Nachna and Bhumra: Master architecture of Gupta Art

NACHNA or KUTHARA

The small village of Nachna is situated 2 miles to the west of the town Ganj, which is 25 miles to the south-east of Panna, and 15 miles to the south-west of Nagod.
The people say that Kuthara was a great city in the former times, that it was the capital of the king of the country. In the early history of Bundelas it is recorded that Sohan Pal, the fourth in descent from Pancham, the founder of the family, captured Kutharagarh about the middle of the 15th century.
There are two temples still standing at Nachna, one named after goddess Parvati, although at present it is possesses no statue; the other named Chaumukh Nath Mahadeo, after the colossal four faced lingam, which is still enshrine inside.
The temple of Parvati is one old temple from the oldest temple of India and it is a previous architecture of Gupta art. The figures on the outer walls and on the doorway have the figures of the Ganges and Jamuna standing on their respective symbols, the crocodile and tortoise. All the roofs are flat, like those of known Gupta temples at Sanchi, Eran and Tigowa.

It is a building of two stories. It is nearly square, 15’9” by 15’ with plain perpendicular walls. The lower storey is surrounded by a roofed cloister upwards of 5’ wide which is closed, expect in front of the entrance door, by a wall, 3’ thick. In front of the entrance there is an open, unroofed court, nearly 12’ square, which is reached by flight steps, 4½’ in height.
The upper story is quite plain both inside and outside. It is covered by a flat roof of apparently three slabs. These are still on the top of the wall, but are much tiled and out of position. The joints were covered as in the known Gupta temples. The doorway is on the west, and the chamber is lighted by two trellises, one in each side wall. These are formed simply by two plain loop holes, one on each side.
The doorway of the lower storey is very richly carved with human figures in pairs on each jamb, ending with small statues of the Ganges and Yamuna. The figures are all of the Gupta period, and are much superior to all medieval sculptures, both in the ease and gracefulness of their attitudes, as well as in the real beauty of the forms. The hair of the male figures is arranged in the same fashion as that of a Gupta kings on their coins, with rows of the curls, like the wig of a judge. There are no obscene figures.
The sanctum is dimply lighted on each side by a stout trellis of simple square holes, which receives its light from another trellis in the cloister wall opposite. In the middle of each of the outer faces there is a large trellis, with two horned loins and two men. On one side the trellis has four small pillars, with three openings, each pillar being ornamented with a human figure.
The outer faces of the wall (expecting only the upper room) are carved to imitate rock work. A few figures are introduces, as well as a few lions or bears lying in holes or caves in the rock-work.
Inside there is a pedestal with a mortice hole for the elevation of the tenon of a statue. This has been pushed to one side by some treasure hunter.
Chaumukha Nath Mahadeo Temple

It is quite different in style, although its doorway is similar to that of the Parvati temple. It is a square building, 11¾, inside and 16¾’ outside. It has a tall spire, with slightly curved sides, and is about 40’ high. It stands on a raised platform, like that of the old temple of Deogarh. In the middle of each side there is a stout stone lattice, surmounted by a couple of niches holding figures. There are also side niches; but these are empty, with the exception of a standing figure of Brahma with four arms. All the figures are draped.

Inside, there is a colossal lingam, 4’8” in height, with a large head, with a most elaborate head-dress on each of the four faces. The heads are all perfect; and shows the different form of Lord Shiva.

Ajaygarh Fort: The legacy of Chandela Kings.

