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{{Infobox Hindu temple
| image = Ranak devi 1.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Ranakdevi's Temple
| map_type = India Gujarat
| map_caption = Location within Gujarat
| coordinates = {{coord|d=it}}
| country = India
| state = [[Gujarat]]
| district = [[Surendranagar district]]
| elevation_m =
| deity = [[Mahakali]], [[Ranakdevi]]<br>[[Shiva]] (original)
| festivals=
| architecture = post-Maitraka and early Nagara phase of [[Māru-Gurjara architecture]]
| inscriptions =
| year_completed = Last quarter of 9th century to 10th century
| creator =
| temple_board =
| website =
}}
'''Ranakdevi's Temple''' is a 9th or 10th century [[Hindu temple]] dedicated to [[Ranakadevi|Ranakdevi]] located in [[Wadhwan]] in [[Surendranagar district]] of [[Gujarat]], India.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Khachar |first=Pradyumna B. |date=2003-01-01 |title=રાણકદેવીનું મંદિર |url=https://gujarativishwakosh.org/%E0%AA%B0%E0%AA%BE%E0%AA%A3%E0%AA%95%E0%AA%A6%E0%AB%87%E0%AA%B5%E0%AB%80%E0%AA%A8%E0%AB%81%E0%AA%82-%E0%AA%AE%E0%AA%82%E0%AA%A6%E0%AA%BF%E0%AA%B0/ |access-date=2023-09-17 |website=[[Gujarati Vishwakosh]] |language=gu}}</ref> It is built in post-[[Maitraka dynasty|Maitraka]] and early [[Nagara architecture|Nagara]] phase of [[Māru-Gurjara architecture]] style.

== Legend ==
According to legend, [[Chaulukya dynasty|Chaulukya]] king [[Jayasimha Siddharaja]] killed [[Chudasama dynasty|Chudasama]] king [[Khengara (12th century king)|Khengara]] and abducted her queen Ranakdevi. On the way to [[Patan, Gujarat|Patan]], Ranakdevi committed [[Sati (practice)|''sati'']] on the banks of [[Bhogavo River|Bhogavo river]] at Wadhwan. So Siddharaja built a temple dedicated to her.<ref name=":0" />

==History==
Ranakdevi's ''[[paliya]]'' (memorial stone) and a shrine still stand on the southern banks of the Bhogavo river in Wadhwan.<ref name="Dhaky1961">{{cite journal |last=Dhaky |first=Madhusudan A. |author-link=Madhusudan Dhaky |year=1961 |editor-last=Deva |editor-first=Krishna |title=The Chronology of the Solanki Temples of Gujarat |url=http://vmis.in/Resources/digital_publication_popup?id=136#page/44 |journal=Journal of the Madhya Pradesh Itihas Parishad |location=[[Bhopal]] |publisher=Madhya Pradesh Itihas Parishad |volume=3 |pages=10–12}}</ref> Currently a Shiva temple near the fort of Wadhwan is identified as Ranakdevi's Temple by local people.<ref name=":0" />

The is no information about the time and construction of the temple. Based on the style of construction, the temple seems to have been built in 10th century as the design of [[shikhara]] belongs to post-[[Maitraka dynasty|Maitraka]] period. It is unclear how the temple was associated with 12th century king Khengara's queen Ranakadevi.<ref name=":0" /> According to [[Madhusudan Dhaky]] and Harishankar Shastri, it was probably in last quarter of the 9th century during the reign of Dharanivaraha of the Chhapa dynasty who ruled from Vardhamana (now Wadhwan).<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Dhaky1961" /> According to Kantilal Sompura, it was built no earlier than 10th century.<ref name=":0" /> [[James Burgess (archaeologist)|James Burgess]] had listed it as the Memorial Temple of Ranakdevi.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Dhaky1961" /> It is listed as the [[Monuments of National Importance]] and maintained by the [[Archaeological Survey of India]].

==Architecture==
[[File:1899 photograph of Ranak Devi Temple from south-west, Wadhwan, Kathiawar.jpg|1899 photograph from southweat showing shikhara carvings|thumb|left]]
[[File:Ranak devi 3.jpg|thumb|Doorframe]]
The temple is an example of post-Maitraka and early Nagara phase of [[Māru-Gurjara architecture]].<ref name="Dhaky1961" /> It is about 9 m high on a large ''pitha'' (platform).<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Dhaky1961" /> The ''grass-patti'' (band of grass moulding) is first seen here which continued in later architecture of the style.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Dhaky1961" /> The shikhara has an [[amalaka]] and [[kalasha]] mouldings. The exterior walls had niches in all three direction devoid of any statues.<ref name=":0" /> They have a miniature ''phansana'' carving on top of it.<ref name="Dhaky1961" /> It also have carvings of [[kirtimukha]], chaitya, [[gavaksha]] and tamalapatra decorations. As it has water outlet in northern direction, it must be a Shiva temple. There is a statue of [[Nandi (Hinduism)|Nandi]] lying near the temple. In sanctum, the two simple statues are marked as [[Mahakali]] and Ranakdevi. The doorframe of sanctum has statues of [[Brahma]], [[Shiva]] and others.<ref name=":0" />

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{commonscat}}

{{Hindu temples in Gujarat}}
[[Category:Hindu temples in Gujarat]]
[[Category:Monuments of National Importance in Gujarat]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Surendranagar district]]
[[Category:Cultural history of Gujarat]]
[[Category:9th-century Hindu temples]]
[[Category:10th-century Hindu temples]]
[[Category:Māru-Gurjara architecture]]

Ranakdevi's Temple - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Creating a new article