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on June 25, 2026 0

 

The Martand Temple is certainly the most majestic temple of Kashmir, dating to the 8th century CE. The architecture is an amalgamation of the Greco-Bactrian style and the Gupta architectural style. 

Historians tell us that this is a Sun Temple (the term "Martand" means "Sun"), but on exploring the site I could not find a single evidence of it being a Sun Temple. In fact, everything about the site suggests that it used to be a grand Shiva temple. Right at the outset, let me summarize the main points why I think so.

1. The temple faces west, unlike the Sun temple at Konark which faces east, towards the rising sun. On the other had, many Shiva temples of India are west facing. 

2. A remnant of a large Shiva-lingam lies in the temple courtyard, which is completely out of place in a Sun temple. But it is expected in a Shiva temple. 

3. There are no relief carvings of the Sun God or his solar horses on the temple walls. None at all! However, there are surviving relief carvings of Shiva, Bhairava (a manifestation of Shiva), Vishnu and Brahma. 

4. On either side of the entrance to the garbagriha (main shrine), there are relief carvings of Vishnu and Brahma. This is very incongruous in a Sun temple. But it would be expected in a Shiva temple, since Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva constitute the Hindu trinity. 

I am really curious to know on what basis this temple has been classified by archaeologists as a Sun Temple. The ASI guide at the site could not provide any convincing answer, nor could I find anything from online sources. Given the the long history of Shaivism in Kashmir, it will be appropriate if the most imposing temple of the valley is a Shiva temple.

The Martand Temple, Kashmir
The imposing entrance to the temple. Must have looked grand in its heyday.

The Martand Temple, Kashmir
The main temple. The courtyard has a water tank (pushkarini)



The Martand Temple, Kashmir
Water channels leading to and from the central water tank

The Martand Temple, Kashmir
There is a remnant of a giant Shiva-lingam inside the temple premises. This may have been the lingam installed in the central shrine (garbagriha).

The Martand Temple, Kashmir

The Martand Temple, Kashmir

The Martand Temple, Kashmir
The backside of the temple has an imposing arch in the Greco-Bactrian style.

The Martand Temple, Kashmir
Vishnu

The Martand Temple, Kashmir
Bhairava - a manifestation of Vishnu

The Martand Temple, Kashmir
Shiva on his bull mount

The Martand Temple, Kashmir
The view from the top of the temple stairs

The Martand Temple, Kashmir
With my friends Will and Kiara

The Martand Temple, Kashmir
Relief carving of a three-headed Brahma on one side of the garbagriha entrance

The Martand Temple, Kashmir
Relief carving of Vishnu on the other side of the garbagriha entrance

The Martand Temple, Kashmir
View from the garbagriha

The Martand Temple, Kashmir
A parting shot

I honestly did not expect the Martand Temple to be so architecturally striking. It deserves a lot more footfalls than it receives. But then, most people go to Kashmir for its natural beauty, so it's architectural grandeur goes unrecognized.  

I am convinced that the Martand Temple is a Shiva temple. All the evidence points to it. There is absolutely no reason to call it a Sun temple. Did historians actually go by the name of the place where the temple is located i.e. Martand to classify it as a Sun Temple. If so, that is absurd! Can a place called Rampur only have Ram temples?  

Besides, Martand is not only the name of the Sun god, there was a rishi named Martand who was popular in the Kashmir valley. In fact, there is a Martand Tirth in the Anantnag district of Kashmir named after Rishi Martand. It is possible that this place was also named after Rishi Martand. 

Well, that's it for this photo journey. I hope that you enjoyed the pics of the Martand Shiva Temple, and are already making plans to go there on your next Kashmir vacation.

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on June 24, 2026 0


For a small town in central India, Orchha surprises you with its profusion of well-preserved and uniquely designed historical monuments - palaces, forts, temples and cenotaphs - most of which were built by the Bundela Rajput rulers of Orchha from the 16th century onwards. 

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on June 24, 2026 0

 

The temples of Khajuraho are some of the grandest of ancient India. A cluster of around 10 temples comprising the "Western Group of Temples" lie in close proximity inside a well-maintained archaeological park, and they can be covered in an evening's outing at a leisurely pace. 

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on January 05, 2021 0

 


The "Char Bangla" temples in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal were built by Queen Bhavani of Natore in 1755 CE. Each of the four terracotta temples were built in the style of the traditional village huts of Bengal with two sloping roofs, called "Do-Chala" or "Ek Bangla" temples.

