Shiva Temple, Ganiyari, Chattisgarh
Shiva Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to the Lord Shiva located in Ganiyari Village in Kota Tehsil in Bilaspur District in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. The temple was built in 11th century CE by Kalachuris. The Temple is one of the protected monuments in Chattisgarh declared by Archaeological Survey of India.
The Temple
The Temple is situated on the banks of Deur Talab. This temple is facing towards east and follows Bhumija style. The temple consists of Sanctum and entrance porch. The sanctum is square and pancharatha on plan. The entrance of the sanctum is richly carved and has triple door jambs. The lower jamb of the door is decorated with dvarapalas and river goddesses Ganga & Yamuna with their respective mounts.
The lintel has carvings of Gajalakshmi flanked by Parvati and Ganesha. Navagrahas can also be seen in the lintel. Nataraja and Garuda can be seen above Gajalakshmi. The sanctum enshrines Shiva Linga and the idols of Surya with his chariot Aruna and his consorts Usha & Pratyusha, Ganesha, Nataraja and Vishnu.
The superstructure (Shikara) over the sanctum is completely lost. Surya, Ganesha and Parvati are the niche idols located around the sanctum walls. The exterior walls of the sanctum are decorated with Surasundaris. Almost all the sculptures suffered destruction. The lowest moulding of adishtana is depicted with rows of elephants.
Connectivity
The
Temple is located at about 16 Kms from Kota, 19 Kms from Bilaspur, 22 Kms from
Bilaspur New Bus Stand, 24 Kms from Bilaspur Junction Railway Station, 130 Kms
from Raipur and 147 Kms from Raipur Airport. The Temple is situated on Bilaspur
to Kota route.
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