File:0051223 Vajreshwari Devi Mandir, Kangra Himachal Pradesh 011.jpg

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Description0051223 Vajreshwari Devi Mandir, Kangra Himachal Pradesh 011.jpg
English: The Vajreshwari Devi temple, sometimes spelled Vajesvari Mata or Bajreshwari temple, is one of the oldest temple sites in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh dating from pre-10th century. It was destroyed by Mohamud Ghazni, rebuilt after Ghazni's death. The site was once again destroyed by Muhammad Tughlaq, and then rebuilt again. In the 16th century, the site was devastated by Khawas Khan. It was rebuilt again during the reign on Akbar, to be destroyed again by the regional governor of Aurangzeb. The temple was rebuilt again after the collapse of the Mughal empire with the help of Sikh empire. The temple was damaged in the 1905 earthquake and repaired again. The temple complex is thus quite a late era reconstruction and the site thus preserves layers of a tortured and complex history. The most identifiable layer is the stone ruins from 12th and 15th century, though bricks wrap sections of it.

The Vajreshvari temple is a Shakti–peetha, one of the highly revered sites in India dedicated to the goddess tradition of Hinduism. The local legends state that this site was one of the Jvalamukhi temples and "Maa Devi" (mother goddess) temples in the Himalayas. The temple remains highly popular among Hindus and the site is a major tirtha stop for Hindu pilgrims.

The complex consists of a main temple and many smaller shrines. The main temple is dedicated to Durga and it follows the Nagara architecture, one with layers of re-construction. This structure also embeds the recovered ruins from earlier versions of the temple. A mandapa faces the sanctum and is notable for its colorful frescoes about Hindu legends. The phamsana-style smaller shrines are dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesha and other Hindu deities.

The Vajreshvari temple is notable for early Durga Mahisasuramardini and Yama artwork. The site has two inscriptions. One of these is 24 lines long. It is notable for the first two lines in Takari script and mention of Jvalamukhi, then the rest in Nagari script. This inscription confirms the role of king Sansar Chandra in building the oldest surviving sections of this temple.
Date
Source Own work
Author Ms Sarah Welch
Camera location32° 06′ 04.5″ N, 76° 16′ 09.23″ E Kartographer map based on OpenStreetMap.View this and other nearby images on: OpenStreetMapinfo 32.101250; 76.269231

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12 May 2023

32°6'4.500"N, 76°16'9.232"E

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