Each of the temples have three arched openings and 3 Shiva-lingas. Their facades are ornamented with terracotta panels, depicting scenes from the daily life and and Puranic legends.  

When the temples were built nearly 250 years ago, the Ganges (Bhagirathi) used to flow nearly a kilometer away. But today the temple is barely 10 feet away from the river bank, and its boundary wall has already been damaged by the river.

Getting to the temples is half the fun. Since they are located in Baranagar, on the other bank of the Ganges from Murshidabad, we took a ride on a country boat from the Azimganj sadar ghat for a 25 mins trip upstream. A road journey would have taken considerably longer, and certainly less enjoyable.
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on April 17, 2020 0

The temples of Bishnupur were built by the Malla kings between 1600 - 1758 AD. The temples are primarily known for their structural variety and exquisite terracotta work. Although terracotta art has a long history in Bengal, it saw a revival under the Mallas. Many temples were also erected using laterite stones with stucco decoration. Interestingly, the Malla kings maintained cordial relations with the Mughal Emperors at Delhi, because of which temple building flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries.

According to legends, the Malla kings trace their ancestry to a King who ruled near Vrindavan in the 7th century AD. This King had embarked on a pilgrimage to the Jagannath temple at Puri, when his wife gave birth to a child. Due to the difficulties of carrying a newborn on a journey, he was left in the house of a forest dweller. The child grew up to become an unmatched wrestler, and was conferred the title "Adimmalla" - meaning the "original wrestler" - by the local king. Eventually he became a chieftain himself, and went on to found the Malla dynasty. After 300 years, the 10th king Jagatmalla shifted the capital of the kingdom to Bishnupur.

Originally, the Malla kings were "Shakta" i.e. worshippers of the Mother Goddess. The first temple established at Bishnupur was the Mrinmoyee Temple in 997 AD, which still has a clay idol of the goddess Durga. This is regarded as the oldest Durga Temple in Bengal. In the early 17th century, King Bir Hambir converted to Vaishnavism. This started a long tradition of building temples dedicated to Krishna and Radha in Bishnupur. Some of these temples are today regarded as the pinnacles of Bengal Terracotta art.

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on August 07, 2019 0

The ruins of the erstwhile Vijayanagara Empire that flourished from 1343 to 1565 AD are scattered throughout the medieval city of Hampi, located on the banks of the pristine Tungabhadra river. One could spend days out here, exploring the temples and palaces, markets and rock cut monuments, riversides and rock-strewn hills. Most of the gorgeous monuments here were built by the Vijayanagara rulers, but they were destroyed, burnt and left in ruins by a coalition of Muslim sultanate armies in 1565 AD.
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on August 06, 2019 0

The Vittala Temple in Hampi is grandest of all monuments in Hampi and represents the epitome of the Vijaynagara style of architecture. Built in the 15th century by King Devaraya II, it is dedicated to Lord Vittala or Krishna, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The temple is famous for its iconic stone chariot and the unique musical pillars. Because of its amazing architecture, visitors to Hampi see this place after having seen all other attractions. In my case, as well, the visit to the Vittala temple capped of a memorable tour of this fascinating temple town.
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on August 05, 2019 0

The Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple is located in the Nandi village, at the base of the Nandi Hills, Karnataka. The temple is not very well-known and a only a few people visit it everyday. Yet, it has some of the most exquisitely carved pillars and sculptures in the whole of Southern India.

 We visited the temple after going to the Nandi Hills. It can be reached quite easily from the base of the Nandi Hills by driving 6-7 kms through verdant fields and hilly terrains. The drive was short and scenic, but since there were no signboards we had to stop ask around a couple of times to make sure that we were going in the right direction.

 The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. There are three shrine rooms (garbagriha). The central shrine room is dedicated to Uma-Maheshwara i.e. Parvati-Shiva. The temple was originally constructed in the 9th century by the Nolamba dynasty, and was built upon and enlarged by succeeding dynasties. The environment inside the temple is calm and peaceful, and its a great feeling to be able to walk around undisturbed and appreciate the architecture.
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on August 05, 2019 0

The Brahmeswara Temple in Bhubaneshwar was built in 1058 AD, by Kolavati Devi, the mother of the Somavanshi king Udyota Kesari. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Its grand architecture is reminiscent of the Mukteswara Temple, which is believed to be the earliest work of the Somavanshi period. Along with the Mukteswara and the Rajarani temples, the Brahmeswara Temple is very pleasing to the eyes, and has some excellent sculptures and relief carvings.
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on August 05, 2019 0

