TEMPLES OF INDIA IN

MEDIEVAL PERIOD

MADE BY:-ANIRUDH ARORAHARSH SHARMAAYUSH THAKURDEEPESH YADAV

EKANSH SHARMA

INTRODUCTIONFor as long as history has been recorded, Religion has been an integral part of Indian lives. And to celebrate different religions, there are various temples and pilgrimage destinations that have adorned the face of this beautiful country. Most of the temples were made many a centuries ago, but they still stand today, surviving the test of time with the same divinity with which they were built.The temples in India are not just important for the devotees, but also for tourists of India. As major part of old Indian culture can still be seen in these temples through rituals and pujas that are performed here. Also the carvings and architecture of the temple are something that will enchant the visitors to no limit. The ancient, medieval and modern temples of India provide substantial evidence of the extensive and complex architecture. These temples display intricate carving and sculptures, which bear testimony to the craftsmanship and creativity of the artisans, sculptors and artists of India.

When we talk about the temples of India, the first name that comes to mind is the Khajuraho Temples. These one of a kind temples are known for the erotic sculptures that have been carved on the walls of the temple. In fact, Khajuraho Temples have become one of the most visited destinations in India.However, it is the South Indian Temples that still leave you awe struck at their first sight itself. The temples of south India are carved so brilliantly, yet they are so simple that everyone can understand and admire these stone creations. Meenakshi Temple, Shore Temple and Thousand Pillar Temple are some of the most stunning temples in south India. Though the most famous temple is surely The Tirupati Balaji Temple situated in Andhra Pradesh. It is the richest Hindu Temple in the world and also the second most visited pilgrimage destination after Vatican.

MEDIVEAL TEMPLES OF INDIATEMPLES IN NORTH INDIA IN MEDIVEAL PERIOD:The medieval period of Indian history commences with the advent of the Muslims in the north-west. Lured by tales of India’s overall plentifulness and the fabulous wealth of the kings and Hindu temples, Mahmud of Ghazni, also known as Ghaznavi (971–1030), first attacked India in the year 1000. He is notorious in Indian history for having plundered, ransacked and razed to the ground, the majestic temple at Somnath,named after Soma, the moon god, not once but seventeen times and carried back the loot to his homeland Ghazni, in what is now modern Afghanistan. Other raiders from the central Asian region followed in his trail, but these forays were of no great significance. The next momentous event took place in 1192, when,Muhammad of Ghor or Mohammed Ghori (1162-1206) who was a native of Ghor,located in central Afghanistan and who had been expanding his powers in the north-western part of India, rode further inland and captured the city of Ajmer.

In 1193, Qutb-ud-din Aibak (1150-1210), a former slave-turned-general of Ghori, captured Varanasi and Delhi. After Muhammad Ghori died heirless in 1206, Aibak vanquished his opponents and took control of Ghori’s dominions in India. Since he had been a slave, and also since the chain of rulers who succeeded him, had also been slaves for a certain period, the dynasty came to be known as the Slave Dynasty.

After Qutb-ud-din’s sudden demise in 1210, Iltutmish, another slave of Turkish origin, emerged as Sultan, after having overpowered his opponents. Iltutmish married Qutb-ud-din's daughter. Thereafter, all but one of the later sultans of the dynasty were his descendants, including his daughter, Razia, who had a brief stint of four years.

The most outstanding monument pertaining to this period of history,which has withstood the ravages of time is the Qutub Minar. Its construction was started byQutub-ud-din Aibak, but after his sudden,untimely death, the task was taken over and finally completed by Iltutmish, his successor. The Slave Dynasty was followed by those of the Khiljis (1290-1320), the Tughlaqs(1321-1412), the Saiyyads, whose rule failed to make any significant impact, and theLodhis (1446-1526), all of whom were of Turkish-Afghan origin. Babur (1483-1530) is regarded as the founder of the Mughal Empire in India. His dynasty was possibly the most famous political (royal) family, in medieval India.

TEMPLES IN SOUTH INDIA IN MEDIVEAL PERIOD:The medieval period in southern part of India saw the rise and fall of numerous kings and their dominions. However

mention must be made of the three outstanding ones. KalachurisThis dynasty which overthrew the Chalukyas of

Kalyani in the early part of the 12th century, had a relatively short but stormy rule. According to a record pertaining to

the year 1174 , the founder of the family was a person by the name of Soma, who was a disciple of Ashwathama (the

heroic character of the Mahabharata).According to legends, he grew a beard and a moustache to conceal his visage, in a bid to escape the wrath of the fiery Parashurama (another

famous character of the Mahabharata).Thereafter his family and kinsmen came to be known as Kalachuris (Kalli

meaning a long moustache and churi meaning a (sharp knife). However, the later records of the dynasty claim that they descended from Brahma, the Creator of the universe.

• The Kalachuris were also related to the early Chalukyas and the Rashtrakutas by matrimonial alliances. Some scholars believe that they migrated to the south and made Mangalavedhe (Mangalavada) their headquarters. They called themselves Kalanjarapuravaradhisvara, which indicates their central Indian origin. Their emblem was a golden bull. It is likely that they had started out as feudatories of theChalukyas of Kalyani.The first prominent ruler of the Kalachuris was Uchita, who was followed by Asaga,Kannam and Kiriyasaga. However under Bijjala I and his son Kannama, theKalachuris began to wield considerable political power. However Kannama's son Jogama became an influential feudatory of the Chalukya Vikramaditya VI, who was matrimonially connected to the Kalachuri chief. This trend continued right upto the reign of Jogama's son and successor, Permadi. Even though he was a Mahamandalesvara (feudal lord) he enjoyed considerable clout in the royal circles.

Permadi’s son Bijjala II (1130-1167 A.D) succeeded his father as the Mahamandalesvara. He realised that under Vikramaditya's successors theChalukya empire was growing weaker. This encouraged him to declare his independence. The Chikkalagi inscription refers to Bijjala II as "Mahabhujabalachakravarti (literally: the sovereign with tremendous power in his arms). Some historians identify several Kalachuri ruling families in Tripuri, Gorakhpur,Ratnapur, Rajpur (eastern Gujarat) regions of central India. Dr. P. B. Desai, the renowned historian opines that the Kalachuris did not originally belong to Karnataka. On the contrary they had migrated from central India. There they were known asKatachuris, and they ruled over an empire spanning Malwa, Gujarat, Konkan and Maharashtra. However, one of its rulers, Buddharaja, experienced a crushing defeat at hands of the Chalukya king Mangalesa, which pushed this dynasty into oblivion. The most outstanding figure that emerged during the reign of the Kalachuris wasShree Basava (also known as Basaveshwara or Basavanna) who was the founder of the Lingayat ( linga = the phallic symbol of Shiva) religious sect in India. He ushered in a massive social transformation by inspiring and encouraging the people belonging to the lower castes to bring about changes in their ideas and thougts by concentrating on and sincerely worshipping Lord Shiva. Basaveshwara is believed to have been a mystic, an idealist and a statesman. He was also an erudite and scholarly person,

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