Amareshwar Mahadev Temple, Ambarnath
Introduction
Ambarnath is typical Konkan town with small roads and small
houses interspersed with leafy trees and red, black soil. One of the milestones
of Yadav architecture, temple of Ambarnath is located just inside the town on
the banks of Waldhuni river.
Built probably in early 11’th century, temple of Ambarnath is dedicated to Amarnath, a form of Mahadev.
One of the early ‘Yadav’ period temples, this basalt abode was built during the reign of Shilahar king ‘Chedraj’ or ‘’Chittaraj’ and his brother Manmani.The ‘Shikhar’ is not very visible, but the ornate star
formation of temple plinth is at once elegant and magnificent. Built in local
Deccan black stone, the walls of the temple and the ‘Thar’ at the base of the
walls offer plenty of examples of masterful sculpting. The Bhumij style of
temple architecture is exhibited with great flourish.
Ambarnath is close to the western sea costs. Shoorparak
which is present day Nala Sopara and Shristhanak, present day Thane also
Kalyanak (Kalyan) were celebrated port cities and administrative centres of Satwahan
era , and all are in close vicinity. Ambarnath is also surrounded by string of
cave temples such as Kanheri, Gharapuri, Mandapeshwar.
History
The
Inscription found in the Ambaranth temple refers to the ‘Amranātha devakula’ . The
inscription is dated at 1060 CE which is during reign on Mummuni. It mentions
‘Chittarājadevasya bhavanam’ referring to another Shilahar king Chittaraj suggesting
that construction started when he was ruling. The inscription also mentions a
place name ‘Patpalli’ which could be the Pale Gaon just south of the temple.
However,
after that, there are hardly any other references to this temple found in
ancient and medieval texts. The next set of references for Ambarnath temple are
from archaeological reports dating to 19’the century. In 1850, the temple was
discovered by British survey teams. Then onwards it was conserved and brought
into practice. This was one of the earliest temples documented during British
rule for its glorious architectural elements. Amareshwar Mahavev is also one of
the earliest dated Bhumij temples by the experts.
The
“Self-Formed” or Swayambhu , black stone Shivlinga can be reached by descending
almost 3 meters underground. The sculptures on temple walls and entrance show
great influence of NathSiddha and Shaiva traditions.
Architecture
The unique style of temples in Rajasthan, Malwa, Gujrat and
Maharashtra are known as ‘Bhumija’- born out of the earth! Ancient text ‘Aparajit
pruccha ‘narrates the characteristic features of this architectural design.
Shikhara - Shikhara made with multiple tiers or stories which can be easily demarcated right from the base to top.
These temples have various plans.
- Chaturasra
- square plan.
- Vrittasamdthan
- circular
- Tarkakruti
- Star shapped
We get various combinations of arrangements of the sanctum
ie. Garbhagriha and the main hall i.e. Sabha mandapa. Almost all the Bhumija
temples have three entrances, Pravesh Dwar
and a porch which is Mukha mandapa in front of them.
Amareshwara - presently known as Ambarnath temple is the
first Bhumija temple built in 1060 C, a masterpiece of Shilahara dynasty.
Built on a star shaped Chaturasra plan this temple has three
entrances, so it has the ‘Sarvatobhadra‘ plan of Sabha mandapa. Like most of
the Bhumija temples, this is also built on a low-rise platform known as ‘Pitha
‘. This Pitha has various horizontal motifs like Padma, Kani, Upana and Kumud.
Upan and Kumud look like a Torana and Kani is a very common sharp-edged
moulding. Besides these mouldings various horizontal bands i.e. ‘Thara’ are
also carved on the lower part of the outer wall.
Sculptures depicting daily life and imagery of dancers,
musicians, Makaras and elephants. The wonderful arrangement of the outer wall
in a fluted nature with projections and recesses accommodates amazing
sculptures in abundance and this feature makes Ambarnath temple the marvel of
art and architecture.
This temple is west-facing and has three entrances on the
east, north and south sides. The ceiling of these three entrance porches is
flat though decorated!
Gajanan is carved on all three entrances. On the side of the
door, squares of carvings are carved in a row. They are called Dwarshakha. In
the middle of the Dwarshakha, at the point where your head comes, a small image
of a god is carved; it is known as ‘Dwara Lalata bimba’.