Ajaygarh Fort

The fortress of Ajaygarh is situated just 20 miles by road to the south- west of Kalinjar. It stands on a lofty, flat-topped spur of the Vindhya Hills, within sight of the River Ken, which only 8 miles away. It is of about same height as Kalinjar.
The lower part of the hill, which is of granite, is not very steep, but the upper part, which is consists of reddish sandstone, is very abrupt and quite inaccessible.
The size of the fort is smaller than Kalinjar fort. It is nearly triangular in shape, and the circuit of its walls is just 3 miles, that of Kalinjar being less than 4 miles.
History
The foundation of Ajaygarh is referred to an unknown raja, Ajay Pal. But the name of Ajaygarh is not found in any of the inscriptions, the name being invariably given as Jayapura-durga, or the “Fortress of Jayapura.”
Art and Architecture
The fort has two gates; one to the north being simple called Darwaza; and the other to the south-east, called the Tarhaoni Darwaza, as it leads directly upon the village of Tarhowan, at the foot of the hill. In the inscriptions, there is mention of the Kalinjar Dwara or Kalinjar Gate.
Near the northern gate there are two tanks excavated in the rock, which are known by the name of Ganga-Jamuna. Almost exactly in the middle of the fort there is a large tank cut in the rock called Ajay-Pal-ka-Talao. It is evidently old, but black stone figure on its bank, which is called Ajay Pal, is clearly a statue of the four armed Vishnu.
Near the southern end of the fort there is another tank called Parmal Tal, or the reservoir of Raja Paramard. Close by there is a ruined temple of the Chandela times, which is also attributed to Raja Parmal: and at a short distance there are two other temples standing together, which are simply known as Chandeli Mahal. All these temples are in ruins.
The largest of the three temples is 60 feet long by 40 feet broad, with its entrance to the west. The northern portion has fallen down. The walls of the standing portion are very richly ornamented.
The second temple, of the same size, also faces the west. This also was very highly decorated. But all the numerous figures which once adorned its walls are now gone, expect that of a single figure four armed female.
The third temple near Parmal’s tank is slightly smaller than the others, its dimension being 54 by 36 feet. The angles of the sanctum seem to have been laid out on the circumference of a circle.
On the rock at the Tarhaoni gate there is a row of eight goddesses (Astha-sakti), of whom seven are sitting. They are each 3 feet high and 3 feet 10 inches broad, in separate frames. They are roughly executed.
Their names are written below them, amongst which I could read Sri-Chandi, Sri-Chamunda, Sri-Kalika, and also the name of Jayapura-durga.
Close by there is a long inscription cut in the rock, 7 feet by 2 feet 4 inches. It contains several names of these Chandela kings, beginning with Kirti Varmma and ending with Bhoja Varmma.
There are also several Jain figures sitting with their hands in their laps.

Near these there are a cow and calf, and a four armed goddess sitting with a child in her lap, and with five pigs above one another on her right side, and eight pigs in pairs above one another on her left hand. This is evidently the figure of Shashti, the goddess of fecundity.
There is no mention of Ajaygarh by name in any of the Muslism rule.

