Dr Kiran Kumar Karlapu Profile picture
Oct 16, 2021 β€’ 6 tweets β€’ 4 min read β€’ Read on X
Who said we havent built great things?😍

The Kopeshwara Shiva temple at Khidrapur, on the banks of the Krishna river.
The Swargamandapa opens to the skies.
The Kopeshwara Temple is a spectacle in black basalt. Pinnacle of human achievement, you can spend all day admiring it.
Built initially by the Kalyani Chalukyas In 7th century and later expanded by the Shilaharas and Yadavas, this is a little known gem of temple architecture.
The outer walls of the temple are exquisitively carved with images of Vishnu, Shiva and Ganesha dominating the scene. Reminds you of the Hoysala architecture of Belur and Halebid 😍
The darkest moment for this temple came in 1702 when Aurungzeb, the Mughal Emperor plundered it. Most of the statues on the outer walls and the decorative elephant motifs were destroyed by his marauding armies.
Lord Sadashiva has protected the temple which has survived the test of time, and the hammer of the invader and still remains standing today.
But it's very poorly maintained. No maintenance or signboards, no approach roads, guides or civic facilities. Sad state of affairs.
Ending the thread on a positive note. With a pic of myself πŸ€—πŸ€—πŸ˜

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More from @scarysouthpaw

Nov 13, 2022
Ever heard of a town where Lord Rama is worshipped as the king and the local police offer a daily guard of honour to him?

No??

Then we need to see the town of Orchha in Madhya Pradesh. A 🧡 on the temple town.
Orchha is a town located in the state of Madhya Pradesh, around 15 kilometres from Jhansi, making it the perfect weekend trip for folks from Delhi.

Orchha is the heart of the area known to us Bundelkhand and served as the capital of the Bundela kings.
The town of Orchha is famous for its beautiful fort and scenic Chattris along the Betwa river. But the story of our present thread is the Raja Ram Chandra Temple located in the heart of the town.
Read 18 tweets
Nov 6, 2022
Whenever one thinks of Andhra/Telangana, the first temples that come to your mind would be Tirupati, Srisailam, Simhachalam or Bhadrachalam. But we have several ancient shrines which are little known outside the state. A 🧡on such places, each with an enthralling story behind.
1. Ahobilam NarasimhaSwamy Temple, Kurnool. Legend has it that this is the location where Lord Narasimha kills Hiranyakashapa to save Prahlada. The deity is wedded to Chenchu Lakshmi, an avatar of Mahalakshmi supposed to be born in the local Chenchu tribe. Confluence of cultures.
2. Chengalamma Parameswari Temple in Sullurpet. The kshetrapalika, local protector of Sriharikota. The fierce goddess to whom all the ISRO Chairmen pray before India's satellite launches. A model of the satellite is invariably placed at her feet before each mission.
Read 12 tweets
Sep 4, 2022
Ever heard of a story of when heavy Monsoon rains unearthed the remains of a temple destroyed by Aurangzeb? No?

Come on. I shall tell you the story of Bijamandal of Vidisha. A thread 🧡 Image
Bijamandal (or Vijaya Mandir) was a temple built by the Parmara dynasty in the 9th/10th century. The temple was supposed to be amongst the grandest temples of its time, rivalling the style and size of the Konark temple. Image
Inscriptions on the southern walls of the temples have indicated that the temple was built during the reign of the Parmara king Naravarman Parmara, who ruled over a turbulent period of Malwa in the middle ages.
He is well known for his Lakshmi embossed coinage Image
Read 19 tweets
Sep 4, 2022
The Heliodorus Pillar of Vidisha. History students must have studied about the Besnagar inscription of the Sunga period. And here we have it, among the first instances of a Vishnu Dhwaja anywhere in India. #ThisHeartWasMeantToWander
Situated on the confluence of the Bes and the Betwa rivers just outside the historical town of Vidisha, this pillar was erected in 113 BCE by Heliodorus, the Greek ambassador from the IndoGreek king Antialcidas to the Sunga Emperor, Bhagabhadra.
The Ambassador Heliodorus calls himself Vishnu Bhagawata on the Inscription, a clear indication that he had embraced Vaishnavism and the Bhagwata Cult. Perhaps among the earliest converts to Hinduism.
Read 6 tweets
Sep 3, 2022
The Varaha cave (Cave 5) of the Udayagiri Caves near Vidisha. Here Varaha saves Bhudevi from the evil demon Hiranyaksha. This 5th century Gupta period relief has a colossal Varaha rising to the heavens. You can spend hours just admiring this masterpiece
This was the main reason i made this last minute impromptu trip to Vidisha. Just to see this Colossus of Lord Vishnu as Varahavatar. And i am blessed to have been able to finally witness it
Seshasayee. Lord Vishnu reclines atop the endless curves of Seshanaga. Cave 13 of the Udayagiri caves
Read 4 tweets
Sep 3, 2022
So I'm here this weekend. Sanchi Stupa in Madhya Pradesh. A UNESCO World Heritage site and glowing example of syncretic cultural growth. Built by Emperor Ashoka, and embellished by the Sungas, Satavahanas, Guptas and Parmaras 🀩🀩
The most magnificent part of the Sanchi Stupa are the Ornamental Toranas or the Gateways. Four of them facing the four Cardinal directions 🀩 #Sanchi #ThisHeartWasMeantToWander
Lucky to have a 200 Rupees note on me. Could get this pic πŸ€©πŸ˜„πŸ˜„
Read 8 tweets

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