Sahastrabahu Temple, Nagda(Rajasthan

Ornate interiors of Sahastrabahu Temple, Nagda(Rajasthan)
Dated: ~10th century CE
Photo credit: Kevin Standage

 

submerged temples of Mahabalipuram (Bharat)

The submerged temples of Mahabalipuram (Bharat)
According to popular belief, the famous Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram wasn't a single temple, but the last of a ...series of seven temples, six of which had submerged. New finds suggest that there may be some truth to the story. A major discovery of submerged ruins was made in April of 2002 offshore of Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, South India. The discovery, at depths of 5 to 7 meters (15 to 21 feet) was made by a joint team from the Dorset based Scientific Exploration Society (SES) and marine archaeologists from India's National Institute of Oceanography (NIO). Investigations at each of the locations revealed stone masonry,remains of walls, square rock cut remains, scattered square and rectangular stone blocks and a big platform with steps leading toit. All these lay amidst the locally occurring geological formations of rocks.
Based on what at first sight appears to be a lion figure at location four, the ruins were inferred to be part of a temple complex. The Pallava dynasty, which ruled the region during the7th century AD, was known to have constructed many such rock-cut, structural temples in Mahabalipuram and Kanchipuram.
The reasons for the submergenceof the ruins are remain unclear.
 

Ancient Unicorn seal from Sindhu-Saraswati civilization

Ancient Unicorn seal from Sindhu-Saraswati civilization
Unicorn and Mahabharata
The glorification of the Unicorn ends up with a glorification of Vedic knowledg...e of the four Vedas and of Samkhya and Yoga. We see the basis here of the Yajna Varaha of the Puranas, the boar that symbolizes the Vedic knowledge and ritual!
In other words, the Unicorn Boar or Ekashringa Varaha is the prime form of Vishnu-Krishna and also the symbol of Vedic knowledge. This tells us a lot about the religion of the Harappan people. That the unicorn is a common symbol on writing inscriptions makes sense as a Vedic symbol of speech and knowledge.
Indra, the supreme Vedic deity, is generally lauded as Vrisha and as a bull, Vrishabha. The bull is generally called vrisha, which means both bull and male in Sanskrit, while vrishabha only means bull. The vrisha uttama or supreme male is not just a bull but a boar. This is because the boar is the fiercest of all animals when attacked. That is why it became part of the coat of arms for many royal dynasties, including some of ancient Persia to the last great Hindu dynasty of Vijayanagar.
Mahabharat talks about unicorn found in Harappan seals:
90-91: "The Gods and titans have never found my beginning, middle or end. Hence I am sung as the witness of the world, the Lord, the pervader, who has no beginning, middle or end."
92. "Having previously become the Unicorn Boar (Ekashringa Varaha), who increases joy, I upheld this world. Therefore I am called the Unicorn (Ekashringa)."
Here the Unicorn (Ekashringa) is specifically mentioned, primarily as a boar, though its overall connections with Vrisha, the male element, more commonly symbolized by the bull, remain from the previous verses as the supreme Vrisha. This is the boar of Dharma. It is the last and most prominent of the names of the deity mentioned in this section, suggesting a great importance for it. No doubt the single horn is a symbol of unity and supremacy of the deity.
Read more in detail: http://archaeologyindia.com/KrishnaandtheUnicornoftheIndusS
 

Kiradu Someshvara Temple

Exquisite sculptures at Kiradu Someshvara Temple
Built in the 11th century, the Someshvara ancient temple is said to be the best example of its kind today. Cons...tructed in honour of Lord Shiva (the Destroyer in the holy trinity of Hindu gods), it has a rather stumpy multi-turreted tower and beautiful sculptures dedicated to the god. The inner sanctum has a resplendent image of the Lord. At its base, is a large reverse-curve lotus, which has a resemblance with the early Chola Temples of south India. This ancient temple also depicts scenes from the Hindu epic Ramayana. Other notable featuresare sculptures of apsaras and vyalas
 

ancient Temple tank at Santebennur, Karnatak

Amazing ancient Temple tank at Santebennur, Karnatak
The central structure has a cupola designed like a emerging lotus bud.
Apart from the structure in the cent...er, four more can be seen on the surrounding steps, and there are two more - one each on the left & right. The Pushkarani itself is in front of a gallery kind of structure, open towards the Pushkarani, and without any rooms. These structures are built with a mix of stone, bricks & mortar.
Santhebennur: is a village situated from Davangere at 40 km, is famous for a pond called "Pushkarani," locally called "Honda."
 

Valluvar Kottam chariot

Valluvar Kottam, designed and constructed by V. Ganapati Sthapati, in Chennai
The construction of Valluvar Kottam is like a temple chariot , and it is a replica... of the temple chariot in Thiruvarur . A life-size statue of the Thiruvalluvar has been installed in the 39-m-high chariot. The auditorium of Valluvar Kottam can accommodate around 4,000 people. The architect of the memorial is South Indian traditional architect V. Ganapati Sthapati , who is also the architect of the Thiruvalluvar Statue at Kanyakumari .
 

5th century CE Old statue of Hari Hari Hara

An old Murti, possibly of Hari-hara at Ratnagiri excavation site, Orissa
Dated: ~5th century CE
Murti is shown wearing Sacred thread(Upanayana or Janeu) , it sh...ould be noticed. The left half is Vishnu and the right half is Shiv, as evident from the accouterments. Shiva always carries a rosary (Akshamala), and a bowl, citron or a mirror.
Also look closely...
- the left half Vishnu is wearing an anklet; Shiv is not for being an ascetic.
- the armlets on the two uppers arms are also a mismatch.
One thing absent is the Kaustubh Mani, which is always on the center of the chest. The Matsya
and the Vishnudharmottar Puranas are very clear about the details of Hari-Har.
Photo Credit- M. Mohanty