Kalinjar Fort: The prestige of Central India

Kalinjar

Kalinjar is a fortress-city in the Bundelkhand region of central India. Kalinjar is located in Banda District of Uttar Pradesh state, near the temple-city and World Heritage Site of Khajuraho. The fortress is strategically located on an isolated rocky hill at the end the Vindhya Range, at an elevation of 1203 feet overlooking the plains of Bundelkhand.
It served several of Bundelkhand ruling dynasties, including the Chandela dynasty of Rajput in the 10th century, and the Solanki of Rewa. The fortress contains several temples, dating as far back as the Gupta dynasty of the 3rd-5th centuries. Kalinjar is one of the most characteristic specimens of the hill-fortresses, originally hill-shrines, of central India.
Its antiquity is proved by its mention in the Mahabharata. Kalinjar means the destroyer of time in Sanskrit. 'Kaal' is time and 'jar' destruction. It is therefore a common belief associated with the Kalinjar hill that Lord Shiva had slain the god of time on it. Legend also says that after manthan Hindu God, Lord Shiva, drank the poison and his throat became blue (hence the name Neel (blue) Kantha (throat)) and he came to Kalinjar and overcome the 'Kaal' i.e. he achieved victory over death. This is the reason the Shiva temple at Kalinjar is called Neelkanth. Since then, the hill has been considered a holy site, casting its shadow across the patches of grasslands as well as the densely forested valley. The natural splendor of the surroundings makes it an ideal place for penance and meditation and, surprisingly, a strange mystique still pervades all over the hill. The scriptures state that the holy place had four different names in the four yugas, or epochs within a cycle of four ages:
In Satyuga it was known as Kirtinagar,
In Treta it was Madhyagarh,
In Dwapar it was Singhalgarh, and
In Kalyuga it came to be known as Kalinjar.
The hilly peak has several legends attached to it. Its origin being shrouded in mystery, not much is known as to when and by whom the fort was built on this holy hill, though modern historians conjecture that Bargujar Kings built it from A.D.150 to A.D.250 the fort contains Shiva temple of Neelkanth Mahadev Similar to the one built by King Manthandev Bargujar,(a shilalekh/rock edict stands testimony to this fact,now inside Sariska Tiger Reserve ) confirmed by Col.James Tod in his classical ,"Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan" 18th century British historian, and at Baroli near Rana Sagar Dam. Later the Bargujars were part of a much bigger Gurjara - Pratihara Empire in North India which was at its peak from 500 C.E. to 1150 C.E. The fort was a unique monument of its time and had no parallel in any other part of the country in terms of sheer grandeur and artistry.
Its historical background is replete with numerous battles and invasions. The Hindu princes of different dynasties as well as the Muslim rulers fought hard to conquer it and the fort continued to pass from one ruler to another. But, except for the Chandelas, no other ruler could reign over it for long,
It was besieged by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1023, and here the Pashtun emperor Sher Shah Suri met his death in 1545. Kalinjar played a prominent part in history down to the time of the Revolt of 1857, when it was held by a small British garrison. Both the fort and the town, which stands at the foot of the hill, are of interest to the antiquary on account of the remains of temples, sculptures, inscriptions and caves.
In 1812, the British troops marched into Bundelkhand. After a long battle they were able to annex the fort. The British seizure of Kalinjar proved to be a great watershed, transferring the legacy of the old aristocracy into the hands of the new bureaucracy of officials who showed their loyalty to British imperialism by damaging the captured fort. The damages caused to the fort can still be seen on its walls and open spaces.
