I was particularly morose after my trip to this ancient Indian temple. A part of me was happy and proud, that I could see and touch the beautiful past whilst another part felt sad - because it was on its way to extinction. I was reminded by my friends not to get too emotional about the matter and proceed with what we had set out to do - visit as many heritage sites as possible and share them with as many people as we could. I am neither an activist nor a reformist, just a regular Indian citizen who loves her country, heritage, culture and people, with a sincere heart!
Loni is approximately 30km from Pune and Bhapkar is a Maharashtrian surname. How this temple got named Loni Bhapkar is a mystery! Possibly, the Bhapkar family looked after this temple.
‘Varah’ – the boar is one of the third avatars (forms) of the Hindu God Vishnu and the story goes, he defeated ‘Hiranyakasha’, a demon who took earth to bottom of what is described as a cosmic ocean! He finally restored earth to its original place by carrying it on his tusks. In visual depictions, this form is depicted in a half human and half boar form. ‘Varah Mandap’ (the place where Vishnu’s form resides) is found at the entrance of Shiva temples.
The care taker of sorts, or maybe he was the designated manager of the structure, seemed to be of a more of religious bent of mind and was interested in the recent extensions (said to have been built in 18th century during the Peshwa regime, now smothered in oil paint!). This is a temple of ‘Dashabhuja Datta’, the Hindu God – Datta -depicted here with ten arms, usually shown with six arms)as well as a ‘Grama Devata’ (God of the local villages).
Do not miss this temple especially for the Varah and the exquisite flower lattice carved in stone.
One is struck by the graceful architecture of the ‘Bhumij’ style. The temple is made of stone and also has structures that were added later and are very garishly painted concrete !Built in 14th century during the Yadava dynasty, this is also called the ‘Mallikarjun’ (Hindu God Shiva and Parvati) temple.
‘Varah’ – the boar is one of the third avatars (forms) of the Hindu God Vishnu and the story goes, he defeated ‘Hiranyakasha’, a demon who took earth to bottom of what is described as a cosmic ocean! He finally restored earth to its original place by carrying it on his tusks. In visual depictions, this form is depicted in a half human and half boar form. ‘Varah Mandap’ (the place where Vishnu’s form resides) is found at the entrance of Shiva temples.
At Loni Bhapkar however, Varah is in the form of a boar that has been very painstakingly sculpted by artists. Besides its religious significance (which is outside scope of this blog) we were enamored by the detailing and the story/message behind every detail. The knotted tail and the form of a woman with folded hands (which might be ‘Prithvi’- the Earth) lying between ‘Varah’ – the boar’s four legsis a mystery to me,as are the three seated male forms on the body of Varah. One could hazard a guess that these might be the Hindu Trinity– Bramha, Vishnu and Mahesh). What shocks and saddens one is neglected state it is in now.
We had a blast photographing this wild sculpture. It was late in the afternoon and the mercury was at its peak. A senior member of the village was gave us company and shared trivia about the temple. He appeared completely unimpressed with the Varah sculpture which we were drooling over!
After our tête-à-tête‘with the Wild Boar we turned to ‘Pushkarni‘ haud (depressed structure for storing water), another attraction of Loni Bhapkar. This is still resplendent in its original form to a large extent (sigh of relief)!Most old structures have a ‘haud’ as part of the establishment; this is where the stones required for the structure were dug out (normally from a place where was a possibility of finding a water source). The niches around the lake and steps going to the water give it a beautiful symmetry and its a quiet stop for someone seeking solace and peace from the mad rush.
The artistry of ancient India is renowned for its stone sculptures. A sterling example of it is found in Loni Bhapkar, though many would miss this due to lack of sufficient light in the temple. An extremely intricate and proportionate lattice of flowers carved in stone takes one by surprise. At first glance these interlocked layers appear to be made of dark wood. The pillars have are influenced by Yadavian architecture - these have less ornately carved surfaces, as opposed to what one finds at the Bhuleshwar temple.
The care taker of sorts, or maybe he was the designated manager of the structure, seemed to be of a more of religious bent of mind and was interested in the recent extensions (said to have been built in 18th century during the Peshwa regime, now smothered in oil paint!). This is a temple of ‘Dashabhuja Datta’, the Hindu God – Datta -depicted here with ten arms, usually shown with six arms)as well as a ‘Grama Devata’ (God of the local villages).
Do not miss this temple especially for the Varah and the exquisite flower lattice carved in stone.
Vaishali,
ReplyDeleteIt was a pleasure getting acquainted with this beautiful and unheard temple through your blog.I'll make it a point to add it to my travel itinerary.Keep up the good work.
Regards,
Abhijit