India is the sacred land of civilisational development. Myriad civilisations and cultures emerged and flourished here. Along with them flourished art and architecture. Dexterous sculptors in this land created one amazing sculpture after another including temples, buildings and monasteries. The Kailash temple in Ellora which is carved out of a single rock is among these sculptures. Similar to the Kailash temple, a temple in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh has been carved out of a rock. It is the Dharmrajeshwar temple.
The Ellora temples and caves were built by the Chalukyas who were related to the Solanki Kshatriyas. On the other hand, the caves around the Dharmrajeshwar temple and Dhamnar were built by kings from the Pratihar dynasty. According to historians, this temple was constructed in the 8th century AD. A life-size statue placed at the entrance of the temple has an inscription engraved in Brahmi script dating back to the 8th and 9th centuries.
The Dharmrajeshwar temple and its premises has been carved out of a hill which looks like a wonder. It is an excellent example of engineering. It is referred to as the Ajanta-Ellora of Madhya Pradesh. Not only the Dharmrajeshwar temple but the 200 caves surrounding it were carved out of hills.
It is situated in Chandwasa which is 78 km from Mandsaur District headquarters and 22 km from Shamgarh tehsil. It is surrounded by forest upto 3 km. According to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), on the lines of Kailashnath temple in Ellora, the Dharmrajeshwar temple is also carved out of a hill from top to down. It is 9 metres below the ground.
Vishnu and Shiv temples
There are seven minor temples surrounding the main temple of Dharmrajeshwa. A 250-foot-long path has also been made to reach the temple. This path is also carved out of a hill. Inside the main temple, an four-armed Vishnu idol and a Shivlinga are placed in the sanctum sanctorum. It has a mandap placed on carved pillars. On the other hand, idols of Varah, Dashavtar, Sheshashayi Vihsnu and Panch Mahadevi are placed inside the minor temples.
In addition to that, a small well was dug on the temple premises. The water of the well is cool and sweet. There are stairs on the left and right side of the temple to reach the first floor. On the first floor, caves have been made by cutting stones for monks to meditate. Historians believe that the Dhammar caves are based on Buddhist philosophy and have a deep connection with the temple.
It is said that the Buddhist monastery was converted into a Vishnu temple and later into a Shiv temple. A Shiva Linga was also established inside the temple. Some historians believe that this temple may have originally been a Buddhist temple or a Jain temple. Most historians describe it as a preaching place of a Buddhist monastery. The idols present in it hint at it. Later on, it was converted into a Hindu temple.
There are many caves on the left side of this temple spread across around 1415 metres in which images of Buddha in different postures are present. His pictures are engraved on the walls at various places. In these cases, in addition to the idols of Lord Buddha, idols of Jain Tirthankars LordHrishabhdev, Lord Neminath, Lord Parshvanath, Lord Shantinath and five idols of Lord Mahavir are also present.
During the Buddhist period, Chandwasa was called Chandan Giri. The temple and the caves were known as Chandan Giri Mahavihara. In 1962, Dr Wakankar discovered a clay seal here. The seal mentioned the name of the place as Chandan Giri Mahavihara. In his basis, Historian Chandavasa says that the ancient name of Chandwasa was Chandan Giri.
Religious Affiliation
It is said that staying here on the night of Mahashivratri ensures Moksha. During sunrise, Sun rays hit the Shivalinga situated in the sanctum sanctorum. Locals believe that the temple was built by the Pandavas. On the other hand, several historians call it a Jain and Buddhist religious place. There are about 200 small and big caves on the lower end of the hill just below the Dharmrajeshwar temple. These were first discovered by the English writer Colonel Todd.
People believe that during the Mahabharata period, the Pandavas spent some time if their exile here. Bhima built the temple during that time. Since, Yudhishthri, the eldest brother of Bhim, was called Dharmaraj, this temple came to be known as Dharmrajeshwar temple. It is said that there is a huge cave here, which opens in the Ujjain temple. The Archaeological Department has closed it.
People believe that during the Mahabharata period, the Pandavas spent some time of their exile here. During that time, Bhima built this temple. Since Bhima’s eldest brother Yudhishthira was also called Dharmaraj, this temple came to be known as Dharmarajeshwar Temple. It is said that there is also a huge cave here, which opens from this temple to Ujjain. The Archaeological Department has closed it.
There is a belief regarding the small well inside the temple. Locals believe that the water from this well can nullify the effect of snake poison and the poison of other poisonous creatures. This water is also given if someone is bitten by a rabid dog. People say that it prevents rabies. People infected by rabies are also given water from this water.
(This article is a translation of an original article published in OpIndia Hindi.