Attractions
Cemented roads have been built all through the mountainous passage along which people can conveniently travel to reach the fort. But to discover the real charm and pleasure of adventure, one has to walk along the old beaten track, making way through the rough and rocky terrain of the seven magnificent gates falling in between. Seeing these gates, one truly appreciates the functional relevance of this invincible fort and its strategic defenses.
There are two entrances to the fort of the Kalanjir, of which the principal is on the north side towards the town, and the other at the south-east of Kalanjir. The north entrance is guarded by seven different gates, which beginning from below, are named as follows:
1. Alam or Alamgiri gate
2. Ganesh Gate
3. Chandi or Chau-burji Gate
4. Budh-bhadra gate
5. Hanuman gate
6. Lal Darwaza gate
7. Bara Darwaza
The lowest gate named the Alam Darwaza, having been added during the reign of the Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir.
There is an ascent of about 200 feet up to the lowest gate, which a battlemented building in the modern Muslim style. Over the archway outside there is a Persian inscription of three lines.
Above this there is a steep ascent, chiefly by steps, to the second gate called the Ganesh Darwaza.
At a short distance higher up in the bend of the road stands the third gate, named Chandi Darwaza. At this gateway there are several inscriptions.
The fourth gate, named Budha-bhadra Darwaza, is the gate of the planet Mercury (Buddha). It is also named as Swargarohan or Heaven ascending gate.
The fifth gate, or Hanuman Darwaza, is so named after a figure of the Hanuman resting against the rock. There is a reservoir called Hanuman Kund. There are, besides, numerous rock sculptures, which are very weather-worn. Many, however, are still quite recognizable, such as Mahadeva and Parvati, Ganesh, the Bull Nandi, and the lingam. On the ascent beyond there are many weather-worn figures carved on the rock representing Kali, Chandika and the Lingam.
The sixth gate, called the Lal Darwaza, from its red colour stands near the top of ascent. To the west of this gate, is the Raoni, or faussebraie, immediately above the Bhairava-Kund, there is a colossal figure of Bhairava cut in the rock.
A short ascent leads to the seventh or uppermost gate, called Bara Darwaza, or the Main gate.
Inside the fort on the north face are four places of note named Sita-Kund, Sita-Sej, Patal-Ganga and Pandu-kund.
Sita-Sej is a small cave, or recess, containing a stone bed and pillow for the use of a hermit.
The Patal Ganga is a large deep well, or reservoir, cut in the rock. The water is deep, constantly dripping and trickling from the roof and asides. It has many inscriptions.
The Pandu-kund is a “shallow circular basin, about 12 feet in diameter”, into which the water is constantly dripping and trickling from the crevices in the horizontal strata of rock.
Budhi or Burhiya Tal near the middle of the east face there is a natural small reservoir with steps all around and has been excavated in the rock.
Koti Tirth Tal is a large reservoir, nearly 100 meters in length, with several flights of steps and many remains sculptures. Its water is believed to possess very great healing powers as the leprous Raja Kirat Brim or Kirtti Varmma, after having bathed in the tank found him healed.
Neelkanth Mahadev temple the great lingam of Neelkantha is situated in as outwork in the middle of the west face of the fort. The upper gate, leading into the outwork, is attributed to Raja Parmal or Paramardi Deva, who reigned from A.D. 1167 to 1203. There are several inscriptions. A second gate leads into the courtyard of the temple. The rock on right hand of the descent there are many statues and several inscriptions.
