1000 years old Kala Dera Temple, Udhampur : An Insight to Ancient History of Kashmir (Part IV) Kashmir Bharat ka Mukut to hai hi, Prithvi ka swarg hai. Himacchadit shreniyaa, machalti nadiyaan, lehrati jheelen, chanchal himkshetra…..neelmaniyon ko lajjit karnewala dhaanya khsetra; jinse lambi-chaudi urvara ghaati sada muskarati rehti hai”...............Dr. Vrindavan Lal verma (Famous Hindi novelist and a great historian ; Padmabhushan) from his famous novel Laltitaditya The following is yet another excerpt from Vrindavan Lal verma’s famous Historical novel Lalitadiya (Page No. 8). In this passage the author has personified the mountains and lakes of Kashmir and they speak amongst themselves: “Aadiyug me yeh sampoorna kshetra ek Daldal tha, lekin hum achoote the. Ise Shatisar kehte the, bhali-bhanti smaran hai hume. Humne Kashyap Rishi se vinti ki, ki is kshetra ko aisa kar de ki manav aakar base aur jeevanyaapan kare. Unhone apne tap se daldal ko sukha diya. Isi karan yeh Kshetra kashyap kehlaya, jise ab hum Kashmir kehte hai. Humari Prarthana par rishi Kashyap ne nadiyaan nikaali ….... The word Kashmir in Sanskrit originally means desiccated land, or a land from where water has been drained out. Kashmir was actually a swampy area, uninhabitable by the humans. Our great ancestors made this land habitable for humans. Our great ancient Sage (the Rishis of ancient India had profound knowledge in various branches of science) Kashyap along with his followers drained the excess water…….channeled the river flow direction by cutting the big rocks…….and ultimately turned this beautiful place habitable for humans. Kala Dera Temple – I, Manwal, Dist. Udhampur The temple is built on a high platform and preceded by a mandapa. The entrance is through a flight of steps on the east. The superstructure is missing. The temple is on the high platform, two jambs of the sanctum, the entrance way to the Mandapa and the bases of four columns. The jambs of the entrance to the sanctum have two niches each with arched tops. Between the sanctum and the mandapa is a porch which also contains two smaller pillar bases. The four massive fluted columns have recently been fixed on their bases. Externally the sanctum has both plain moulding and geometrical designs. The walls of the basement have recently been concerned. The noteworthy architectural members, lying at the site are fluted, shafts, carved ceiling with inverted lotus flowers, pedestal of images and pillar bases, besides two sculptures of dancing Siva, now exhibited in the sculpture shed. The temple is assignable to 10th century A.D Kala Dera Temple – II, Udhampur This temple is Saptratha on plan externally and built on a raised platform approached by a flight of steps on the east. The sikhara is intact on the western side and externally the temple is adorned with plain projecting niches and offsets bearing carving. On the west side there is makaramukha pranala through which the water used to flow into a small rectangular cistern is carved out of a single block. The roof of the mandapa was supported on four fluted columns surmounted by capitals. Besides the principal entrance, facing the central aisles, it has two smaller entrances at the rear. The figures on the jambs of the door and the porch are now defaced. Basements of the other two shrines are on the south-east corner. The temple is assignable to 10th-11th century A.D.
Posted on: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 07:10:47 +0000
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