Abhaneri Harshat Mata Temple, Rajasthan

Address

Abhaneri Harshat Mata Temple Abhaneri, Rajasthan 303326

Diety

Shiva Amman: Harshat Mata

Introduction

The temple is situated in Abhaneri village in Dausa district of Rajasthan, India. It is 95 km away from Jaipur and lies on the Jaipur- Agra road. The village is popular for Harsha Mata Temple and Chand Baori step well. There is a mandap inside the temple which is built on pillars in a sanctum style scheme. The outer walls of the temple have Brahman bhadra niches and images of gods carved on them. There are fine sculptures that can be found in the upper shiva of the temple. The temple is dedicated to the goddess Harshat Mata and Lord shiva who is considered to be the goddess of happiness and joy.

Puranic Significance

The original temple appears to have been built in the panchayatana style, which features a main shrine surrounded by four subsidiary shrines. Only parts of the main shrine now survive and they have been ruined and modified over several centuries, with the tall shikhara tower replaced by a roof-dome. Much of the platform survives, with fragments of carved stones from the original structure, but most of the sculptures have been removed to the museums in Amber and Jaipur. No epigraphic evidence survives regarding the temple’s construction, but based on an analysis of its architectural and sculptural styles, historians believe that it was built in the early 9th century, shortly after the construction of the adjoining Chand Baori stepwell. The temple’s original builder is unknown, but historians theorize that it may have been built by a Gurjara-Pratihara king, possibly in association with a local Chahamana vassal. The temple is now protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, but remains in religious use.