The shrine of the Neelkantha lingam is a small cave with remains of the fine mandapa, or hall in front. The façade of the cave has been very rich, but is now much broken. On the jambs of the door there are figures of Siva and Parvati with Ganges and Yamuna rivers. These are of the Gupta period. The pillars of the halls are later, and belong to the Chandela. The roof of the mandapa is now gone, but most pillars and tops are remained. The tops are decorated with some beautiful Kichkas, like some are playing musical instruments and some weapons.
A cave-like opening and glances at an imposing Shivlinga of around five feet, one is awe-struck. The idea has been to use landscape and cave-isolation to set the solemnity of the mood for prayer. Its intrinsic feature is to reflect and refract light in the appropriate seasons, letting in light in winter and darkening to restrict its entry in summer.
Just above the temple is a natural water source and water in this source never dries up. Water continually drips on Shivlinga. The priests, who are Chandela Rajput since the time of the Chandela kings, point out an interesting factoid: The neck of the sculpture of lord Shiva on the Shivlinga, though made of solid rock, is always moist to touch. In some sense reminding every visitor the "Neelkanth" or drinking of poison story.
Close to the Shivlinga cave, stand the idols of Bhairava and goddess Parvati, made of black stone.
Just outside the Mandapa of Neelkantha there is a deep Kund, or rock cut reservoir, called Swargarohana.
There is a colossal figure of Kaal Bhairava, 24 feet in the height and 17 feet broad. The figure has 18 arms, and is ornamented with the usual garland of skulls, with snakes earrings and snakes armlets, and the skeleton goddess Kali 4 feet in height
Manduk Bhairava At the south east angle of the fort, there is situated Panna gate; it is covered by a small outwork. There are three gates. There are some inscriptions. There is the Bhairon-ka-Jhirka or Bhairava’s well, there is an old inscription of Samvat 1195 or A.D. 1138, and a single sculpture of a pilgrim carrying two water vessels on a banghi-pole. Above the Kund there is a colossal figure of Bhairava carved in the rock. It is one of the most beautiful figures of Bhairava. The expression of heroism and aggression is nicely depicted in this figure. Next figure, a lady figure is sitting on a seat and watching towards the god in scary expression. Its ornamentation and proportion shows that it is from Gupta period. Local people call this figure as Manduk Bhairava.
Aman Mahal Another beautiful sight is the palace of prince Aman Singh. He was the descendant of King Chhatrasal. A number of legends are associated with this Mahal whose big lawns and walls unfold a long history of Chandela culture. Thousands of images made of granite and sandstone have been collected in a museum set up informally. Rich carvings on these images arrest the eye, even though they are broken and have been struck by the ravages of time. It presents a unique artistic charm. The presence of images of Lord Shiva the god of love Kamadev, Indrani the wife of Indra etc. speaks of influence from diverse cultures and religions. It also leads us to believe that the creation of the Chandela culture was not the handiwork of artists from one region.
Banke Bihari temple The Banke Bihari temple presents a majestic look from the outside though its interiors are decayed now.
Rang Mahal, Rani Mahal and Chaubey Mahal these are some old palaces of different families.
How to reach
BY AIR - The nearest airport is at Khajuraho, which is 130 km away.
BY RAIL - The nearest railway station is Atarra 36 km away, on the Banda-Satna route, 57 km from the Banda railway station.
BY ROAD - The Kalinjar fort is linked by road to all the important centers in the region with regular bus services. Some of the major road distances are: Chitrakoot, 78 km; Banda, 62 km; Khajuraho, 130 km; and Allahabad, 205 km.
Some attractive rock cut figures of Kalinjar Fort.

