->Ms Sarah Welch: fix incorrect GPS data, per recent photos uploaded on commons

2021-01-11T15:31:59Z

fix incorrect GPS data, per recent photos uploaded on commons

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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox Hindu temple
| name = Pachala Someswara Temple
| image = Pacchala Someswara Temple at Pangal 01.jpg
| image_upright =
| alt =
| caption = Pachala Someswara Temple at Panagal
| map_type = India Telangana#India
| map_caption = Location in Telangana
| coordinates = {{coord|17.07967|79.28820|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| native_name =పచ్చల సోమేశ్వరాలయం
| country = [[India]]
| state = [[Telangana]]
| district = Nalgonda
| location = [[Panagal, Nalgonda district|Panagal]]
| elevation_m =
| deity = [[Shiva]]
| festivals=
| architecture =
| temple_quantity =
| monument_quantity=
| inscriptions =
| year_completed = 11th to 12th century CE
| creator =
| website =
}}

'''Pachala Someswara Temple''' is a [[Shaivism|Saivite]] [[Hindus|Hindu]] temple located in [[Panagal, Nalgonda district|Panagal]] of [[Nalgonda district]], [[Telangana]], [[India]]. It is a popular pilgrimage site during [[Maha Shivaratri|Maha Sivaratri]]. The idol of the deity here is carved out of green [[onyx]] which gives the temple its name - ''Pacha'' in [[Telugu language|Telugu]] means ''Green''. The temple is in close proximity to [[Chaya Someswara temple|Chaya Someswara Temple]], another [[Shaivism|Saivite]] shrine in Panagal.<ref name=":1">{{cite news | url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/Historic-temple-in-a-shambles/article16624778.ece|title=Historic temple in a shambles|date=28 April 2009|newspaper=The Hindu|access-date=20 February 2020}}</ref> The temples dates to 11th to 12th centuries CE and was probably built during the rule of [[Telugu Chodas#Kunduru Chodas|Kunduru Chodas]] and Prataparudra I of [[Kakatiya dynasty|Kakatiya Empire]] over the Panagal region.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|date=2019-08-06|title=Visalaandhra Daily Telugu News Paper -కళా నిలయాలు.... ఈ దేవాలయాలు..!|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806143441/http://54.243.62.7/nalgonda/article-49976|access-date=2020-10-27|website=web.archive.org|quote=''క్రీస్తు శఖం 11,12 శతాబ్ధాల మధ్యన ఉదయాన చౌడ మహారాజులు, కాకతీయ రుద్రమ దేవ మహారాజుల కాలంలో నిర్మితమైన పచ్చల ఛాయ సోమేశ్వర ఆలయాలు.....''}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Śrīnivās|first=Śiṣṭlā|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zUJJAQAAIAAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&dq=Pachala+Someswara&q=Pachala+Someswara&hl=en|title=The Body as Temple: Erotica from Telugu (2nd Century B.C. to 21st Century A.D.)|date=2007|publisher=Drusya Kala Deepika|pages=79|language=en}}</ref>

== Location ==
The temple is located at a distance of nearly 4 km from the district headquarters of [[Nalgonda]] in [[Panagal, Nalgonda district]]. The temple is in close proximity (around 1 km) to the [[Chaya Someswara temple|Chaya Someswara Temple]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Satyavada|first=Neeharika|date=2018-04-29|title=Glimpse into age of miracles|url=https://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Sunday-Hans/2018-04-28/Glimpse-into-age-of-miracles/377426|access-date=2020-10-26|website=www.thehansindia.com|language=en}}</ref>

== Architecture ==
[[File:11th 12th-century Pachala Someshwara Temple shrines overview.jpg|thumb|left|The Pachala Someswara temple consists of four shrines on a square plan, a shared mandapam and 70 intricately carved pillars.]]
Based on the inscriptional evidence and architectural style of the temple, it is dated to the 11th-12th century CE. The temple was probably built during the rule of [[Telugu Chodas#Kanduru Chodas|Kanduru Chodas]] and Prataparudra I of [[Kakatiya dynasty|Kakatiya Empire]] over the Panagal region.<ref name=":2" /> The ground plan of the temple is markedly different from other shrines in Telangana. It has four shrines and three of the shrines are arranged on the western side while one is on the eastern side with a common and large rectangular [[Mandapa|mandapam]]. The main shrine is dedicated to Shiva who is in the form of a Linga made out of green [[onyx]] stone (''Pacha'' in Telugu) and hence the name ''Pachala Someswara''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Places of Interest {{!}} Nalgonda,Government Of Telangana {{!}} India|url=https://nalgonda.telangana.gov.in/places-of-interest/|access-date=2020-10-27|language=en-US}}</ref> It has a pillared hall at the end of which is a [[Nandi (mythology)|Nandi]] facing the presiding deity Pachala Someswara (Siva linga).

The temple has 70 pillars with intricate carvings depicting stories of [[Vishnu]] and [[Shiva]]. Scenes from the [[Ramayana]] and [[Mahabharata|Mahabaratha]] were exquisitely carved onto the pillars and the walls of the temple.<ref name=":1" /> One of the temple legends states that just below the shining [[lingam]] in the temple there used to be a very big and brilliant [[emerald]] which was stolen during the numerous Islamic raids in the region.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4-oDAAAAMAAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&dq=Pachala+Someswara&q=Pachala+Someswara&hl=en|title=Bhavan's Journal|date=1961|publisher=Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.|language=en}}</ref>

== Museum ==
[[Panagal Museum|Panagal museum]], an archaeological museum was established in the premises of the temple in February 1982. Spread over three acres, it has a collection of around 640 art objects and antiquities.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Chandaraju|first=Aruna|date=2013-12-27|title=A little explored wonder|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/a-little-explored-wonder/article5504273.ece|access-date=2020-10-28|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> The museum also has statues and sculptures of various Hindu deities dating back to the [[Andhra Ikshvaku]] dynasty of 3rd century CE.<ref>{{Cite web|title=District Museum of Panagal|url=https://heritage.telangana.gov.in/museums/district-museum-of-panagal-nalgonda/|access-date=2020-10-28|website=Department of Heritage Telangana|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Pacchala Someswara Temple at Pangal 02.jpg|Pachala Someswara temple
File:11th 12th-century Pachala Someshwara Temple - 7.jpg|A complete upper relief on outer temple walls, lower reliefs are damaged
File:11th 12th century Pachala Someshwara Temple reliefs and mandapams, Panagal Telangana India - 38.jpg|The temple has four shrines that share a mandapa with 70 pillars, many depicting Vedic and Puranic legends
File:11th 12th century Pachala Someshwara Temple Panagal Telangana India - 18.jpg|Nandi
File:11th 12th-century Pachala Someshwara Temple Ganesha.jpg|Ganesha
File:A relief of dancers and musicians on the walls of Pacchala Someswara Temple 01.jpg|A relief on the temple walls depicting dancers and musicians
File:11th 12th century Pachala Someshwara Temple reliefs and mandapams, Panagal Telangana India - 22.jpg|Three of four shrines
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}{{Hindu Temples in Telangana}}
[[Category:Hindu temples in Nalgonda district]]
[[Category:Nalgonda district]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Nalgonda district]]
[[Category:Shiva temples in Telangana]]
[[Category:Hindu temples in Telangana]]

Pachala Someswara Temple - Revision history

->Ms Sarah Welch: fix incorrect GPS data, per recent photos uploaded on commons