Bijolia Vacations in Bhilwara
Distance : 85km from Bhilwara 
The fortified town of Bijolia is
unknown except for its temples which are by the hundreds, both ruined
and standing. It was the hub of religious activity from the 11th
century till the 13th century, and over a hundred temples were built
here, out of which only three remain. During the 16th century the area
was ruled by a Parmar chief and was a small fiefdom of Mewar. From
inscriptions found in and around its ruined temples, it comes to light
that Bijolia was greatly influenced by Ajmer and was a bastion of the
Chauhana power in the southwest. During late 12th century AD Bijolia
came to be ruled by Someshwar, a Chauhana ruler who built a temple.
However, he was killed in battle against Kuntipal, the ruler of
Gujarat, in 1170AD.
¤ The Temple Attractions
The Chauhanas were religious and encouraged any form of worship,
especially of Shiva and Kali. These three standing edifices are fine
examples of how Rajput temple architecture evolved from small shrines
to large temples.
¤ Undeshwar Temple
The main temple is that of Undeshwar, a sanctuary covered with a
spiraling and furrowed pagoda, intricately carved with religious
motifs. The exterior of this temple, like the other two, is also
subject to rich engravings as are walls, pillars and ceilings within
the temple. The Undeshwara temple is an extrordinary one in the sense
that it is one of the very few temples in India whose lower sanctum is
partially underwater. Out of this little receptacle portrudes a Shiva
linga (symbolic phallus) making the temple the only one of its kind.
This sanctum is the Rewati kund, built by the Rohilla chief Rahil, and
legend has it that whoever bathes in the tank will be endowed with
numerous offsprings
¤ Mandakini Kund
In the complex is a water tank called the andakini kund formed from
the ancient stream Mandakini, which ran amongst the temples. There are
two more temples, one here of whom is dedicated to Ganesha, the god
with an elephant head and the body of a man. The Ganesha temple is a
unique one, for its central shikhar (dome) is surrounded by four
chatris (pavilions) on each corner of the roof, a feature seen mostly
in Rajput palaces and forts. A statue of Ganesha guards the entrance
to the temple.
¤ Jain Temples
Also in Bijolia are the ruins of a fort, within whose walls is Nau
Chowki, a palace, of which nothing much remains. Five Jain temples
dedicated to the 23rd Jain fordmaker Paraswanath are spectacular
architectural examples of 11th century Jain architecture. Flaunting
imposing engravings on their walls and pillars, two of these religious
sanctuaries have lenghty inscriptions on them. One of them, the Shankh
Puran, is 15 feet long and 5 feet wide, and contains 52 lines in
Sanskrit, the ancient language. The design of these temples and the
manner in which they are positioned is indicative of the Digambar sect
of Jainsim.
Bijolia is a city of ruined temples, and inscriptions found amongst
them declare that it was not only Time which turned destroyer. Certain
inscriptions mention the arrivals of Muhammad Ghori and much later
Aurangzeb and attribute some of the demolitions to them. |
