Magderu is an 8th-century temple of

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, ...

period located near Dhrasanvel village in Okhamandal 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. The temple is located three miles northeast 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 ...

Architecture

The temple belongs to early Nagara style temples with single spire with lattice work (''sajala'') in it. The rectangular, north-facing temple is ''saptayatana'' (seven shrine) type with one central large shrine surrounded by six smaller shrines. It is on low platform ( ''jagati''). This temple with multiple shrines may be modification of either ''panchayatana'' (five shrine) type with addition of shrines in east and south of the central shrine or ''ashtayatana'' (eight shrine) type with replacement of eighth shrine with the flight of the steps to access the temple from north. The ''jagati'' is buttressed on north and south. The enclosing wall which once connects the shrines. The central shrine has ''

pancharatha A Hindu temple is a ''pancharatha'' when there are five '' ratha'' (on plan) or ''paga'' (on elevation) on the tower of the temple (generally a ''shikhara''). The rathas are vertical offset projection or facets. The name comes from the sanskri ...

'' (five-fold) plan. It is the earliest known five-fold planned temple in the region. It has old style ''vedibandha'' (the lowest socle or foundation block) and almost plain ''mandovara'' (middle of the outer wall of shrine). The ''

shikhara ''Shikhara'' ( IAST: '), a Sanskrit word translating literally to "mountain peak", refers to the rising tower in the Hindu temple architecture of North India, and also often used in Jain temples. A ''shikhara'' over the ''garbhagriha'' chambe ...

'' (spire) and ''

sukhasana Lotus position or Padmasana ( sa, पद्मासन, translit=padmāsana) is a cross-legged sitting meditation pose from ancient India, in which each foot is placed on the opposite thigh. It is an ancient asana in yoga, predating hatha ...

'' (assembly seats) are also in ruins. The ''

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, ...

'' (roof above the assembly hall) is now restored with its ''Bhadraka'' style pillars with their lintels are still surviving. The temple once housed Saptamatrikas. The ''pithika'' of it is still there. The doorway is plain and without any ornamentation. The eastern shrine was probably for

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 ...

History

M. A. Dhaky and J. M. Nanavati opines that "Maga" in the name of the temple suggests that it may be connected to

Maga Brahmin Sakaldwipiya Brahmins (also known as Bhojaka Brahmins or Maga Brahmins) are a class of Brahmin priests primarily concentrated in northern India. History According to the Samba Purana (c.500 - c.800 CE), Samba, the son of Krishna, the king of Sam ...

s who were worshippers of

Surya Surya (; sa, सूर्य, ) is the sun as well as the solar deity in Hinduism. He is traditionally one of the major five deities in the Smarta tradition, all of whom are considered as equivalent deities in the Panchayatana puja and a m ...

(solar deity) and immigrants from

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

to western India. So the temple may have been the Sun temple. It may have been the

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 as well. The temple is currently belongs to Shiva. The spire of the temple has more elaborate lattice work than the Sutrapada temple and less elaborate work than the Roda temples. As Roda temples are placed in the last quarter of the eighth century, so this temple is placed in the middle of the eighth century by Dhaky and Nanavati. So the temple was constructed during the

period. The site is inscribed as the Monument of National Importance (N-GJ-129) and is maintained by Vadodara Circle of Archeological Survey of India.

References

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