Alampur Navabrahma Temples are a group of nine early Badami Chalukyan
Hindu temple
A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hin ...
s dated between the 7th and 9th centuries that are located at
Alampur in
Telangana
Telangana (; , ) is a state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the eleventh-largest state and the twelfth-most populated state in India with a geographical area of and 3 ...
, India, near the meeting point of
Tungabhadra River and
Krishna River at the border of
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
.
They are called Nava-Brahma temples though they are dedicated to
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
. They exemplify early North Indian
Nagara style
Hindu temple architecture as the main form of Hindu architecture has many varieties of style, though the basic nature of the Hindu temple remains the same, with the essential feature an inner sanctum, the ''garbha griha'' or womb-chamber, where ...
architecture with cut rock as the building block. The temples of Alampur resemble the style of Pattadakal, Aihole style as they were Karnata Dravida, Vesara style native to Karnataka.
The temples are significant for their east-facing simple square plans, intricate carvings of themes of Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism. They also contain early examples of friezes that narrate legends from Hindu texts such as the ''
Panchatantra'' fables. The temples were a significant influence on the later era Kakatiya Hindu temples.
These temples were built by the
Badami Chalukyas rulers, and early 8th-century inscriptions found at the site suggest that the site also had a Shaiva ''
matha
A ''matha'' (; sa, मठ, ), also written as ''math'', ''muth'', ''mutth'', ''mutt'', or ''mut'', is a Sanskrit word that means 'institute or college', and it also refers to a monastery in Hinduism. '' (Hindu monastery) which has not survived.
Their ruins have been restored by the
Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexand ...
after 1980.
[
The Alampur Navabrahma temples were badly damaged and defaced during the Islamic invasion of this region in and after the 14th century.] A series of religious wars and conquest led to the construction of an Islamic fort, a mosque and a graveyard called Shah Ali Pedda Dargah being built midst the Navabrahma temples over the 15th to 17th centuries. This construction was completed in part using the temple walls and ruined masonry from the temples, according to Ghulam Yazdani
Ghulam Yazdani, OBE (22 March 1885 – 13 November 1962) was an Indian archaeologist who was one of the founders of the Archaeological Department during the colonial era reign of Nizam of Hyderabad. He also edited the Arabic and Persian Supple ...
– an archaeologist who surveyed these temples and the Islamic monuments among them in 1926–27 for the Nizam of Hyderabad.[ The Hindus abandoned worship in temples in immediate vicinity of these Sultanate-era additions.][Ghulam Yazdani (1929), ''Annual Report of the Archaeological Department of His Exalted Highness the Nizam's Dominions for 1336 F (1926-1927 AD)'', Archaeological Department of Hyderabad, Baptist Mission Press, pp. 8–11; for contemporary image, se]
Muslim Fort and Shah Ali’s Dargah, 17th Century CE
/ref>
Location
The Alampur Navabrahma temples are located in the Telangana town of Alampur, close to the Tungabhadra river. It is south of Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India ...
, connected by the four-lane National Highway 44 (Asian Highway 43), and about northeast of Hampi
Hampi or Hampe, also referred to as the Group of Monuments at Hampi, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Hampi town, Vijayanagara district, east-central Karnataka, India.
Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 14th&n ...
monuments and east of Badami
Badami, formerly known as Vatapi, is a town and headquarters of a taluk by the same name, in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka, India. It was the regal capital of the Badami Chalukyas from CE 540 to 757. It is famous for its rock cut monuments ...
, the capital of the kings who are credited with building it in the 7th century.
History
Sangameswara Temple
The Sangameswara Temple was originally built a
Kudavelly
by the confluence (sangam) of two major sacred rivers of ancient importance, the Tungabhadra and Krishna. Sangameswara comes from the word Sangam meaning confluence of two or more rivers. The Sangameswara Temple was constructed by Pulakesi I ( 540 CE to 566 CE), in a similar style to the Navabrahma Temples. Based on inscriptional evidence such as the Tummayaneru grant, Sarma dates the temple to pre-Chalukya era when Navabrahma temples were built. Odile Divakaran states that the Sangameswara temple at Kudaveli was not an earlier monument, but was built along with the nine Navabrahma temples, likely in the middle of the 7th century. According to Sarma, new inscriptions found in the 1980s at the Arka Brahma and Bala Brahma temples mention a pre-existing ''mahadevayatana'' or main temple with linga, the Sangameswara Temple.
The Sangameswara Temple has been moved to near the Navabrahma temples, as its original site built a
Kudavelly
some 20 km away, is now flooded by the Srisailam Dam
The Srisailam Dam is constructed across the Krishna River in Nagarkurnool district , Telangana and Nandyal district, Andhra Pradesh near Srisailam temple town and is the 2nd largest capacity working hydroelectric station in India.
