Jammu Redefining
| February 9--February 22, 2014
Jammu Redefining
5
Exploring the Unexplored Jammu
Region- Manwal Temples
throw lights on how impressive the
art and architecture was prevalent in
that time. These ruins are the structures of great solidity and considerable beauty.Some of the stones,
monolithic beams, pillars used in
their construction are over a dozen
feet long and their sculptures and
carving are splendid and impressive. Temples must be a part of
great pilgrimage of by gone ages
which lost either importance or damaged in some calamity.
Famous historian Dr Ashok
Jerath,in his book tilted 'Dogra legends of Art and Culture' has written,
"A few hundred metres from the
main road, deep in the village of
Dera, we find a colossus structure of
a massive building with towering pillars, wide sanctums and open mandapas". This holy building is erected
on a massive platform which can be
reached with a flight of twelve steps
on west side. We suddenly find ourselves in a wide chamber with eight
fluted columns with ornamental
bases. These columns might have
been used for the support of horizontal and oblique slabs which we
find in one of the surviving roofs of
Kala Dera temples.
These slabs support the stone
sheets forming the roof of the chamber or so called the antechamber.
There are four garbhgrihas.
The upper door beams of the
entrance possess the beautiful carvings of Gods and Goddesses which
in due course of time have deteriorated to some extent but carvings of
navgrahas on the horizontal upper
beam of the door of the garbhgriha,
situated at north side of the temple,
are still magnificent in their forms
and structure. Almost all the frames
of garbhgrihas contain the carvings
of the river deities and their maids.In
the centre of each upper beam there
is a carving of Lord Ganesha. They
are planned in the style of Sapt
Rathis.
The niches with lotus flower decoration and the horizontal beam supported by two vertical columns contain different deities. Some of the
niches are devoid of any deity.May
be in due course of time these
deities could not survive
the
process of alternate heating and
cooling.The outer walls of the temple are decorated with the chiseling
of geometrical figures, triangles,
quardrangles, pentagonals and so
on, which is the unique character of
this temple.
CMYK
Since this is a Shikhara style of
temple and in structure closely related to Krimchi complex of temples
the time period of its construction is
believed to be around 10th century.
Historians and the art critics could
not trace the genesis of the feudal
lords responsible for its construction.
KALA DERA TEMPLE -I
Kala Dera temple means the black
temple which is dedicated to SHIVA
and faces east. It is noteworthy for
its architectural planning. On plan it
consists of a Garbhgriha(sanctrum),
antarala (vestibule), an ardhmandapa (entrance porch) and a Mandapa
(hall).
The temple stands on high platform approached by a flight of steps,
the square mandapa is survived
with an entrance. Four massive fluted columns resting on plain square
bases and 12 pilasters which once
supported its roof. Door jambs of
sanctum are decorated with the
sculptures of Shiva and Vaishnava
dwarapals and river goddesses
Ganga and Yamuna.
Shiva and Vaishnava dwarpals
suggest that the sanctum enshrined
the image of Harihara. Exterior of
the garbhgriha is saptarath on plan
and is decorated with plain mouldings geometrical and non-geometrical designs. It has niches for parsva
devatas on the central projections
and makaramukha pranala (crocodile headed spout ) on the northern
side. Among the architectural members scattered around the temple
fluted shafts, pillar bases, parts of
ceiling carved with inverted lotus
flower pedestals of images and lintel
are noteworthy. Two sculptures of
dancing Shiva found from here are
now exhibited in sculpture shed
near Devi Bhagwati temple. This
temple is assignable to circa 10-11
century A.D.
KALA DERA TEMPLE - II
Kaladera temple means the black
temple dedicated to SHIVA. It is a
compact and better preserved temple and on plan it consists of a
Garbhgriha(santrum),
an
antarala(vestibule) and Mandapa
(Hall). It stands on a platform
approached by a flight of steps.
Lantern type ceiling of the mandapa
is supported on flour flouted
columns resting on square bases
and 12 pila