The temple consists of a sanctum and mandapa with a
connecting vestibule ie. Antaral. The ceiling of the hall is designed like
acentric circles. Beautiful lotus flower has been carved out of these circles,
so the ceiling is called ‘Sabhapadma Vitan’.
One must descend a few steps to worship the Shivaling as it
is below the ground level and that is why it is called ‘Patal ling’. It has a
great spiritual significance of the self-manifested ie. Swayambhu Shivling. The
one on which the faces of Shiva are carved. It is called 'Mukhaling', while the
one with vertical lines is carved It is called 'Dharaling'.
Externally the plan
appears to be made up of two squares set diagonally to each other, but
internally the sanctum and mandapa are square and aligned side to side. The
structure of small angles from the bottom to the top made room for many types
of idols. Some places are illuminated, while the inner part is shaded.
Therefore, a beautiful play of light and shadow is always visible on the outer
wall of the temple.
If you look at it
from the outside, you can see how elaborately the temple is carved. The
carvings are done in layers on the pillars. Today, the spire is in ruins.
Still, it is easy to imagine how tall and ornate it must have been in the past.
The shape of the Shikhara of the pavilion is angular like a pyramid. This is
called 'Samvarana'.
The interior is more delicately carved. Pillars are carved in horizontal bands and not even an inch is left plain. The central domed ceiling is carved meticulously. Since the pavilion is enclosed here, it was called 'Gudhamandap'. After passing through the Gudhamandap, space comes into view. Here, two temples are seen in the walls on both sides. Idols are seen carved in decorated niches like pillars and arches on the walls. Those niches are called ‘Devakoshta’. The area between the mandap and the gabhara is a vestibule called ‘Antarala’. Although there are Devkoshta on the inner wall of Antarala, there are no idols. The roof of the vestibule is flat. The door of the Garbhagriha is decorated with beautifully carved door jambs. Ganesha is also seen here as the Dwar Lalat Bimba. The part above it is also called 'Uttarang'. Here, Shiva and other gods and goddesses are seen carved on the upper part of the door frame. The threshold was called 'Mandarak'. Kirtimukh is carved on the Mandarak of the gabhara. Since there is a step resembling a crescent moon in front of the Mandarak, it was called Ardhachandrashila.
The Ambernath temple has two main features. One is its
star-shaped plan. This type of plan later became a feature of Bhumij temples in
Maharashtra. The plan of the Gondeshwar temple in Sinnar is also similar. Due
to this design, the Garbhagriha is very small and the pavilion is spacious and
large. It is also easy to have three entrances.
The second feature is the Shikhara. Look at the four corners
of the peak, which are decorated with carvings. They are carved like pillars.
When viewed from a distance, they look like pillars. In later temples in
Maharashtra, these pillars were made more ornate. Instead of their simple form,
replicas of the main spires were carved one on top of the other. Such beautiful
small Shikharas began to appear on all four corners. In later times, similar
Shikharas were carved on temples in many places like Sinnar, Satgaon, Balsane.
Sculpture
The Ambernath temple has beautiful icons carved on the outer
wall like Mahakali, Brahmadev, Vishnu, Durga, Ganapati, Gajasurvadha Shiva. All
these icons are installed in small, pillared niches i.e. Devakoshtha.
The Shikhara, which is made up of vertical strips running
from the ground to the summit, is in ruins today. It has a semicircular design
carved in the shape of a horseshoe. In front of the peak is a roof section that
looks like an elephant's back. This is called 'Mahanasika' or 'Shuk Nas'. On
the Shuk Nas, there are some idols carved in the niches on the north and south
sides.
The two important features of Ambernath, the Shikhara and
the plan, seem to have influenced many of the temples that followed. One
feature is the design of two diamond-shaped squares, placed end to end and
facing each other; the other is the vertically carved stripes from bottom to
the top, which further enhances the impression of grandeur and height. Later,
small replicas of the main Shikhara were carved in place of these pillars. This
is how this architectural style got its name Bhumija!
Literature
Mahashivratri is celebrated as the wedding day of Lord
Shiva and Goddess Parvati and this ceremony is celebrated with enthusiasm in
the Vishwanath temple in Kashi.
