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| Kopeshwar temple Khidrapur, MH Alamy.com |
There are scores of amazing Hindu temples across India that lie either in isolated places or just in small nondescript villages /towns. They are a repository of fascinating and inspiring architectural features that lie hidden and unexplored to the fullest. In such temples your imagination may run riot and go on an odyssey in the imaginative world of architecture.
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| Kopeshwar temple Khidrapur, MH tripoto.com |
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| Kopeshwar temple Khidrapur, MH tripoto.com |
Khidrapur, a small village about 22 Kms from NarsobaWadi, Maharashtra is one such a place where Kopeshwar temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is a popular one. Khidrapur is 20 km away from Nrushinhawadi, 75 km from Belgaum and 56 km from Kolhapur.
Built on the bank of River Krishna, Shri Kopeshwar Temple (Khidrapur Cave) is about 1700 years old. Artistically and aesthetically rich, this treasure trove is not well publicized and obviously visitors who love Indian temple architecture and related stuff make a visit to this temple. Also known as the Khajuraho of Maharashtra, all around the temple one can see a variety of nicely carved figures of Indian gods, goddesses in the Hindu Pantheon, besides dancers with various postures, musicians, animals like elephants. Upon visit, it is said, the awe-struck visitors will be for a few days haunted by the sculptural excellence and mastery of this temple.
Quite unknown is the presence of two sanctums -garbhagrihas enshrined with Shiva Linga. Yet another surprise is the temple does not have Shiva's mount/vahana- Nandi (Rishabam)
The temple legend goes to the story of revelry between Daksha whose daughter Sati is Shiva's consort. Once Daksha conducted a Yagna and never invited the couple. In rage Sati visited her father with Nandi. Unable to brook the insults heaped on her by her father Sati committed self-immolation in the the fire of Yagna. Upon hearing the sad incident and the death of Sati Lord punished Daksha by severing his head. Lord Vishnu pacified Shiva and brought him to Khidrapur Temple .Hence the temple has two sanctums - Kopeshwar (wrathful god Shiva) and Dhopeshwar (Vishnu being pacifier).
The temple’s shikhar has a unique design not seen in other Shiva temples. The sanctum (sanctorum) has two lingas and the temple does not have a Nandi. According to locals the first Linga represents Vishnu as ‘Dhopeshwar’ and the second Linga represents Shiva as ‘Kopeshwar’ !
The temple legend goes to the story of revelry between Daksha whose daughter Sati is Shiva's consort. Once Daksha conducted a Yagna and never invited the couple. In rage Sati visited her father with Nandi. Unable to brook the insults heaped on her by her father Sati committed self-immolation in the the fire of Yagna. Upon hearing the sad incident and the death of Sati Lord punished Daksha by severing his head. Lord Vishnu pacified Shiva and brought him to Khidrapur Temple to subdue his rage and anger. Hence the temple has two sanctums - Kopeshwar ( Shiva) and Dhopeshwar (Vishnu being pacifier).
Explanation for the absence of Nandi is when Sati went to Daksha's Ashram, Nandi was not with God Shiva. However there is a separate shrine for Nandi nearby.
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| Entry view of Khidrapur templecommons.wikimedia.org |
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| Kopeshwar temple Khidrapur, Swarga mantap with open ceiling inditales.com |
The Swarg mandap is an important part the temple and it is supported by 48 artistically rich and ornate stone pillars with the ceiling open to the sky, so that the smoke from the Yagna (conducted by Daksha could escape through the open ceiling when the yagna was on.
According to countless visitors, this place is a sermon in stone like a few temples of Hampi, Karnataka, and Srirangam/Thiruvanaikaval of Tamil nadu. Amazing sculptures galore, comprising various gods, goddess and apsaras, there are 108 stone carved ornate pillars in the interior supporting the entire structure. The fascinating aspect is none of the pillars are similar to each other.
Figurines of Gods, Goddesses, Yaksha, Gandharva, Apsara, Surasundari, animals, motifs etc dominate the interior and they are well carved on the walls, on the kirtimukha of the pillars. The nice carvings include episodes from the epics of Ramayana, Mahabharata and also from Panchatantra.The last one seldom found in other temples.
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| Kopeshwar temple Khidrapur, MH |
There are so beautiful carvings of elephants all around the temple - as many as 95 of them in different styles and postures. The elephants at the lower level carry the gods on them and it looks as if the weight of the entire temple is borne by these elephants. This mesmerizing feature bears testimony to the workmanship and artistic talents of the sculptors of past era.
The temple walls -exterior mandovara have rich decorations in the form of friezes depicting carved sculptures of celestial, gods, goddesses, animals, yali - Vyaals (mythical beasts), Gaja (elephants) etc
https://www.tripoto.com/kolhapur/trips/kopeshwar-unique-shiva-temple-without-nandi-5e8d626ce602d
http://www.kolhapurtourism.org/our-destination/khidrapur/
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