The state of Gujarat is home to countless historical and heritage structures, particularly the richly carved step-wells. Quite popular are temples dedicated to God Shiva and God Krishna. The hilly region of NE part of Aravalli mountains is dotted with numerous damaged temples of beauty. Shamlaji temple in the district of Aravalli dedicated to God Vishnu is an important destination for tourists as well as Hindu devotees.
Situated in a place surrounded by thickly wooded hills, Shamlaji temple is not only an ancient Hindu temple but also a popular pilgrimage place in Gujarat. Records point out that it was a famous pilgrim center in the 6th century CE. It has astonishing architecture with beautifully stone carved images of exceptional beauty; quite mind-boggling. This temple is commonly referred to as Dholi Dhajawala and this being due to white silk flag fluttering atop the temple.
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| Shamlaji templ, Aravalli dt. GJ eupload.wikimedia.org |
Built probably in 11th century in Chaulukya style in the past it was thought to be a Jaina worship place. Though the present structure dates from the 15th-16th centuries, the sculpted image of Vishnu in the garbagriha /sanctum seems to belong to 7th-8th century. This temple is said to have been not renovated in the last 500 years.
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| Shamlaji temple, Aravalli, GJ in.pinterest.com |
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| Shamlaji temple, Aravalli, GJ pinrest.com |
About its architecture this temple was built with sandstone and brick and, is a good example of artistic excellence and charm of Chalukya style of temple design. This two-story structure surrounded by a wall with a gateway has many ornate pillars and a canopy all around with arches on each side. The richly carved part in the lower section is overlain by a frieze with an unintelligible pattern and above it lies all around a fringe of stone-carved elephants' heads. Right above it there is a frieze rich in figures in bass-relief, men on horseback with bows, and animals particularly, elephants; It is interesting to note on the outer wall between every two angles, the larger images of semi-rampant elephants standing out in relief, A big size elephant stands on either side of the doorway in front of the entrance. Some episodes from the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana are carved on the walls but they appear to be a bit worn out due to time factor or the impact of seasonal changes. Most of the sculptures were made from bluish schistose rocks (of metamorphic origin - formed way down in the earth).
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Shamlaji temple Aravalli dt.twitter.com
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| Shamlaji templeGujarat. etemple.com |
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| Shamlaji location map, Gujarat, India. mapsofindia.com |
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Shamlalji temple GJ. Note the jali pattern in the windowtheindia.co.
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Shamlaji temple, Gujarat, India
travel.siliconindia.com/ |
Above images: Note the lattice or Jali widows in the lower tier
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| Pranala Shamlaji temple, Gujarat, Gargoyle. wikiwand.com |
Above image: Gargoyle at Shamlaji temple Gujarat. Pranala in the form of a makara. In Indian architecture a pranala (IAST: praṇāla) is a discharge outlet attached to the wall of the sanctum. It discharges the lustral water or other liquids poured over the idols. In Hindu mythology Makara is a sea creature roughly equal to the Zodiac sign of Capricorn...............................
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