The Amb Temples ( ur, ), locally known as Amb Sharif ( ur, ; ''"Noble Amb"''), are part of an abandoned
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
temple complex on the
Sakesar
Sakesar ( Punjabi, ur, ), is the highest mountain in the Salt Range in Punjab Pakistan. Its height is 1,522m. It lies on the outer fringes of the Soon Valley in Khushab District in the Punjab Province. Uchhali Lake is just below it. It is a ...
mountain, located at the western edge of the
Salt Range
The Salt Range ( pnb, ) is a mountain range in the north of Punjab province of Pakistan, deriving its name from its extensive deposits of rock salt. The range extends along the south of the Potohar Plateau and the north of the Jhelum River. The ...
in
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
's
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
province. Although foundations go back to the period of
Kushan Empire
The Kushan Empire ( grc, Βασιλεία Κοσσανῶν; xbc, Κυϸανο, ; sa, कुषाण वंश; Brahmi: , '; BHS: ; xpr, 𐭊𐭅𐭔𐭍 𐭇𐭔𐭕𐭓, ; zh, 貴霜 ) was a syncretic empire, formed by the Yuezhi, i ...
, the temple complex was built in the 9th to 10th centuries CE during the reign of the
Hindu Shahi
The Hindu Shahis (also known as Oddiyana, Odi Shahis, Uḍi Śāhis, or Brahman Shahis, 822–1026 CE) were a dynasty that held sway over the Kabul Valley, Gandhara and western Punjab region, Punjab during the early medieval period in the Indian ...
empire.
Location
The ruins are located near Amb Sharef village, on
Sakesar
Sakesar ( Punjabi, ur, ), is the highest mountain in the Salt Range in Punjab Pakistan. Its height is 1,522m. It lies on the outer fringes of the Soon Valley in Khushab District in the Punjab Province. Uchhali Lake is just below it. It is a ...
mountain in the
Soon Valley
Soon Valley ( Punjabi, ur, ) is in the north west of Khushab District, Punjab, Pakistan. Its largest settlement is the town of Naushera. The valley extends from the village of Padhrar to Sakesar, the highest peak in the Salt Range. The valley ...
of
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. The ruins form the westernmost ruins of a string of Hindu temples in the
Salt Range
The Salt Range ( pnb, ) is a mountain range in the north of Punjab province of Pakistan, deriving its name from its extensive deposits of rock salt. The range extends along the south of the Potohar Plateau and the north of the Jhelum River. The ...
mountains that includes the
Katas Raj Temples
The Shri Katas Raj Temples ( Punjabi, ur, ) (Sanskrit: कटासराज) also known as Qila Katas (), is a complex of several Hindu temples connected to one another by walkways. The temple complex surrounds a pond named ''Katas'' which is ...
and
Tilla Jogian
Tilla Jogian ( Punjabi and ur, ) is an abandoned Hindu temple and monastic complex located on the summit of the ''Tilla Jogian'' mountain in the Salt Range of Pakistan's Punjab province.
The complex was the most important centre for Hindu '' j ...
monastic complex.
Architecture
The main temple is roughly 15 to 20 metres tall, and built out of brick and mortar on a square
plinth
A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In c ...
. It is regarded as the "loftiest" of temples built by the Hindu Shahi empire. The temple ruins have three stories, with stairwells leading to inner ambulatories.
The temple is decorated with Kashmiri style motifs on its exterior, including a cusped niche.
The structure of the main temple, differs from Kashmiri temples which typically have pointed tops.
The main temple is instead similar in style to the nearby ''Kalar'' temple, and
Kafir Kot
Kafir Kot or Kafirkot (; ) is an ancient Hindu Temple complex in the Dera Ismail Khan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It consists of the ruins of five temples and a large fort. The Kafir Kot complex in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is often referr ...
temple in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, ...
province.
To the west about 75 metres lies another smaller temple, which is 2 story or 7 to 8 meters high,
situated near a cliff. The temple features a small vestibule chamber facing towards the main temple. It was a few metres from a second similarly sized temple, which no longer exists.
The entire temple complex was surrounded by a fortification, with the earliest construction at the site dating to the late
Kushan
The Kushan Empire ( grc, Βασιλεία Κοσσανῶν; xbc, Κυϸανο, ; sa, कुषाण वंश; Brahmi: , '; BHS: ; xpr, 𐭊𐭅𐭔𐭍 𐭇𐭔𐭕𐭓, ; zh, 貴霜 ) was a syncretic empire, formed by the Yuezhi, i ...
period.
Conservation
The site was visited by
Alexander Cunningham
Major General Sir Alexander Cunningham (23 January 1814 – 28 November 1893) was a British Army engineer with the Bengal Engineer Group who later took an interest in the history and archaeology of India. In 1861, he was appointed to the newly ...
in the late 19th century, and was partly conserved in 1922-24 by Daya Ram Sahni.
The temple had been looted over the centuries, with the last remaining statuary removed from the site in the late 19th century and placed in the
Lahore Museum
The Lahore Museum ( pa, ; ur, ; ''"Lahore Wonder House"'') is a museum located in Lahore, Pakistan. Founded in 1865 at a smaller location and opened in 1894 at its current location on The Mall, Lahore, The Mall in Lahore during the British Ra ...
.
The site is currently protected by Pakistan's ''Antiquities Act (1975)''.
Gallery
File:Amb_Temple_in_Soon_Sakasar_Valley_Khushab_at_sunset.jpg, The main temple
File:AMB Temples, three temples inside fort big temple side view.jpg, The main temple features a Kashmiri-style cusped archway
File:Amb Temple in Soon Sakasar Valley Khushab by Usman Ghani.jpg, A view of the smaller temple with its vestibule chamber
File:AMB Temples, three temples inside fort big temple side architectural features.jpg, The base of the main temple
File:AMB_Temples,_three_temples_inside_fort_big_temple_corner_plinth_view.jpg, A view of the main temple's plinth
See also
*
Katasraj temple
The Shri Katas Raj Temples ( Punjabi, ur, ) (Sanskrit: कटासराज) also known as Qila Katas (), is a complex of several Hindu temples connected to one another by walkways. The temple complex surrounds a pond named ''Katas'' which is ...
*
Hinglaj Mata
Hinglaj Mata (Hindi: हिंगलाज माता, bal, هنگلاج ماتا, ), also known as Hinglaj Devi, Hingula Devi and Nani Mandir, is a Hindu temple in Hinglaj, a town on the Makran coast in the Lasbela district of Balochistan, a ...
References
Hindu temples in Sindh
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