Kiradu Group of Temples

LOCATION:

The Kiradu group of temples are a group of five ancient temples in the village of Hathma, located at a distance of 43 km from Barmer region and 157 km from Jaisalmer city of Rajasthan, the western state of India. The erstwhile capital of the Punwars, it was earlier known as Kiratakupa.

HISTORY:

The temple is known to be built around 1000 AD and the inscription of the temple date back to the 1161 AD. Kiradu was originally belonging to the Parmar clan of Rajputs in the 13th Century AD.

If legends are to be believe, a saint had left his subordinate in Kiradu for the people to look after him. But no one, except a potter's wife took his care. The saint got angry and told the potter's wife to leave the town before he turns it to stone. But he turned back before leaving, to get a glimpse of his house, as a result of which she was also transformed into a stone sculpture. Her statue can be seen in the pavilions of Kiradu temples, even today.

ARCHITECTURE:

The remarkable sculptures and the numerous pillars over the plinth of the shrines represent the Solanki style of architecture. Due to the fact that Kiradu was under the Chalukya Dynasty of Gujarat under the feudal system, the hint of Chalukya influence alongwith signs from the Gupta dynasty, can also be seen on it. Though it is largely influenced by North Indian Temple Architecture.

The Vishnu temple has been erected on a wide plinth with minarets that have survived the strikes of time. Lord Shiva temple of Someshwara is a collection of remarkable depictions from the Hindu epics and decorative mandapas.

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS:

The Someshwara Temple, built in the 11th Century, is the most imposing of all the five ancient temples. The shrine is made up of five sides which is in the form of an inverted lotus.

Three other Shiva temples with intricate carvings depicting scenes from the famous Hindu epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana, are also worth an observation.

The multitude of finely carved pillars surrounding the pavilion of the shrines and the sculptures of heavenly maidens and beasts which date back to 1050 AD.

NEARBY SIGHTSEEING:

Balark Temple:

The ancient temple of Balark where Sun God or Balark was worshiped. The temple also consists of ruins of Juna Barmer and the three Jain temples with grand halls and pillars in the temple of Samantha Deva, former ruler of the Barmer state, is also an attraction of Barmer.

Barmer Fort:

The famous monument of Barmer is the Barmer Fort, also known as Siwana Fort. It was constructed by the Panwar ruler Raja Bhoj's son Veermarayan. The fort has now turned into ruins, but still it preserves the some of the priceless samples of the architectural edifice.

Neemari:

Neemari is a scintillating park with beautiful pool and sprawling gardens, located around 23 kms from Barmer.