Dholkal Ganesh Temple,
Dantewada – History
The
stone idol of Lord Ganesha was installed by the kings of Chindaka Nagavanshi
dynasty in the 11th century CE. The idol remained hidden for
centuries unknown to the outside world. In 1936, the idol is believed to have
been spotted by a British geologist, Crookshank, while he was surveying the
region. But afterwards, especially after the area became a Maoist stronghold,
the idol slipped out of public memory.
It is
only in 2012 that a local journalist climbed up the Dholkal hill and took
pictures of the idol that soon went viral on social media. Till some point, it
must have had a mandapa (pavilion)
supported by pillars on four sides. Remains of these pillars are strewn around
the site. He found two temples; Ganesh Temple and Surya temple, at the height
of around 3000 feet. Ganesh temple has one Ganesh idol, whereas the idol in
Surya temple was stolen many years ago.
However,
In January 2017, the Ganesh idol suddenly disappeared. Upon investigation, the
idol was found at the bottom of the hill, broken in 56 pieces. Despite painful
and dangerous search operation, all broken parts of the idol could not be
recovered. Later, a team of archaeologists brought all the available pieces together
and re-established the idol on the same hill-top. Even today, those marks of
broken pieces are visible on the idol.
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