This is no birthday cake - Changavteshwar Devasthan

Wondering about the title? Well, I am wondering why someone would paint a stone structure. Stones do not need paint, Concrete does. And this self-professed Shilpakar (why does he call himself a sculptor? Restoration and painting do not qualify as sculpting) who has very proudly painted his name on a national Heritage site needs to be made aware of some civic norms.

I consider this to be a form of vandalisation, or even destruction. Robbing something of its original form and beauty is not restoration!

Now that I have got the thorn out of my throat I can actually talk about this 14th century Shiva temple– called Changavteshwar Devasthan, situated in Saswad (about 30 km from Pune by road). Perched in one corner of a Devrai-a small but dense, sacred grove (now not that dense), the small bridge crossing over a spring water channel makes a beautiful picture.

Rather overbearing steps welcome one, almost to drive home the point that one is entering the abode of someone higher up! This temple is actually built like a fortress, with a Dindi Darvaja (main entrance), a Chor Darvaja (secret entry door), and a Tat (a fortress wall). There are two Deepmalas (pillars with multiple spouts) to hold Divas (oil lamps) - one on each side of the temple. These appear to depict the an arm with a palm - signifying many people holding oil lamps for God.

A small replica of Nandi (the bull) and Lord Shiva’s vahan (carrier) sits guard outside the temple. The large Nandi carved from stone is eye catching. Similar Nandis are found in all the temples at Saswad and also at Bhuleshwar temple (featured elsewhere on this blog/ site).

The use of animal figures like a ram, bear, wild boar, buffalo and even (most intriguingly) a Sphinx indicate that there might have been a considerable influence of Egyptian architecture. 

The Amalak (top of the main dome) and the minarets together make a very interesting Kalas (dome). Temples built around this time have statuettes of Indian saints (Dynaneshwar, Tukaram, Tulsidas, Gautam Buddha and Mahavir). Tulsi Baug Mandir in Pune follows the same pattern for the dome. This probably signifies how highly regarded the saints were. A panoramic view of this temple shows that it is actually built like a Ratha (chariot). This trend was followed by several temples in Southern India.

Changavteshwar Devasthan is quaint and well worth a visit (we saw some students engrossed in their books enjoying the peace); it would be striking in back in its original stone form. These are my memories of this temple. I am happy I could see the old, for it is really gold…

Loni Bhapkar

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.

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.