Figure 1 Goddess Parvati watching to Shiva (Other wall of Manduk Bhairava)

Figure 2 King Parmal with his wife doing prayer of Neelkantha (Close to Neelkantha temple)

Figure 3 Rock cut figure of Lakulisha(Teacher of Pashupata Sect) Close to Neelkantha temple.

Figure 4 Kichaka figure on the capital of Mahamandapa Neelkantha temple

Introduction of Khajuraho

History
Khajuraho was known during ancient times as Vatsa, in medieval times as Jejakabhukti, and since the fourteenth century as Bundelkhand.
The Chandelas were originally local chieftains. By the middle of the tenth century, the Chandela family became independent, and stopped recognizing the overlordship of the Pratihara kings. At the height of Chandela power in the 11th cent, this territory was bounded on all four sides by the rivers: on the north lay the Yamuna, on the south the Narmada, on the east the Tamas, and on the west the Chambal.
The Chandela decorated their realm with tanks, forts, palaces which were mainly concentrated in the strongholds of Mahoba (ancient Mahotsava-nagara) and Kalinjar (Kalanjara) and Ajaygarh (Jayapura-durga) and to a lesser extent, in their towns of Dudhai, Chandpur, Madanpur and Deogarh in district Jhansi.
Khajuraho was definitely considered a special site and this is where the Chandelas concentrated their temple-building activity. Their earlier temples, built when they were still local ruler, were made of rough granite and constructed on the periphery of the site. Among these are the 64 Yogini temple and the Shiva temple, called Lalguan Mahadeva.
It was Yashovarman, who really established the Chandelas as an independent power. He acquired the prestigious Vaikuntha-Vishnu image from his Pratihara overlord Devpala, and announced his victory by building a splendid temple, the first in the Nagara style at Khajuraho. The Khajuraho temples were built over a period of 250 yrs. during the rule of the Chandela dynasty either by the rulers themselves or by their chiefs and Jain Merchants.
More than 65 inscriptions of the Chandelas, who ruled over in this area from 831 to 1308 AD, have been found.
Religious Background
The religion of Khajuraho was Tantric-Puranic. It was a composite and mixed religion with both Tantric and Puranic elements. By the tenth century AD, the Puranas, which had earlier the tantras, now accepted several Tantric elements such as mantras, yantras, and mandalas. The temples of Khajuraho are based on tantra based Vaishnavite and Shaivite order. Both systems believed in the role of Shakti or female Energy in the Creation and Dissolution of the Universe. The Supreme Being (Para-Vasudeva or Para-Shiva) is both transcendent and unmanifest, and also immanent and manifest in graded powers and elements.
The central purpose of religion-the attainment of the ultimate reality is expressed by representing the temple as cosmos. This is the internal logic of the iconic imagery of the temple, articulated while the designer was conscious of the central purpose of religion.
People from all works of life visited the temples. Religious aspirants as well as common people with mundane desire would worship according to their level of understanding and faith. But the temple served as more than just a place of worship. It was a socio-religious institution in the medieval period. In the halls of the temples, religious texts were recited, and the dance and music was performed. People even came to Khajuraho in search of magical cures for diseases.
One can imagine the bustling religious and artistic activities, with several priests conducting worship in different temples; royal priests supervising the construction of temples.
Art and Architecture
Chaturmukh-Mahadeva temple at Nachna, one of the earliest typical sikhara temples of north India, is even more important and constitutes a landmark in architecture, marking the transition between the Gupta and the medieval temple style. The building tradition was continued by the Imperial Pratiharas, who left in this region two of their finest temples, viz. the Jarai-Mata temple at Barwasagar, District Jhansi, and the Sun temple at Mankhera, District Tikamgarh, both assignable to circa 9th century.
The Khajuraho temples are built in the central Indian Nagara style of architecture. In this style, the spire (shikahra) is curvilinear in form. Although the temples are affiliated to different religious sects – Hindu and Jain – they have a cognate architectural style. They are unified structures consisting of four or five units: a cella or sanctum (grabhagriha), a vestibule (antarala), a large hall (mahamandapa), another hall (mandapa), and a porch (mukhamandapa). Most of the Khajuraho temples are erected on the east-west axis and therefore face the direct rays of the rising sun.
The grabhagriha, literally ‘womb chamber’, is the name given to the innermost sanctum in an Indian temple. The temple is conceived of as an abode of god, whose emblem or icon is installed in the innermost chamber. The sanctum is a dark, peaceful place, where the devotee is reborn to higher life. It is a hollow chamber resembling a cave (guha) and its centre is considered to be the centre of the universe. The temple’s spire rises exactly above the centre of the sanctum. The invisible axis joining the centre of the sanctum on the ground level and the finial of the superstructure above is conceived as the Cosmic Axis connecting earth and heaven.
The earlier temples in India, built in the fifth century AD, generally consisted of only the sanctum and an attached porch. Gradually, with changing requirements for rituals, more structures were added to this simple scheme. A hall for dance performances and another for food offerings to the deity were added and the original two- unit scheme was expanded to have four or five units.
The Indian temple is built according to the Vastushastra. These texts cover every aspect of architecture, from selection of the site to the construction of the temple from plinth to its spire. They give measurements and proportions for the different portions, images, and sculptural motifs and that adorn the walls, pillars, and other areas.
Adornment (alankara) is an important feature of Indian culture. Decoration is considered to be auspicious, and the temple is adorned with various sculptural motifs such as creepers, birds, apsaras, mithunas (couples), and vyalas. These are considered to be magico- protective motifs, and are supposed to bring good luck.
The Agni purana conceives the temple as Purusha, the humanized Supreme Being. The terminology of the human body is applied to the temple. Thus, the base of the temple is its foot (Pada), the wall is its thigh (Jangha), and the spire its head (mastaka or shikhara).
The Khajuraho temple has three main divisions on its elevation: the plinth or basal story (pitha), the wall (jangha), and the roof or spire (sikhara). In the tall platform (jagati) on which it stands, the temple has a high basal storey with a series of ornamental mouldings depicting human activities (narathara), mask of glory (grasapattika), and geometrical designs.
Above the plinth is the wall section, jangha, divided into two or three sculptural zones. It is here that we see lovely figural sculptures – apsaras, griffins, couples or mithunas, guardian deities of space (dikpalas), and so on.
The roof of the subordinate structures such as the porch and halls are pyramidal in shape, while over the sanctum is curvilinear, with graded peaks clustering around it.