इमां कन्यां तुभ्यमहं ददामि परमेश्वर भार्यार्थे परिगृहीष्व प्रसीद सकलेश्वर || ३८
वेदमन्त्रेण गिरिशो गिरिजाकर पङ्कजं |अग्राह स्वकरेणाशु प्रसन्न : परमेश्वर :|| ४१
The Himalayas, listening to the words of their friends,
the mountains, ritually offered their daughter to Lord Shiva This ritual is
called as Kanyadan. This daughter of mine, O Lord Shiva, I give to you. Accept
her as your wife, said the Himalayas, and with the chanting of the Vedic
mantras, Shiva took Parvati's lotus flower hand in his hand.
The Shiva Purana gives us a detailed description of the
marriage of Shiva and Parvati, it is interesting to read it from the beginning.
The penance done by Parvati to attain Shiva, the test taken by Shiva, the
supernatural dialogue between Shiva and Parvati, the preparations made by
Himalaya and his wife Maina for the marriage, the worship of the marriage
invitation card, the card being sent to Shiva, Shiva reaching the city of
Himalayas with his retinue, all these descriptions will remind us of a human
marriage. But this marriage is truly between Shiv and Shakti, so it is a divine
ceremony.
जगतः पितरौ वन्दे पार्वतीपरमेश्वरौ ॥
Mahashivratri is considered as a special day for
the worship of Lord Shiva. Mahashivratri is celebrated with great devotion and
enthusiasm in all Shiva temples in India. Wearing white clothes and fasting all
day, devotees visit Shiva temples for darshan. White flowers and betel leaves
are offered to Lord Shankar. Rudrabhishek is performed. Auspicious lamps are
lit in the evening in and around the Shiva temple. A procession of Shiva is
taken out to the sound of Bam Bam Bole, and an aarti is performed.
The story of a hunter who sat on a tree all night waiting
for prey and the lesson he learned is well known among devotees.
There was a hunter. He used to hunt and take care of his
family. One night he went hunting and climbed a tree and sat there. The tree
was a bela tree (Aegle Marmelos) and there was a shivling, under the tree. To
understand the hunt properly, the hunter started plucking the leaves of the
tree and throwing them down. The bela leaves kept falling on the shivling
without his knowledge. In the morning, a deer came there. The hunter was about
to shoot an arrow at it, but the deer said, "I will meet my family for the
last time. After that, you can kill me."
Then the deer's entire family came there and all of them
started saying - "Kill me but leave the rest of my family." Seeing
their mutual love, he was surprised and remembered his own family. He let the
deer family go and then he stopped hunting completely for his whole life.
Unknowingly, he fasted, performed puja that night, which changed the direction
of his life. Inspired by this story, fasting is observed on the occasion of
Mahashivratri.
Mahashivratri is celebrated on the Krishna Paksha of the
month of Phalgun. Actually, Shivratri occurs every month, but the importance of
this day in the month of Phalgun has earned it a special place of respect in
the Shaivite sect.
It is believed that Shiva and Parvati were married in the
Trijugi Narayan temple in Uttarakhand. It is believed that the fire lit on this
occasion is still burning there unquenched.
Rangbhari Ekadashi, the day before Holi Pournima, is
believed to be the first day that Lord Shiva came to Kashi with his newlywed
wife Parvati. On this occasion, devotees celebrate by pouring gulal at the
Kashi Vishweshwar temple.
Mahashivratri is famous for spiritual contemplation in
the Shaivite sect. Since this day refers to the marriage of Shiva and Parvati,
householders and housewives worship on this day for marital happiness. A
pilgrimage is held on this day in the Shiva temple at Ambernath and special
worship is organized.
शिवा भूत्वा शिवां यजेत् |(Shiva Bhutva
Shiva Yajet | )
That is, we should become benevolent and perform Yajan of Shiva
and to achieve this.
Legends and Anecdotes
· Sutradhåra or master architect is depicted on a temple wall, a rare sculpture.
Epilogue
Ambarnath temple, a unique and ‘First’ in many ways is gem
of Bhumij style of temples. The temple tradition although broken for years in
between has now seamlessly continued with festivities and daily prayers and
Pooja, emphasizing the ongoing nature of Santatan values.
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