Chaumukhnath Temple, Nachna, Madhya Pradesh
Chaumukhnath Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Nachna Village in the Indian state Madhya Pradesh. The temple is also referred to as the Chaturmukh Mahadeva temple, is named after the colossal Linga inside the temple whose surface is carved with four faces on the four cardinal directions. The five faces are believed to express the five aspects of Shiva, namely, creation (Vamadeva), maintenance (Tatpurusha), destruction (Aghora), beyond space (Isana) and introspection (Saytajota).
History
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The Temple
Chaumukhnath Temple is similar to the Parvati temple in ground plan and dimensions. The temple also has a square plan and has a door design similar to the Parvati temple, but otherwise it very different in style. The building is concentric squares, 16.75 feet (5.11 m) outside and 11.75 feet (3.58 m) inside. It does not have the two-storey structure of the Parvati temple, but presents another style in the form of a spire (shikhara) instead symbolically mimicking Shiva's Kailash mountain. The Shikhara is slightly curved as it rises towards the sky, with the total height of about 40 feet (12 m).
This temple too stands on a jagati platform, but unlike the Parvati temple it has stairs to enter the temple from multiple directions. Offset from the Parvati temple, it opens towards the east, toward the rising sun. The architectural history of the temple is unusual and complex. It is likely that there was a Shiva temple here with its Linga, but the temple was largely rebuilt in the 9th century on the original 5th century platform and it reused as many parts as it could, such as the windows of the late 5th century temple.
The outer wall of the temple is divided in several places with the rich architectural decoration consisting of trellises, figures (mithunas), niches and decorative panels (udgamas) of the Pratihara style being attached at various levels, which lends the temple an unusual and interesting appearance. Visually and architecturally separated by a peripheral ledge of the outer wall sanctum, its tower was set up shortly afterwards. The walls of the temple have images of divine attendants and each corner has the image of Dikpalaka. There are five storeys with images of carvings of ganas and river goddess on windows and doors.
Lingam:
The interior of the small sanctum (garbhagriha) holds an approximately 4.67 feet (1.42 m) high Shiva-lingam with four faces (mukhalinga) with elaborate hair style, three of which exude calm with meditating closed eye, smiling posture. The fourth face of Shiva is shown as energized and in action, with wide open mouth, raised nostrils and slightly bulging open eyes likely the terrible aspect in his form as Bhairava.
The faces of the mukhalinga represent the Pancha Mukha aspects of Shiva iconography, where Tatpurusha, Aghora (Bhairava, Rudra), Vamadeva and Satyojatha face the four cardinal directions, while Ishana the fifth is beyond space, all directions and time as the formless absolute in Hindu theology. They symbolize the creation (Vamadeva), maintenance (Tatpurusha), destruction (Aghora), and introspective subtle reflective Satyojatha aspects of Shiva as the metaphysical Brahman.
Windows:
Three Jali windows, which let little light into the dark sanctum, are among the temple's attractions. Its multi-layered composition and decorative figures are significantly more elaborate than the Jalis at Parvati Temple and more representative of the local adornments artistically-speaking. The actual window panel consists of two shells with rich profiled reminiscent of wooden model – lattices inside and three small arcades in the exterior, formed as horseshoe arches.
The polygonal broken pillars standing on a cubic base have a pumpkin-shaped pinnacle (amalaka) and end in a block-like attachment with abacus panel. All three windows display music playing and dancing Ganas at the bottom, with symmetrically arranged river goddesses Ganga and Yamuna appearing in addition to their vahanas, in this case, each a river monster (Makara). The recessed frame mounts (shakhas) are richly decorated.
Connectivity
The Temple is located at about 8 Kms from Saleha, 29 Kms from Devendra Nagar, 31 Kms from Nagod, 55 Kms from Panna, 56 Kms from Satna Railway Junction, 59 Kms from Satna, 92 Kms from Khajuraho, 92 Kms from Khajuraho Railway Station, 95 Kms from Khajuraho Airport, 105 Kms from Katni, 202 Kms from Jabalpur and 403 Kms from Bhopal. Nachna can be reached by a taxi from main towns. If you plan by public transport, then take a bus from Panna going to Satna and get down at Devendranagar, which is 26 Kms from Panna. From Devendranagar, take a bus to Saleha, which is 21 km from Devendranagar. From Saleha, Nachna is about 8 Kms. However, there is no public transport available to reach this village. You can either try a taxi from Saleha or try some hitchhiking. Public transport frequency is not very good, so plan accordingly. Khajuraho and Satna are the nearest railheads. Khajuraho is the nearest airport.
Location
Thanks for the info 🙌❤️
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