Bhitargaon
Bhitargaon is a town in Kanpur district, Uttar Pradesh, India, known for its ancient Hindu temple.
Bhitargaon Temple
The Bhitargaon Temple is a terraced brick building fronted with a terracotta panel. Built in the 6th century during the Gupta Empire, it is the oldest remaining terracotta Hindu shrine with a roof and a high Sikhara, though its upper chamber did sustain some damage in the 18th century.
The temple is built on a square plan with double-recessed corners and faces east. There tall pyramidal spire over teh garbhagriha. The walls are decorated with terracotta panels depicting aquatic monsters, Shiva and Vishnu etc. When Cunningham first visited the site, the remains of the porch and of the ardhamandapa were still visible, which later collapsed.
Gallery
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Front view of the temple at Bhitargaon, Kanpur District
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Rear view of the temple at Bhitargaon, Kanpur District
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Close view of temple façade showing detail of mouldings and sculpture niches
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Close view of temple façade showing detail of mouldings and sculpture niches, Bhitargaon
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The oldest remaining Hindu shrine 6th Century A.D Brick Temple, Kanpur.
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SirpurLakshman Temple
The construction material is bricks and terracotta. The brick size is 18"*9"*3" and the other salient features are following:
- The size of platform on which the temple is built is 36 feet*47 feet.
- The santum is 15 feet * 15 feet internally.
- The santum is double story.
- The wall thickness is 8 feet.
- The total height from ground to top is 68.25 feet.
- There is no window.
- The terracotta sculpture depicts both secular and religious theme such as deities like ganesha adi virah mahisasaurmardani and river goddess. Myths and stories representing abduction of sita and the penance of nara and naryan.
- Shikara is a stepped pyramid and got damaged by thunder in 1894.
- The first story of sanctum felled in 1850.
- Vaulted arch is used here for the first time any where in India.
Other Historic Brick temples
- Po Nagar and Po Klong Garai
- Mahabodhi Temple
- id:Candi Bima Dieng Candi Bima
- Sambor Prei Kuk
- Sirpur (Chhattisgarh) Laksman temple
- Rajgir Maniyar Math, Vaibhar giri temples
- Bishnupur, Bankura
- Kherahat temple[1]
- Kalar, brick temple
See also
- Hindu_temple_architecture#Historical_ChronologyHindu temple architecture- Historical Chronology
- Gwalior#Teli_k.C4.81_Mandir Teli Ka Mandir, Gwalior
External links
- Bhitargaon
- Bhitargaon temple
- Heritage and Tourism, Kanpur City Development Plan
- Brick temples
References
- ↑ A Brick Temple of the Ninth Century, Michael D. Willis, Artibus Asiae , Vol. 52, No. 1/2 (1992), pp. 25-46, Artibus Asiae Publishers
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