of the temple are well designed, balanced and tastefully executed. Aslo Visit - Best of Himachal Tour
There are a number of other Shikhara type temples in Kulu but the Gauri Shankar temple at Dashal deserves special mention as it is one of the rarest examples of Nagara architecture. The outer walls are enriched by numerous reliefs and ornamental details. The figure of a lion in sitting posture above the Chaitya arch containing the Trimurti head over the entrance to the temple is an extremely interesting feature. Nandi stands in front of the entrance facing it.
Hatkoti, located near the confluence of Pabar river and Bishkulti stream (in Shimla district), is known for its ancient Nagara type temples, sculptuie and wood carvings. A large number of temples have been built in the valley. The use of massive stone pieces in the construction of the high walls of some of the temples is a baffling feat in that these were carried to such heights in days when there were no mechanical devices. Besides the exquisitely moulded brass alloy images, the most attractive features of the temples are the rich and variegated wood carvings on the ceilings. These include figures of gods and goddesses; each carved out of a block of wood and then fitted into a separately carved wooden frame. Most of these temples are dedicated to Durga (Mahishamardini) and Shiva. Also Visit - Shimla Manali Tour
There is a saying that Kashi (Varanasi) has eighty temples but Mandi has eighty-one. Temples are scattered all over the town on the banks of Beas river. The most important, how-ever, are the Trilokinath, Panchvakta and Ardhanarishwara temples. All of these are dedicated to Shiva. The Trilokinath temple was built by Sultan Devi, queen of Raja Ajbar Sen (A.D. 1520). It is a Nagara type temple containing a life-size three-faced stone image of Shiva riding a bull with Parvati in his lap.
Panchvakta temple has a five-faced image of Shiva of which only three are visible from the front. The image has ten arms and shows some resemblance to Avalokiteshwara, pointing to its Buddhist inspiration.
Ardhanarishwara is another artistic temple of Mandi Himachal Pradesh. The stone image represents Shiva and Parvati, the right half is devoted to the former and left half to the latter. Shiva is portrayed with knotted hair, necklace of human skulls, a serpent, a musical instrument in one hand, a "damru" in the other, while Parvati is depicted wearing a diadem, an ear-ring and a nose ring. A slab, on which a bull and a lion, the mounts of the deities are carved, is joined to the image.
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