Bhand Deva Temple on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The main Bhand Deva Temple or Bhand Devara Temple is situated on the banks of a pond in the centre of the 4 km wide 
The main
Ramgarh crater
Ramgarh crater, also known as ''Ramgarh structure'', ''Ramgarh Dome'' and ''Ramgarh astrobleme'', is a meteor impact crater of diameter in Kota, Rajasthan, Kota plateau of Vindhya range located adjacent to Ramgarh village in Mangrol, Rajastha ...
about 40 km from the city of Baran, Rajasthan
Baran is a city in Baran district of the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is a municipality and the district headquarters of Baran district, famous for its 11th century Bhand Devra Temple on banks of Ramgarh crater. It is 339km from the state c ...
, which was possibly created by a meteor. It is located near Ramgarh village, Mangrol, Baran district of Eastern Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...
. Coordinates: 25°20'0"N 76°37'27"E
The main 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 ...
temple was constructed in the style of Khajuraho Group of Monuments
The Khajuraho Group of Monuments are a group of Hindu and Jain temples in Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh, India, about 175 kilometres southeast of Jhansi. They are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temples are famous for their nagara-styl ...
and is known as ‘Little Khajuraho.’
Up a flight of more than 750 stairs are two related temples located in a cave on Ramgarh Hill and dedicated to the goddesses Kisnai and Annapurna (Annapoorna devi
Annapurna, Annapurneshwari, Annada or Annapoorna (Sanskrit: अन्नपूर्णा, Bengali: অন্নপূর্ণা, IAST: Annapūrṇa, lit. ''filled with or possessed of food'') is a manifestation of Parvati and is known as the ...
). The stairs are said to have been constructed by Jhala Jalim (or Zalim) Singh (a descendant of Madhu Singh Madho Singh I
Madho Singh I (December 1728 – March 5, 1768) was ruler of the state of Jaipur in the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan.D.K. Taknet, Razia Grover, Nandita Bhardwaj, 2016Jaipur: Gem of India He was the younger son of Jai Singh II and bec ...
), who ruled as a regent over Jhalawar State
Jhalawar State was a princely state in India during the British Raj. It was located in the Hadoti region. The main town in the state was Jhalawar.
The state belonged to the Kotah-Jhalawar Agency which had headquarters at Kota and was a subdivi ...
from 1771 until the British intervention in 1838.
During Kartik Purnima ( Kartik Poornima) a fair is organised at this temple for worshiping the two goddesses. The site is now protected by the State Archaeological Department.
An inscription on a plaque at the site records the history of the main Shiva temple as:
"Shiv-Temple (Bhand Devara) Ramgarh This temple dedicated to Tantric tradition of Saivism is a noteworthy example of Nagar style temple. As the inscriptions state, it was built in the 10th century by Raja Malaya Verma of Nag dynasty ofMalwa Malwa is a historical region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic upland north of the Vindhya Range. Politically and administratively, it is also syno ...as a memorial of his victory over his enemies and as a tribute showing his gratitude to Lord Shiva whom he held in esteem. With the passage of time in 1162 A.D., the edifice was renovated by Raja Trisna Verma of Med dynasty. The temple has audience hall vestibule spire and base. The audience hall has eight huge pillars with images of yaksha, Kinnar Kichak Vidyachar gods and goddesses apsanas and amorous couples." :File:Bhand devra2.jpg
References
{{Hindu temples in Rajasthan Hindu temples in Rajasthan Shiva temples in Rajasthan 10th-century Hindu temples Khajuraho Shakti temples