• Jan 25 2016
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Kiradu Ancient Temples

About 43 kilometers west of Barmer in Rajasthan lie the ruins of five temples in a picturesque amphitheatre of hills. These temples date back to circa 1000 A.D. and later. Though some people ascribe it to the Rastrakuta Dynasty, it is believed to belong to the Gurjara-Praihara School of temple building. The intricately sculpted walls and pillars and the complex toranas, also seem to be paving the way for the imminent Solanki vogue. Certain Gupta influences are also apparent, obviously arising from their proximity to Gupta territory.

The Someshwara temple, like the three other small temples, is dedicated to Shiva. The images in the bhadra-niches and the doorframe iconography are proof of the same. The multi turreted spire is severely damaged but the remnants speak of its past glory. Architecturally, the three smaller Shiva temples are not very significant but the sculptured depictions of ritual eroticism, temple building, Bhishma Pitamah lying on a couch of arrows and other scenes from daily life transports one into a time wrap. In the Vishnu temple, only the shell of the sanctum and the pillars of the central octagon of the mandapa now survive. The figural decoration on the exterior of the mandapa is exquisite, particularly the scenes of combat and palace life, and the Ramayana and Mahabharata.