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.