The Rajarani Temple in Bhubaneshwar was built in the mid 11th century AD. The temple has no images within the sanctum (probably stolen), but it is believed to have been dedicated to Lord Shiva on the basis of the carvings on the exterior. For instance, the dvarapalas (doorkeepers) carved on either side of the entrance - Prachanda and Chanda - are found in Saivite temples, while the lintel of the jagamohana (mandapa) has an image of Lakulisa, the founder of the Pasupatha sect of Saivisim. Some historians believe that the architecture of some temples of Central India, such as the Khajuraho Temples, originated from this temple. 
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on August 04, 2019 2

The 108 Shiv Mandir or Nava Kailash in Kalna, West Bengal, was built in 1809 by the Maharaja of Bardhaman, Tej Chandra Bahadur. The complex contains 108 aat–chala (eight sloping roofs) temples arranged in two concentric circles. The outer circle has 74 temples and the inner circle has 34 temples.
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on August 04, 2019 2

Kalna (or Ambika Kalna) is a small town on the bank of the Hooghly River (Ganges) nearly 82 kms from Kolkata. Not many people may be aware of it, but Kalna is a remarkable temple town and contains some of the finest specimens of Bengal terracotta architecture.

 The Maharajas of Bardhaman built a number of temples here in the 18th century, which are adorned with intricate terracotta tiles depicting images from the mythologies and daily life. Most of these temples are arranged in the Rajbari Complex maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

 We spent an hour walking inside the temple complex, appreciating the many architectural styles on display. Worship is still offered to the deities in these temples, but one must reach there before noon, since the deities are taken inside and the shrine rooms are closed for a few hours in the afternoon. Overall, its a great place to visit on a weekend trip from Kolkata.

The Kalna Rajbari Temple complex, West Bengal
The Kalna Rajbari Temple complex has been nicely maintained by the ASI. There is a central garden around which the various temples are arranged.
The Pratapeshwar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, Kalna Rajbari Temple complex, West Bengal
The Pratapeshwar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is the first temple that you see when you enter the Rajbari Complex. The temple is named after King Pratap Chand. It was built by his widow, in the name of her deceased husband, in the year 1849 AD.
The Pratapeshwar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is built in the Rekha deul style, Kalna Rajbari Temple complex, West Bengal
The temple is built in the Rekha deul style with a square base and curvilinear shikhara.
The Pratapeshwar Temple has rich terracotta ornamentation, Kalna Rajbari Temple complex, West Bengal
The temple has rich terracotta ornamentation. Although the temple is small, it has the most intricate and well-preserved reliefs of all the temples in the complex.
The Pratapeshwar Temple has rich terracotta ornamentation, Kalna Rajbari Temple complex, West Bengal
Scenes from daily life, as well as deities and tales from mythologies.
Krishna flanked by his principal wives - Rukmini and Satyabhama. Pratapeshwar Temple, Kalna Rajbari Temple complex, West Bengal
Krishna flanked by his principal wives - Rukmini and Satyabhama. The mermaid in the image is intriguing. It has been depicted in the European style holding a horn. Could this be a colonial influence, since the temple was built after the arrival of the Europeans?
Kalna Rajbari Temple complex, West Bengal
There is an octagonal Ras-mancha next to the Pratapeshwar temple
The Ras-mancha is an octagonal, roofless, brick-built structure. Kalna Rajbari Temple complex, West Bengal
The Ras-mancha is an octagonal, roofless, brick-built structure with 24 arches. The autumnal ras-lila of Lord Krishna used to be staged here.
The Lalaji Temple dedicated to Radha-Krishna, Kalna Rajbari Temple complex, West Bengal
The Lalaji Temple dedicated to Radha-Krishna. It is a three-storeyed, brick-built, Pancha-vimshati ratna (25 ratnas or pinnacles) temple, erected in 1739 by Braja Kishori Devi, the wife of Maharaja Jagat Ram. It is the oldest temple in the Rajbari Complex.
The char-chala Nat-mandapa of the Lalaji Temple, Kalna Rajbari Temple complex, West Bengal
The char-chala (four sloping roofs) Nat-mandapa (dancing hall) in front of the temple.
Garuda on a pillar inside the Lalaji Temple, Kalna Rajbari Temple complex, West Bengal
Garuda on a pillar. The symbolism of a bird deity perched on top of a pillar can be found in cultures around the world.
The idol of Krishna inside the Lalaji Temple, Kalna Rajbari Temple complex, West Bengal
The idol of Krishna (about to be taken inside since the darshan hours are over). The idol of Radha has already been taken inside. Notice the rich terracotta ornamentation on the arches.
Lalaji Temple terracotta ornamentation, Kalna Rajbari Temple complex, West Bengal
The facades of the temple are decorated with terracotta ornamentation.
A row of five brick-built at-chala temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, Kalna Rajbari Temple complex, West Bengal
A row of five brick-built at-chala (eight sloping roofs) temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, built in the 19th century.
The Krishna Chandraji Temple dedicated to Krishna and Radha, Kalna Rajbari Temple complex, West Bengal
The towering Krishna Chandraji Temple in the distance.
 
