Malinithan Shiva Temple, Arunachal Pradesh

Address

Malinithan Shiva Temple, near, Likabali, Arunachal Pradesh- 787059

Diety

Shiva

Introduction

Located in the foothills of the Siang hills, Likabali, Malinithan Temple was once an extravagant site but now completely in ruins. It was in early between 1968 and 1971, all these relics were unearthed on this site. The ruins found nearby the temple indicates that it was built with granite stones during the period of Aryan influence in the region, which is quite unique as most of the temples in Northeast are built with bricks.

Puranic Significance

According to which Krishna eloped with Rukmini, the daughter of King Bhishmaka of Vidarbha, and then travelled from Bhishmakanagar to Dwarka. During their journey, they stopped at Malinithan, where they received a wall welcome and was presented with garlands made of flowers plucked from her orchard. Krishna was so much fascinated by the scent of a flower that he addressed Parvati as Malini, meaning “the mistress of the garden.” That’s how the place got its name – Malinithan. As per another story, the image of a female without the head was unearthed during the excavations, which represented Malini who was the lover of Shiva. The image of the goddess Durga found here is known as “Pupane”, an ancient name for the Divine Mother. At the time when the temple was in the excavation process, four sculptures of lions on two elephants was found. The granite sculptures of Indra riding his mount Airavata; Kartikeya riding a peacock; Surya (Sun) riding a chariot, and Ganesha mounted over a mouse, and a large Nandi bull were also found here.