The d ...
hydroelectric project. The Sangameswara temple transplantation was completed by January 1990.
Navabrahma temples
As the Badami Chalukyan kingdom became well established, its rulers sponsored the distinct Badami Chalukya architecture style of Hindu temple architecture in Aihole
Aihole (pronounced "Eye-hoḷé"), also referred to as Aivalli, Ahivolal or Aryapura, is a historic site of ancient and medieval era Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monuments in Karnataka, India that dates from the sixth century through the twelfth ...
, Badami
Badami, formerly known as Vatapi, is a town and headquarters of a taluk by the same name, in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka, India. It was the regal capital of the Badami Chalukyas from CE 540 to 757. It is famous for its rock cut monuments ...
, Alampur and later Pattadakal
Pattadakal, also called Paṭṭadakallu or Raktapura, is a complex of 7th and 8th century CE Hindu and Jain temples in northern Karnataka (India). Located on the west bank of the Malaprabha River in Bagalakote district, this UNESCO World Her ...
. The nine temples at this site reflect some of the early Nagara style of Hindu temples that have partially survived for scholarly studies. The uniqueness of this group of temples lies in their plan and design in the northern architectural style introduced by the Chalukyas of Badami in the 7th century.
Description
The temples are emblematic of the Northern Indian Nagara style of architecture. The Navabrahma temples are present on the left bank of the Tungabhadra River, enclosed in a courtyard.
The temples have a square plan that follow the ''vastupurushamandala'' architecture. A square sanctum is surrounded by a covered circumambulation path and a Rekha-nagara style curvilinear square shikara towers above the sanctum of each temple. The tower is capped by an amla and a kalasha, though in some cases this has not survived. In front of each sanctum is a mandapa.[Odile Divakaran (1971)]
Les temples d'Ālampur et de ses environs au temps des Cāḷukya de Bādāmi
Arts Asiatiques, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 51-101
*Taraka Brahma: This is an unusual early stage Hindu temple because it has a multistorey tower and for carving deities into the ceiling, suggesting that the artisans were experimenting and exploring novel construction ideas in stone temples by the 7th century.[ This temple, as others, incorporates 6th-7th century CE Telugu and Kannada inscriptions.
*Svarga Brahma: Swarga Brahma temple was built during 681-696 AD or the Vinayaditya era.][ An inscription found in the temple states that Lokaditya Ela Arasa built it in the honour of the queen.][ It is an example of Badami Chalukya Architecture and sculpture. This temple is the most elaborately ornamented temple.][ Its square plan is simple, and it includes a ''mukhachatuski'', a ''gudhamandapa'', an ''antarala'' and a ''garbhagriya''.][ It has a porch in front with fluted shafts and foliage motifs. It has a pair of dikpalas (directional guardians) in each corner of the temple. The temple shows two ]Nataraja
Nataraja () also known as Adalvallaan () is a depiction of the Hindu deities, Hindu god Shiva as the divine cosmic dancer. His dance is called Tandava.''Encyclopædia Britannica'' (2015) The pose and artwork are described in many Hindu texts ...
(dancing Shiva), one Lingobhava (Shiva emerging from a linga), one Dakshinamurti (Shiva in yoga position as a teacher sitting under a tree). The temple also has common life scenes, as well as amorous couples in various stages of courtship and kama.[ The temple has friezes showing four fables from the ''Panchatantra'', along with a Sanskrit inscription below that summarizes the moral of each fable.] One of its niches has a sculpture narrating the Vamana-Trivikrama
Vamana (), also known as Trivikrama (), Urukrama (), Upendra (), Dadhivamana (), and Balibandhana () is an avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu. He is the fifth avatar of Vishnu, and the first Dashavatara in the Treta Yuga, after Narasimha.
...
legend of Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...
.
* Padma Brahma is probably the last temple to be built in the group, one with an incomplete tower rather than a destroyed tower structure. It has no entrance porch, but displays the most complex pediment designs.[ Padma Brahma temple has a polished stone sculpture of Shivalinga.
* Bala Brahma: The Bala Brahma temple is likely the second oldest here, likely completed by about 650 CE. It has Sanskrit inscriptions in early Telugu script, one of which can be dated to 702 CE. The temple has Shaktism themes represented with the sculptures of Saptamatrikas (seven mothers).][ It is an active house of Hindu worship in contemporary times. Shivaratri is celebrated in this temple every year.
