Snippets of Information Temples in Maharashtra
* 3 Jun 2022

Gondeshwar temple, built in the Hemadpanthi style of architechture
during the Adilshahi rule in Maharastra lies 30 km southeast of Nashik
city on the Nashik - Pune Highway.
The temple's origin dates back to 12 - 13th century during Yadava
dynasty. Some sources claim that Raj Govinda of Yadava dynasty built
this great temple.
It is a Shaiva Panchayatan, or a group of five temples within a large
enclosure. The central shrine is dedicated to Lord Shiva and the
remaining four around it are temples to Goddess Parvati, Lord Vishnu,
Lord Ganapati and Surya Bhagwan. The structure constructed using the
locally available black basalt stone and lime has some exquisitely
carved structures.
Source: nashik.com
The Gondeshwar temple was constructed during the reign of the Seuna
(Yadava) dynasty, and it has been variously dated to the 11th or 12th
centuries. Sinnar was a pre-imperial dynasty stronghold, and modern
historians associate it with Seunapura, a town founded by Yadava king
Seuanchandra. According to local legend, Sinnar town was founded by the
Gavali (Yadava) chief Rav Singhuni, and the Gondeshwar Mandir was built
at a cost of 200,000 rupees by his son Rav Govinda. Another theory holds
that the temple, also known as Govindeshvara, was built by the Yadava
feudatory Govinda-raja, but no historical evidence supports this theory.
Source: viharadarshani.in
According to historical records, Sinnar also known as Sindinagar or
Seunapura was governed by Bhillama III of the Seuna or Yadavas of
Devagiri as a feudatory of the Kalyani Chalukya (also known as Western
Chalukya) king Jayasimha II. However, with time this place lost its
prominence and was re-established by a Gavli chieftain, Ravi Singuni
during the 11th century. There is a bit of confusion over who built this
temple in the 12th century as one record gives credit to Ravi Singuni’s
son Rav Govinda and another to Govinda Raja.
A beautiful Kurma avatar sits in the centre of the hall facing the
sanctum sanctorum which has a towering shikara over the Shiva Linga. The
rathas in the temples are in perfect harmony with the horizontal
mouldings. There are exauisitely decorated pillars, elephant bands in
the base of the walls, highly ornamented porches, floral motifs, Brahmi,
Gaja Lakshmi, Shiva performing the Tandava, Gomukh, Makara, graceful
figures of women, apsaras, gandharvas, kinnaras and panels depicting
scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharat and Puranas.
Source: Gondeshwar Temple, Sinnar, Nashik District, Maharashtra by Lakshmi Subramanian, sahasa.in
* 1 Feb 2022
The Kailasa Mandir in Ellora

164 feet long, 108 feet wide & 100 feet high, Entire Mandir from top to bottom was cut out from solid basalt bedrock!
The largest Monolithic Structure of the World.
Source: fb Bharatvarsa : @IndiaTales7
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