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Ancient temples, fort unearthed at Chandravati

Chandravati was ruled by the Parmar Dynasty (Rajput Clan)of Abu. The remains at Chandravati on mount Abu seem to point to the eleventh and twelfth centuries as the time of greatest wealth and splendour . The old ruins temples, torans and hindu god goddess deity scattered over the large area, bear testimony to its past glory. In 1412 A.D great wealth fell into the Muslim invaders Hands, lost almost all independence. Another hundred years completed its ruin. 1411 – 1412 A.D Chandravati has remained forsaken and desolate. Though some are more modern, most of the Chandravati remains belong to the eleventh and twelfth centuries, the best period of Abu architecture (1032-1247).Sahasamala Devada shifted his capital to Sirohi around 1450 AD, and from then on Chandravati lost its glory.

The second season of excavation that commenced from January 12, 2015 spearheaded by Prof J S Kharakwal of JRN Rajasthan Vidyapeeth, Udaipur would continue until the February. The project is a joint venture of the Archaeological department and Rajasthan Vidyapeeth University, Udaipur.

Unit of the research team has spotted craft area of the township along the Sevarni, the southern fringe of the settlement. It is likely that out of three dozen temples a few may belong to craft folks. The exploration unit has also discovered a few watch towers located to the east and south east of the settlement. Line drawing of the temples, craft area, and other complexes is also underway. Members of excavation team are Vineet Godhal, K P Singh, Narayan Paliwal, Rohit Menaria, Rajnikant, Joginder Singh, Baishakhi and Prakash.

As many as three fortified enclosures have been discovered so far. “The largest fortified area, spread in about four hectares, is located in the valley of Banas whereas remaining two forts, about three dozen temples, around a dozen bawaris, besides a very large settlement are located in the valley of Sevarni, a tributary of the Banas. Unfortunately, a major part of the ancient city was destroyed while the Abu Road -Palanpur highway was made,” informed Prof Kharakwal. It has in fact divided the ancient township into two parts.

 

In 1824 Sir Charles Colville and his team the first European visitors to Chandravati, found twenty marble edifices of different sizes. One Hindu temple was adorned with rich, very well executed sculptured deity and ornaments in high relief, many of the figures almost quite detached. The chief images were of Lord Brahma, two Shiva, Godesses Mahishasurmardini , Yama. Except the roof of the domes, whoso outer marble cover was gone, the temple was white marble throughout, the lustre of tho prominent part undimmed. Near the temple, two richly carved columns, supporting an entablature and sculptured pediment, are probably triumphal pillars. When visited by British explorer Burgess in 1874, of the twenty buildings not more than three or four were left. One temple to Brahma was adorned with rich and finely executed sculptured and ornaments in high relief. Another scholar, Ferguson, found the pillars so highly ornamented in details and varieties that no two pillars are exactly alike. Pillars sketch in 1866. During excavation ASI found two fortifications, a large settlement, about thirty six temples, around twelve bawaris are located in the valley of Sevarni river which is tributary of Banas. The other two fortifications, a large settlement, about thirty six temples, around twelve bawaris are located in the valley of Sevarni river which is tributary of Banas. There were a large number of temples in Chandravati. They were mainly Lord Shiva temples. At present not a single temple is in order. Even its ruins, sold and carried off as building materials, have all but disappeared.

Siddheshvara temple West Bengal, lying in ruins

The town Barakar is know for its Siddheshvara Temple, an early (9C) Hindu religious structure of the Orissan style with a prominent shikhara. It later served as inspiration for other temples, devoted to Ganesh, Durga and Panchanana, built in the 16C.

The Siddheshvara temple, seems to be the oldest and was built around 8th-9th century. It is amongst the oldest rekh-deul temples in West Bengal. The temples have Shivalingams and deity of Ganesha and Durga. Many stone deity of Lord Vishnu have been discovered in the complex. “The object of worship”, Beglar writes, “is a figure of a fish lying flat, serving as an argha to five lingam holes cut in it”. I found 5 shiva lingams, surrounded by a sort of parapet created with modern cement. The purpose of the parapet is obvious – copious amounts of water are poured on the lingams as part of worship and the water has to be directed towards an outlet in the floor. No doubt locals, who have kept the temple active, have done this for their own convenience. Outside the temple are two decayed but identifiable stone “nandi” bulls, Lord Shiva’s mount.

Siddheshvara Temple at Barakar, Burdwan district taken by J.D.Beglar in 1872-73. Beglar wrote, “Barakar…contains several very interesting ancient remains, in excellent preservation”. Temple number 5, “…consists of a cell and an antarala, or vestibule. It does not appear to have ever had a mahamandapa in front. The object of worship is a lingam, placed in a great argha, 4 feet 7 inches in diameter. Besides this there are lying, in and out, statues and fragments, among which may be reckoned, Ganeca, a 4-armed female, a 4-armed male holding a sword and a trident in two hands, and some nondescript fragments.”

