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APPENDIX III
477
BUNDELKHAND AND BAGHELKHAND From Mālava we may pass on to Bundelkhand which was an important centre of Saivism during the rule of the Chandel kings in the tenth, eleventh and twelfth centuries. The Chandel Kingdom included Khajurāho (now a village in Chhatarpur State, Central India ), Kālañjar in Bandā Dt., U.P. and Mahoba (in Hamirpur Dt., U.P.). Khajurāho is famous for its group of magnificent temples second in importance only to the Bhuvanesvar group in Northern India. The splendour of Khajurāho reached its climax in the tenth century during the reign of Dhanga (c. 950-1000 A.D.), who was a devout Saiva, and died, according to an inscription, at Prayāga, 'fixing his thoughts on Rudra, and muttering holy prayers. The northern style of temple architecture found its most perfect expression in the edifices at Khajurāho, which were designed on a grand scale, executed in a fine sandstone, and richly adorned with sculpture. Dhanga's father Yasovarman (c. 930-50 A, D.) built the magnificent Caturbhuj temple completed in 954 A, D.'; but the largest building of the Khajurāho group is the great Siva temple called Kandariyā Mahādeo, believed to have been erected during the tenth century. It is 109 feet in length and 591 feet in width with a height of 116 feet above the ground. The temple known as Visvanātha is no less grand, the steeple being about 100 feet high, and was, according to an inscription, built during Dhanga's reign. The temple of Mộtanga
1 A temple of Nārāyaṇa was built by queen Citralekhă in 955 A. D. at Bayana in
Bharatpur State The relevant inscription recording the fact is incised on a slah in the pavement of the Ukhä mosque at Bayana, now transformed into the Ukhā mandir. A portion of an old Hindu temple found inside the Ukhă mandir might represent the remains of the temple of Nārāyana erected by queen Citralekhā. Progress Report of the Archaeological Survey of India, Western Circle, 1919, p. 43; 1920,
p. 109.
The temple contains a marble linga 47 feet in girth. Cunningham counted no less than 226 statues inside the temple, and 646 outside, or 872 statues altogether, of which the greater number are from 2 to nearly 3 feet in height. The richness of the carvings is rivalled by the profusion of the sculptures. The general effect of this gorgeous luxury of embellishment is extremely pleasing, although the eye is often distracted by the multiplicity of the details. The Visvanātha temple is 87] feet long by 46 feet broad. Its plan is similar to that of the Kandariyā temple, but it is altogether in better preservation itself, and its five subordinate temples are still standing or traceable at the four corners of its terrace, and in front of the entrance. Cunningham counted 602 statues of from 2 to 2 feet in height in the different ranges of sculpture of this gorgeous temple.' Inside the shrine there is a linga. 'Inside the entrance portico of this temple, there are two large inscribed slabs which are dated respectively, in the Samvat years 1056 and 1058 or A. D. 999 and 1001. The earlier inscription records the building of the temple to Siva and the dedication of a linga made of emerald marakatamayam) by Raja Dhanga. The temple itself is said to have been called Pramathanátha, but the emerald linga no longer exists. Facing the entrance of the Viśvanātha temple is a small open temple which contains a colossal recumbent figure of the bull Nandi. In plan it is a square of 16 feet with 12 pillars and a small open porch of two pillars on each of the four sides, thus forming an open temple of 20 pillars'. It evidently forms part of the Visvanātha temple, and must be of the same date.'
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