The temples at Pindara, locally known as Durvasa Rishi Ashram, in Kalyanpur Taluka of

Devbhoomi Dwarka district Devbhumi Dwarka District is a district of India located on the southern coast of the Gulf of Kutch in the state of Gujarat. Its headquarters are located in the city of Jamkhambhaliya. The district was created on 15 August 2013 from Jamnagar distr ...

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

, India belongs to

Maitraka The Maitraka dynasty ruled western India (now Gujarat) from approximately 475 to approximately 776 CE from their capital at Vallabhi. With the sole exception of Dharapaṭṭa (the fifth king in the dynasty), who followed the Mithraic mysteries, ...

Saindhava The Saindhavas, also known as Jayadrathas, was a Medieval Indian dynasty that ruled western Saurashtra (now in Gujarat, India) from c. 735 CE to c. 920 CE, probably in alliance with Maitrakas in its early years. Their capital was at Bhutamabi ...

period (7th to 10th century). The temples are located near sea, about eleven miles east of

Dwarka Dwarka () is a city and a municipality of Devbhumi Dwarka district in the state of Gujarat in Western India. It is located on the western shore of the Okhamandal Peninsula on the right bank of the Gomti river at the mouth of the Gulf of Kut ...

History

These temples are built between 7th and 10th century. The ''Phamsana'' style temples belongs to middle of 8th century, built during the reign of

s. Large number of sculptures and Saindhava coins, for the first time, were found during the excavations in 1965. The monuments are associated with

Durvasa In Hindu scriptures, Durvasa ( sa, दुर्वासा, ) also known as Durvasas (Sanskrit: दुर्वासस्), is a legendary rishi (sage). He is the son of Anasuya and Atri. According to some Puranas, Durvasa is a partial avata ...

Rishi by locals and called Durvasa Rishi Ashram. The site is inscribed as the Monument of National Importance (N-GJ-121) and is maintained by Vadodara Circle of the

Archeological 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 ...

Architecture

There are five temples and a long pillared ''

mandapa A mandapa or mantapa () is a pillared hall or pavilion for public rituals in Indian architecture, especially featured in Hindu temple architecture. Mandapas are described as "open" or "closed" depending on whether they have walls. In temples, ...

'' within an enclosure. Temple No. 1 (old shrine/Sun Temple/Dhyan Mandir) is built in neo-Dravidic ''Phamsana'' type, according to the classification by M. A. Dhaky and J. M. Nanavati. It has square cella and plain walls on which rises a five tiered superstructure from a ''

vimana Vimāna are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics. The "Pushpaka Vimana" of Ravana (who took it from Kubera; Rama returned it to Kubera) is the most quoted example of a vimana. Vimanas are also mentio ...

-vedika'' base. These tiers has ''

chandrashala In Indian architecture Indian architecture is rooted in its history, culture and religion. Among a number of architectural styles and traditions, the best-known include the many varieties of Hindu temple architecture, Indo-Islamic architec ...

'' engravings in decreasing numbers from five to two while the topmost tier is lost and there is ''karnakuta''s at the corners. The temple has lost its ''mandapa''. The temple may have been constructed in ''sandhara'' layout. If true, it seems that the exterior walls were disappeared long ago. This temple is east facing. Temples No. 2 and 3 are both of ''phamsana'' type, of penthouse variety. These temples show the early Maha-Gurjara architectural influence. These temples are west facing. Temple No. 2 has a '' Nagara'' ground plan and an open porch with short pillars on dado. The dado, on its east side of the temple, has pillar-motif and niches, similar to the

Gop Temple The Gop temple is a Sun temple located at Zinavari village in Jamjodhpur Taluka of Jamnagar district, Gujarat, India. The Hindu temple is dated to the 6th century and is one of the earliest surviving stone temples in Gujarat.; Quote: "The earlies ...

. The roof has only its lowermost course surviving and there is a row of dentils below it. Above the plain door-frame of this temple, there is a panel depicting the marriage of

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 ...

and

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 ...

. The faces of the demons in this panel has similarities with the panel found on the parapet of the Sun temple at Akhodar. Temple No. 3 is a square in plan and is smaller in size. It had a superstructure similar to the Temple No. 2. Temple No. 4 is also similar to it but is east facing. These two temple has open porch with short pillars on dado. The west facing Temple No. 5 is a square cella with plain walls crowned by multi-tiered ''phamsana'' type superstructure. In 2007, the remnants of the submerged temple complex were found north of the existing temple complex. The temple has only its ''jagati'' (plinth) surviving which suggest the temple was east facing. They also found the

yoni ''Yoni'' (; sometimes also ), sometimes called ''pindika'', is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu goddess Shakti. It is usually shown with ''linga'' – its masculine counterpart. Together, they symbolize the merging of microc ...

Shivalinga A lingam ( sa, लिङ्ग , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. It is typically the primary ''murti'' or devotional ...

suggesting that they were Shiva temples. The temple complex may have submerged due to rise in sea level and

seismic activity An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...

Gallery

Durvasa Rishi's Ashram - Dhyan Mandir 2, East side view.jpg, Temple No. 1 File:Durvasa Rishi's Ashram, Building 1.jpg, Temple No. 2 File:BATTIS PUTLI TEMPLE - PINDARA.jpg, The panel depicting the marriage of Shiva and Parvati, Temple No. 2 File:TEMPLE @ PINDARA TEMPLE COMPLEX.jpg, Temple No. 3 File:SHIVA TEMPLE - PINDARA.jpg, Temple No. 4 File:Durvasa_Rishi%27s_Ashram,_Complex_area.jpg, Temple No. 5 (right) File:Durvasa Rishi's Ashram. Main entrance path.jpg, Pillared ''mandapa'' pathway File:BATTIS PUTLI TEMPLE - PINDARA 2.jpg, Sculpture 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" within t ...

mounted on

Garuda Garuda (Sanskrit: ; Pāli: ; Vedic Sanskrit: गरुळ Garuḷa) is a Hindu demigod and divine creature mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. He is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. Garuda is a ...

File:PINDARA.jpg, Sculpture of head of Shiva

References

{{Hindu temples in Gujarat Hindu temples in Gujarat 7th-century Hindu temples 8th-century Hindu temples 9th-century Hindu temples 10th-century Hindu temples Cultural history of Gujarat Devbhoomi Dwarka district Shiva temples in India Tourist attractions in Gujarat Archaeological sites in Gujarat 7th-century establishments in India Monuments of National Importance in Gujarat