J.D. Beglar, Report of a tour through the Bengal Provinces…in 1872-73 (A.S.I. vol. VIII, Calcutta, 1878), p. 151-3 The temple was built in the ninth century however the adjacent mandapa is a modern addition.

Standing adjacent to Siddheshvara temple is significantly different from the other 3 extant temples in architectural style. The shikhara or tower, in this case, is much lower. At the top of the four corners of the shikhara are four animal figurines, facing outward. While it is difficult to say exactly what these are because they have significantly decayed, I have a feeling that these are lions. Four lions facing the four corners is something we see on top of the Kailasa temple in Ellora as well, although what purpose they serve, I do not know. The shikhara itself is much more profusely decorated, and although the stone has decayed, it is is still possible to make out that rich carvings are in a whole different class altogether. The carvings appear to depict Puranas scenes though several kirtimukhas are also present. The shikhara is topped by a very large amalaka or disc, which is topped by what appears to be a very plain stone cylinder. Beglar writes that the temple may have had a metal trishula, Lord Shiva’s trident, on top at one point. Above the entrance to the sanctum, there is a sculpture of Lord Shiva, seated in the lotus position with a snake on his right. He is flanked by two other figures, one female, and one male. Decayed sculptures of Shiva with his consort appear between each of the animal figures on the shikhara.

Siddheshvara is also the only temple to have a mandapa, although this seems to have been added later on. This is immediately apparent from the fact that the mandapa contains windows with keystone arches, which are clearly colonial. But Beglar had found one further clue, and that is that the mandapa, in this case, seemed to be covering the mouldings on the front of the temple. Even in 1872, the mandapa was devoid of a roof, and today, a makeshift bamboo structure is used, covered by waterproof material when needed.

Inside the sanctum, there is a simple lingam which is now surrounded by modern cement, probably to direct the flow of water which is poured on the lingam, to the gutter in the floor. Beglar had found several other figurines lying outside the temple, including a Ganesha, a four-armed female and a four-armed male holding a sword and trident. These have been ruined so much that it is impossible to identify them.

After the Muslim conquest of Bengal ancient stone temple of Lord Shiva Siddhesvara original Lord Shiva Lingam has been stolen or destroyed , half portioned of the temple was being destroy. Temple Siddheshvara of Barakar, Burdwan district is surviving for existence due to lack of Government and local people care and ignorance.

#ReclaimTemples

Sword of Tipu Sultan

Strange times we live in. We see Tipu Sultan immortalized and festivals arranged by the elected governments in his name. Many historians however claim that Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan was a communal fanatic who conducted a jihad in Karnataka and Kerala by destroying several temples, forceful conversion of Hindus and butchered those who refused to convert to Islam.

The letters from Tipu to his Generals illustrate religious fanaticism of the Sultan. Renowned historian and statesman Sardar K M Panicker had translated these letters and were published in Bhashaposhini 1099 Chingam vol. I

Letter – 6 : Sent to Ziyad Abdullah on 1790 January 18th:

“With the help of Muhammad and blessings of God, we have inducted nearly all non-believers into Islam. Few people are left unconverted at the border of the Kochi Kingdom. I have decided to convert them also as Mohammedans soon. I consider this as a religious War.”

There is an argument that Tipu Sultan was a secular who funded the renovation of some temples. Showing the temple in the fort, they ask, had Tipu been an iconoclast wouldn’t he be demolishing the temple in his headquarters first? Tipu kept Brahmins as advisers. They ask why he did not convert these Brahmins if he was an Anti-Hindu?

What is the truth in this? Tipu blindly believed in astrology. The palace Astrologists were Brahmins. Since the temple in Srirangapatnam Fort belonged to them, Tipu did not demolish at the temple. Astrologers attributed the continuous defeats met by Tipu to the demolition of temples and suggested the renovation of temples as the only remedial measure. His donations to the temples were a result of this advice.

There is also a reason for him not changing the religion of the palace astrologists. The astrologists of Srirangapatnam fort were traditional brahmins. Tipu’s father Hyderali was a faujdar in Dindigul when he treacherously captured the throne of Mysore. In June 1759 Hyder could install his aide Kunde Rao by replacing Nanje Rao, the only remaining minister of the puppet King of Mysore. In 1761 June, Hyder captured power by ousting Kunde Rao. So technically he was not the King. Since the customs and ways of the palace have been formally recognised to keep the power intact, the palace Astrologers were spared from being subjected to religious conversion.

