Harshnath Temple (
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
: हर्षनाथ् ''Harṣanātha'') is an ancient
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 dedicated to Lord
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 ...
which is situated in the
Sikar district of the
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n state of
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 ...
. It is located 14 km from district headquarters
Sikar
Sikar is a city and municipal council in the Sikar district of the state of Rajasthan in India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Sikar district. It is part of the Shekhawati region, which consists of Sikar, Churu and Jhunjhunu.Sik ...
.
History
This
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, according to an inscription dated 973 CE, was built by the Shiv ascetic Bhavarakta, during the reign of
Chahamana
Chauhan, historically ''Chahamana'', is a clan name historically associated with the various ruling Rajput families during the Medieval India in Rajasthan.
Subclans
Khichi, Hada, Songara, Bhadauria, Devda etc. are the branches or subclan ...
king
Vigraharaja I. It is surrounded by various shrines which lie in ruins.
The original temple was later destroyed by Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb
Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
in 1679. In 1718 Rao Shivsingh constructed a new temple adjacent to the old temple using the ruins of the old temple.
Exactly same type of temple also situated at Harsh Village,
Bilara
Bilara is a city and a municipality located in the Jodhpur district of Rajasthan, India. It is the administrative headquarters for Bilara tehsil and a market center for the surrounding agricultural area.
Demographics
Bilara is a Municipal ...
Harsh Deval Temple, Dist
Jodhpur
Jodhpur (; ) is the second-largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan and officially the second metropolitan city of the state. It was formerly the seat of the princely state of Jodhpur State. Jodhpur was historically the capital of the Ki ...
, Rajasthan. Harsh Deval Temple at Bilara was also built in 10th century.
Architecture
The temple and its surrounding shrines are now in ruins. The main temple faces east. Its pillars are intricately carved. On the inside west wall is carved a figure of standing
Parvati
Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi i ...
abelled Vikatain ''panchagnitap'' along with her female attendants.
Nandi
Nandi may refer to:
People
* Nandy (surname), Indian surname
* Nandi (mother of Shaka) (1760–1827), daughter of Bhebe of the Langeni tribe
* Onandi Lowe (born 1974), Jamaican footballer nicknamed Nandi
* Nandi Bushell (born 2010), South Afri ...
sculpture
File:Harshnath Temple 7.JPG, Pillar
File:Harshnath Temple sculptures 8.JPG, Pillar
File:Harshnath Temple 12.JPG, Pillar
File:Harshnath Temple Sikar info 1.JPG, Information board
File:Harshnath Temple Sikar 6.JPG, Information board
File:View from top of Harshnath Temple.jpg, View from top
File:20130818 152917 (2014 07 20 13 08 51 UTC).jpg, View from top
File:Harshnath Temple sculptures 15.JPG, Sculpture of a musician playing an eka-tantri vina
The ''eka-tantrī vīṇā'' was a medieval tube-zither veena in India, with a single string and one or more gourd resonators. The instrument became prominent in Indian music in about the 10th century C.E. as instruments of court music. Alongsid ...
.
File:Harshnath Temple sculptures 16.JPG, Sculpture of musicians playing eka-tantri vina, flute and drum
File:Harshnath Temple sculptures 23.JPG, Musicians, an attendant ace a seated figure, possibly a nobleman
File:Harshnath Temple sculptures 6.JPG, Sculpture showing musicians and a couple
See also
*
Harshat Mata Temple
The Harshat Mata Temple ( IAST: ''Harṣat Mātā kā Mandir'') is a Hindu temple in the Abhaneri (or "Abaneri") village of Rajasthan, in north-western India. The temple is now dedicated to a goddess called Harshat Mata, although some art histor ...
constructed during the Chahamana period
References
External links
*
{{Hindu temples in Rajasthan
Hindu temples in Rajasthan
Characters in the Mahabharata
Tourist attractions in Sikar district
10th-century Hindu temples
Shiva temples in Rajasthan