Sirpur Rama Temple, Chhattisgarh

Address

Sirpur Rama Temple, Sirpur, Mahasamund District Chhattisgarh 493445

Diety

Vishnu

Introduction

Rama Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, located in Sirpur Village in Mahasamund District in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Here the Primary deity is called as Rama.

Puranic Significance

It was an important Hindu, Buddhist and Jain settlement of the South Kosala kingdom between the 5th and the 12th century CE.

Among the notable structures in Sirpur, there exists an east-facing Rama Temple, part of a pair of twin temples constructed on a raised platform crafted from dressed stones. Regrettably, only remnants of one of these twin temples have endured, while the other is evident only in plans. This particular temple is unique as it is constructed primarily from bricks, and it is encompassed by a compound. Unfortunately, the temple now stands in a state of disrepair.The temple’s layout includes a Mandapam (assembly hall) and a Sanctum. While the walls of the Sanctum, Antrala (vestibule), and the pillared Mandapam remain intact, the roof and tower over the sanctum have been completely lost to time. Within the Mandapam and Sanctum, there are a few damaged idols that remain. Adjacent to the temple in the southern direction, you can observe the remains of the priest’s residence.Notably, excavations conducted between 2003 and 2004 unveiled three underground chambers at the rear of the priest’s residence, likely serving as granaries. Additionally, towards the east, there is another structure believed to be a workshop for crafting conch bangles, as indicated by the abundance of conch shells and unfinished conch bangles discovered within one of its cells during excavations.

Special Features

This Temple is situated opposite to Lakshmana Temple. This Temple is considered as one of brick-built Temples in Sirpur and it is now in ruins. The Temple is under protection of Archaeological Survey of India. The special feature of this temple is that it represents an early example of the regional tradition of temples of south Kosala having stellate (star shaped) plan for construction.