The Rudra Mahalaya Temple, also known as Rudramal, is a destroyed/desecrated

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 at Siddhpur in the Patan district of

Gujarat, India 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- ...

. Its construction was started in 943 AD by

Mularaja Mularaja () was the founder of the Chaulukya dynasty of India. Also known as the Chalukyas of Gujarat or Solanki, this dynasty ruled parts of present-day Gujarat. Mularaja supplanted the last Chavda dynasty, Chavda king, and founded an independe ...

and completed in 1140 AD by

Jayasimha Siddharaja Jayasiṃha ( ), who assumed the title Siddharāja (), was an Indian king who ruled western parts of India. He was a member of the Chaulukya (also called Solanki) dynasty. Jayasimha's capital was located at Anahilapataka (modern Patan) in pres ...

, a ruler of the

Chaulukya dynasty The Chaulukya dynasty (), also Solanki dynasty, was a dynasty that ruled parts of what are now Gujarat and Rajasthan in north-western India, between and . Their capital was located at Anahilavada (modern Patan). At times, their rule extended ...

. The

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 Hind ...

was destroyed by the

Sultan of Delhi The following list of Indian monarchs is one of several lists of incumbents. It includes those said to have ruled a portion of the Indian subcontinent, including Sri Lanka. The Mahajanapada, earliest Indian rulers are known from epigraphica ...

Alauddin Khalji Alaud-Dīn Khaljī, also called Alauddin Khilji or Alauddin Ghilji (), born Ali Gurshasp, was an emperor of the Khalji dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over lar ...

, and later the

Sultan of Gujarat The Gujarat Sultanate (or the Sultanate of Guzerat), was a Medieval Indian kingdom established in the early 15th century in Western India, primarily in the present-day state of Gujarat, India. The dynasty was founded by Sultan Zafar Khan Muza ...

Ahmed Shah I Ahmad Shah I, born Ahmad Khan, was a ruler of the Muzaffarid dynasty, who reigned over the Gujarat Sultanate from 1411 until his death in 1442. He was the grandson of Sultan Muzaffar Shah who has been variously described as a Tank Rajput or a ...

(1410–1444) desecrated and substantially demolished the temple, and also converted part of it into the congregational

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

(Jami Masjid) of the city. Two ''torans'' (porches) and four pillars of the former central structure still stand along with the western part of the complex used as a congregational mosque.

History

Four great pillars and architrave of the ruined Rudra Mahalaya Temple, Siddhapur

Sidhpur, under the rulers of

, was a prominent town in the tenth century. An inscription from 986-987 CE mentions in passing that

, the founder of the Chaulukya dynasty of Gujarat, had offered prayers to Rudra Mahalay. Colonial sources say that Muladev ordered the construction of a shrine there to atone for his earlier sins, but it is possible that a temple existed at the place even before his reign. Archaeological evidence suggests that an existing structure was removed and a new complex was built on top of the existing foundation in twelfth century.

Consecration

It was during the 12th century, in 1140 AD, that

(1094–1144) consecrated the temple complex in worship of Shiva. This act continued the long-running patronage of the city by the Chalukyas.

Dismantling

The temple was dismantled during the siege of the city by

Ahmad Shah I Ahmad Shah I, born Ahmad Khan, was a ruler of the Muzaffarid dynasty, who reigned over the Gujarat Sultanate from 1411 until his death in 1442. He was the grandson of Sultan Muzaffar Shah who has been variously described as a Tank Rajput or a ...

(1410–44) of Muzaffarid dynasty; parts of it were reused in setting up a new congregational mosque. ''Mirat-i-Sikandiri'', the earliest extant chronicle in Persian documenting Shah's campaigns, attributes the destruction to religious zealotry — however, Alka Patel cautions that these texts were often biased due to panegyric aims and often contradicted by other evidence.

Architecture

The temple was built in

Māru-Gurjara architecture Māru-Gurjara architecture, Chaulukya style or Solaṅkī style, is the style of West Indian temple architecture that originated in Gujarat and Rajasthan from the 11th to 13th centuries, under the Chaulukya dynasty (also called Solaṅkī dyna ...

style.

Gallery

File:Elevation of Kirtistambh Rudramahalaya Sidhpur Gujarat India.jpg, Elevation of Kirti Torana File:Architecture at the Rudra Mahalaya at Sidhpur, Gujarat.jpg, Carving of the lintel File:Sculpture ruins at the 12th century Rudra Mala temple at Siddhpur Gujarat, 1886 sketch.jpg, Drawing of sculptures File:Rudramahalaya - sidhdhpur, Gujarat 03.jpg, One of the surviving porches File:રૂદ્રમહલ.jpg, Rudramahal File:Rudramahalaya - sidhdhpur, Gujarat 08.jpg, Surviving western part File:Rudramahalaya - sidhdhpur, Gujarat 02.jpg, Surviving ''torana''

Notes

References

Bibliography

*{{cite book, last1= Sastri, first1=Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Nilakanta, last2= Congress , first2=Indian History , title=A Comprehensive History of India, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UEwwAQAAIAAJ, year=1907, publisher=Orient Longmans, isbn=978-81-7304-561-5 Hindu temples in Gujarat Shiva temples in Gujarat Destroyed temples Religious buildings and structures converted into mosques Monuments of National Importance in Gujarat Māru-Gurjara architecture Siddhpur