* Garuda Brahma has the same plan as the Vishwa Brahma temple, but it lacks the latter's intricate carving. It includes a flying Garuda, the vahana of Vishnu, suggestive of the likelihood that the temple once included a sculpture of Vishnu.][
* Kumara Brahma is probably the earliest temple built, and like others stands on a jagati (platform).] The outer walls provide a perforated screen to let natural light come into the circumambulation path. The pillars and beams in the ceiling are all carved with miniature figures and ''mayura'' (peacock) motifs.[ The tower is divided into venukosha, uccheda and madhyalata, with the Sikhara of tribhuni class of design. The pillars inside the mandapa have amorous couples in ]mithuna
Maithuna (Devanagari: मैथुन) is a Sanskrit term for sexual intercourse within Tantric sex, or alternatively to the specific lack of sexual fluids generated, while mithuna is a couple participating in such a ritual. It is the most impo ...
scenes. The sanctum doorway is flanked by Ganga and Yamuna goddesses, as well as two dvarapalas.
* Arka Brahma temple is a mostly ruined temple.[ The temple art has been defaced, with only remnants of Ganga and Yamuna goddesses visible on the entrance of the sanctum. There is an inscription in the Siddhamatrika script which in most cases are likely the names of the artists who worked on specific sculpture (now missing), and these are in Kannada and Telugu languages.]
* Vira Brahma temple is a simpler, much damaged temple in the group. It has a gudha-mandapa, antarala and a garbhagriya. The outer walls of the temple are sectioned by pairs of pilasters into projecting niches but the artwork in these have not survived. The tower above the sanctum has projections in its center.
* Vishva Brahma temple is the northmost and an intricately carved temple with its niches and windows featuring complex designs around them. The foundational platform is also carved with musicians, dancers, foliage, birds, geese and ganas. The temple pillars inside the mandapa have fluted shafts above seated lions, while the capital is ribbed kalasha shaped.[ The temple also has sculptural scenes from the Hindu epics as well as the ''Panchatantra''.
There is an ASI museum near this group of temples. It shows ruins recovered at the site, with remnants of a Durga in Mhishasura-mardini form, a Lajja-Gauri, a Nataraja Shiva which George Michell calls a "masterpiece of refined sculpture", a polished Nandi statue with Shiva and Parvati riding it.][ The museum also has ruins of reliefs that narrate Hindu epics and other texts such as the ''Panchatantra''.
]
ASI protection and relocation
The Alampur temples are listed as an archaeological and architectural treasure on the official "List of Monuments" prepared by the Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexand ...
under The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act. Some temples at the Alampur site came under submergence due to the building of Sri Sailam Hydro-electric Project, the threatened ancient and medieval era monuments along with the Sangameswara temple were relocated to a higher place, west and southwest of the Navabrahma temples. The latter was transplanted near the Alampur Papanasi Temples
Alampur Papanasi Temples are a group of twenty three Hindu temples dated between 9th- and 11th-century that have been relocated to the southwest of Alampur village in Telangana. This cluster of mostly ruined temples are co-located near the meeti ...
.
Nearby temples
Alampur was an important pilgrimage site for the Hindus well after the 8th century as evidenced by the inscriptions and nearby major complex of temples. The Papanasam group of Hindu temples built in the 9th and 10th centuries are about southwest from the Navabrahma temple site.[ There are other temples like Suryanarayana temple dating back to 9th century. The Narasimha temple has inscriptions from the Sri Krishna Devaraya (Vijayanagar Empire) era.]
See also
*Alampur Museum
Alampur ASI Museum is a museum located in the historical temple town of Alampur, Mahbubnagar in Telangana. Situated at the Navabrahma Temples it is maintained by Archaeological Survey of India.
History
The Alampur museum was established in t ...
*Alampur Papanasi Temples
Alampur Papanasi Temples are a group of twenty three Hindu temples dated between 9th- and 11th-century that have been relocated to the southwest of Alampur village in Telangana. This cluster of mostly ruined temples are co-located near the meeti ...
*Aihole
Aihole (pronounced "Eye-hoḷé"), also referred to as Aivalli, Ahivolal or Aryapura, is a historic site of ancient and medieval era Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monuments in Karnataka, India that dates from the sixth century through the twelfth ...
*Pattadakal
Pattadakal, also called Paṭṭadakallu or Raktapura, is a complex of 7th and 8th century CE Hindu and Jain temples in northern Karnataka (India). Located on the west bank of the Malaprabha River in Bagalakote district, this UNESCO World Her ...
References
Bibliography
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*Dehejia, V. (1997). ''Indian Art''. Phaidon: London. .
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*Harle, J.C., ''The Art and Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent'', 2nd edn. 1994, Yale University Press Pelican History of Art,
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External links
Ten Mahishasuramardani Icons from Alampur
M Radhakrishna Sharma
Doorframes on the Earliest Orissan Temples
Thomas Donaldson
{{Hindu inscriptions and arts, state=autocollapse
Hindu temples in Mahbubnagar district
Indian architectural history
Shiva temples in Telangana
Hindu pilgrimage sites in India
Chalukya dynasty
Hindu temple architecture
Indian rock-cut architecture