Firangi Deval, also known as Devalvasi, is an old temple monument located in Kalsar village near Mahuva,

Bhavnagar district Bhavnagar District is a Districts of India, district of southeastern Gujarat, India, on the Saurashtra (region), Saurashtra peninsula. It is also known as Gohilwar as a major portion of Bhavnagar district was ruled by Gahlot, Gohil Rajputs. The a ...

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.

History

It is constructed in 7th century during the

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, ...

rule. It is said locally that the temple was used to hoist flag to warn citizens to return to castle in case of raid. The temple is about two kilometres from sea. The claim can not be historically verified. It is state protected monument (S-GJ-33). It is now poorly maintained.

Ravishankar Raval Ravishankar Raval (1892–1977) was a painter, art teacher, art critic, journalist and essayist from Gujarat, India. He worked for the magazine ''Vismi Sadi'' until it closed in 1921, and then founded the cultural magazine '' Kumar''. Life Ravi ...

had first described the temple in 1947-48 as the Sun Temple. The temple has close affinity with the temples of

Bileshwar Bhilleshwar is a village in Ranavav Taluka of Porbandar district in Gujarat, India. Geography Bhilleshwar is located near to the village of Ashiyapat, and east of the Barda hill on the banks of the Bhilleshvari river. The river called Bhil Gan ...

, Visavada and Sutrapada.

Architecture

This east facing shrine proper is slight oblong in plan with small ''mandapa'' hall in front of it. The structure is built on plain ''upapitha'', plinth. The walls are plain except the upper most area where there is ''Dantavali'', a carved band of stylized rafter's end with minor ''kapota'' at the top. The superstructure above the temple is built by ''tritala'', three courses with all three having ''Karnakuta'' carvings in order of 4, 3 and 2. The upper most crowning stone is missing which may have been ''Sala-shikhara''. The ''mandapa'' too has superstructure ''vimana'' with one less course, which let into fronton of ''vimana'' over cella. The crowning stone has large ''Surpa'' with prominent ''Chandrasala'' in front of it. ''Karnakuta'' is used to decorate both superstructures but they are not decorated with ''Chaitya'' dormers here. No mortar is used to fix the stones. The temple is not used for worship now and does not contain any idol of deity. The temple was probably used as Buddhist or Brahminical shrine identified by ''Chaitya'' dormers on the courses of ''vimana''.

References

{{Hindu temples in Gujarat Hindu temples in Gujarat History of Gujarat 7th-century Hindu temples Cultural history of Gujarat Tourist attractions in Bhavnagar district