Gondeshwar Temple, Sinnar –
The Temple
The Gondeshwar temple is built
in the Bhumija style,
in form of a Panchayatana complex, which features a main shrine surrounded
by four subsidiary shrines. The temple is situated on a rectangular
platform that measures 125 x 95 feet. The plan of the temple is very
similar to that of the Ambarnath Shiva Temple,
but the sculptures on its exterior walls are of inferior quality than those of
the Ambarnath Temple.
The temple complex was
originally surrounded by a wall, which is now mostly destroyed. The main shrine
is dedicated to Shiva,
and contains a large Linga. The shrine and the Nandi pavilion
facing it are located on an elevated plinth. The mandapa (pavilion),
which has porches on three sides, acts as the entrance to the temple. The
shrine has a Nagara-style shikhara
(tower), whose finial
is no longer preserved.
The temple in the Deccan style
is different from north Indian temples. Here, the shikhara does not have
turrets grouped around the lower part of the structure. Instead, the shikhara
has a distinct vertical band rising upwards. These are along each of its angles
taking the form of a spine or quoin. Moreover, the space between is filled with
smaller reproductions of the shikhara.
The pillared hall carved with
tortoise, the Kurma Avatar of Lord Vishnu, on the ground, is small, elegant and
unique in this part of the country. The walls of the temple depict scenes from
the ancient epic Ramayana. The subsidiary shrines are dedicated
to Surya,
Vishnu,
Parvati,
and Ganesha:
all of them have a porch. They are rectangular in plan, and include a
mandapa, an antarala (vestibule), and the garbhagriha (sanctum).
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