The Krishna Chandraji Temple dedicated to Krishna and Radha, Kalna Rajbari Temple complex, West Bengal
The Krishna Chandraji Temple, dedicated to Krishna and Radha, is another magnificent brick-built Pancha-vimsati ratna (25 pinnacles) temple built by Raja Trilokchand in 1751-55.

It has an elongated ek-chala (single sloping roof) mandapa or jagamohana in front with three arched entrances. It is interesting that triple entrances are a common element of temple architecture found in cultures across the world.
The Krishna Chandraji Temple dedicated to Krishna and Radha, Kalna Rajbari Temple complex, West Bengal
The side-view of the Krishna Chandraji Temple. There are only 5 Pancha-vimsati ratna (25 pinnacles) temples in West Bengal and 3 of them are located in Ambika Kalna, of which 2 are in the Rajbari Complex.
Terracotta ornamentation on the Krishna Chandraji Temple dedicated to Krishna and Radha, Kalna Rajbari Temple complex, West Bengal
Terracotta ornamentation on the facade.
The Vijay Vaidyanath Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, Kalna Rajbari Temple complex, West Bengal
The Vijay Vaidyanath Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, was built by King Trilokchand. It is an at-chala (eight sloping roofs) temple with triple arched entrances. According to local lore, King Trilokchand’s mother had prayed to Lord Shiva for a son. When her wish was fulfilled, she instructed Trilokchand to build a Shiva temple after he became the king.
The Vijay Vaidyanath Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, Kalna Rajbari Temple complex, West Bengal
The front view of the Vijay Vaidyanath Temple, with its triple arched entrance adorned with terracotta tiles.

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on August 03, 2019 0
The Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya, India, is the most sacred place of pilgrimage for Buddhists. It was here, on the forested banks of the Phalgu river, that Prince Siddhartha sat under a Bodhi tree and attained nirvana in 623 BCE, at the young age of 35, on the full moon day of the month of Vaisakha. Emperor Ashoka built a chaitya (temple) here in the 3rd century BCE, although the major part of the present structure probably dates from the 2nd - 3rd centuries CE.
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on July 31, 2019 0

The Konark Sun Temple was built around 1250 CE by king Narasingha Deva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. It is located at Konark, roughly 35 kms north of Puri on the Orissa coastline. The term Konark is derived from the Sanskrit terms Kona (meaning angle) and Arka (meaning sun).

 The main spire (bada deul) of the temple once stood 229 feet high, but it collapsed sometime in the 17th or 18th century. It was called the "Black Pagoda" by European sailors as late as 1676, because the massive spire of the temple appeared black when the sailors sailed by the coast. What remains now is the jagamohana or mandapa (assembly hall) which is also an imposing structure with a height of 128 feet.

 As per traditional accounts, the inner sanctum (garbagriha) of the temple originally had an idol of the Sun God which was suspended in mid air with the ingenious use of magnetic and diamagnetic (which are repelled by a magnetic field) materials. It is a scientifically established fact that, "diamagnets can be levitated in stable equilibrium in a magnetic field, with no power consumption." Therefore, the traditional accounts could have a grain of truth to it.

 The traditional accounts also hold that there used to be a large diamond affixed on the headgear of the Sun God's idol. Since the temple is aligned on a East-West Axis, the first rays of the morning sun used to fall on this diamond and light up the entire sanctum creating a grand spectacle. When Kalapahad, the general of the Sultan of Bengal, destroyed and ransacked the temple in 1568 AD, he took away the diamond and damaged the loadstone. As a result, the main spire began to collapse in stages, and the last standing bit, a small curved section, collapsed in 1848.

 The entire temple was conceived of as the chariot of the Sun God, with immense wheels and horses. The monumental design of the temple, along with the highly intricate artwork, is awe-inspiring to say the least. It was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1984. I have visited this temple multiple times, since it is close to the seaside town of Puri with its famous Jagannatha Temple, and each time it has been an enthralling experience.
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