Mandsaur Dharmrajeshwar Temple, Madhya Pradesh

Address

Mandsaur Dharmrajeshwar Temple, Chandwasa, Mandsaur district, Madhya Pradesh 458883

Diety

Dharmrajeshwar

Introduction

Dharmrajeshwar temple is an ancient ruins cave temple which is situated at Chandwasa town in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh. The temple is carved out of the solid natural rock which is 50 m in length, 20 m in width and 9 m deep. It is a example of Indian rock-cut architecture. Dharmrajeshwar temple is consecrated to Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu.

Puranic Significance

The history of Dharmarajeshwar temple dates back to the 9th century. The temple has a garbh-grih with a Sabha mandap and Shikhar. The spire of the shrine is in the north Indian style. The architecture of Dharmarajeshwar temple resembles that of Kailash Temple of Ellora. A big pyramid shaped temple stands in the middle which is 14.53 m tall and 10 m wide. The main temple is surrounded by seven small shrines which are dedicated to various deities such as Lord Bhairav, Goddess Kali, Garuda and Goddess Parvati. The main temple houses a huge Shiva linga along with an idol of Lord Vishnu. The entrance gate displays the engraved images of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi. The site has 170 caves which belong to the Jain culture. Inside the caves, five statues can be seen which were identified as Jain Tirthankaras namely Rishabha Deva, Neminath, Parshavanath, Shantinath, and Mahavira. The locals consider them to be the statues of the Pandavas.

Special Features

Dharmrajeshwar Temple signifies brilliant example of Indian rock-cut architecture. This monolithic Temple has been constructed using solid natural rock, and the architecture is similar to Kailasa Temple, Ellora Caves. The main Temple houses a Shivaling and a murti of Bhagwan Vishnu, surrounded by 7 smaller shrines.