Mohemmadan army under Hyder first entered Malabar to collect the 12 lakhs rupees they had to obtain as per the war treaty signed with the Samoothiri of Calicut. In those days, Kannur was known as the land of Moplahs. The Moplah soldiers of Ali Raja, of Kannur, had already joined the Mysore Army. Like Tipu, Hyder’s raids also were also driven by the religious hatred to annihilate Hindus. Hyder Ali and the Moplah’s killed numerous Hindus. He organised his jihad in Malabar by plundering and torching the temples. His son Tipu continued this Jihad of his father and the atrocities and destruction rivaled that of Hyder Ali.

Tipu was in Ponnani, while Hyder Ali died on December 7th, 1782. Being a hardcore Islamist, he decided to convert Kerala into an Islamic country and annex it to Mysore. Brutally, he started over his jihad from where Hyder Ali stopped.

The story of Tipu Sultan is one of genocide, destruction of Hindu temples and pure evil . Recounting just one incident is enough to reflect his cruelty and barbarism. Around 2000 Hindus had sought refuge in the Kuttipuram fort of the Kadathanattu Raja inorder to save themselves from the Muslim invaders. Tipu Sultan threatened them to be killed unless they converted to Islam. Many converted out of fear and they were forcefully fed cow meat.

More than 3000 Hindu temples were destroyed during the invasion of Tipu Sultan and subsequent Moplah riots. Hundreds of such ruins exists even today, where the Vigrahas can be seen with their hands, legs and head cutoff. These temples are mute witnesses to the genocide and terror that Hindu society had to suffer from religious extremists and marauders. In 2018 was started the efforts to document such ruins and revive such temples. Any support towards the efforts can be made via https://reclaimtemples.com//fundraisers/

Courtesy: Destroyed temples of Kerala Volume 1, Introduction. Author: Tirur Dinesh

The book can be ordered online or read on kindle via https://www.amazon.in/Destroyed-temples-Kerala-Vol-1/dp/8193929926

 

#ReclaimTemples

Hindu Deities of Zafar Khan Ghazi Masjid

Article by Nayandeep

One must understand how important it is to know of the atrocities committed on Hindu civilization during the past by invading hordes of barbarians from Arabia. Without this knowledge we might remain ignorant and end up celebrating those who were responsible for the cruelty on our ancestors. The paradox stares at us, as many of our leaders end up sending Chadhars to the graves of Sufi extremists who presided over the mass murder of Hindu population. We fail to notice and learn the history behind the  defaced Gods and Goddesses in our ancestral temples and in those temples converted into mosques.

One such prime example is the Ghazi Zafar Khan Mosque near Calcutta in the town of Tribeni. It was a meeting point of three rivers Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswati. For the uninitiated ones the title Ghazi is given to an Islamic warrior who has slaughtered and destroyed the kaffirs. In this case it was an area and people around Tribeni who were slaughtered and the Vishnu temple located there which was converted to a Masjid.

Said to be built in 1298 AD in Tribeni Bengal, Ghazi Zafar Khan Mosque is regarded as the oldest mosque in the eastern India. Circumstances in which the mosque was constructed are aptly demonstrated in its dedicatory inscription, which was translated by H.Balochman a British officer who translated the inscription on Zafar  Khan’s tomb, it  clearly states “Khan the lion of lions has appeared by conquering the towns of India in every expedition and by restoring the decayed religious institutions. And he has destroyed the obdurate among the infidels with his sword and spear and lavished the treasures of his wealth in helping miserable”.

On a close inspection of the mosque one can clearly see the distinct Hindu architecture in the form of various Deities and lord Vishnu’s Dashavatar (ten forms) on the stone slab inside the mosque. The doorways of Zafar Khan’s tomb strongly resemble Hindu Vaishnava architecture. Many of the figures on the walls have their faces disfigured in order to hide the truth that the mosque is actually a Hindu temple.
A British officer D.Money of the Bengal civil services who had met with the Khadims(servents) of Ghazi Zafar Khan’s muesoleum in the year 1847 scanned some of the documents given to him by the Khadims, the documents clearly stated that Zafar Mohamed Khan along with his nephew shah Sufi came from western India to slay the infidels (Hindus) of Bengal and turn them to Islam. It mentions that Zafar Khan fought and converted local ruler Man Nirapati to Islam. It was the second battle with the ruler Budheb that the all conquering Ghazi met his fate by having his head chopped off and his torso buried in Tribeni.

There are many versions and folklore regarding this man Ghazi Khan and his mosque, in some folklore he is presented as a slayer of Hindus. In versions penned by Islamic historians he is however portrayed as a benevolent man who distributed his wealth to the poor.

While the folklore and different versions may contradict themselves but the fact on the ground remains that the once famous temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu is now used as a mosque.
The truth is that the ancient Hindu temples which were a rallying point for the local population and centers of great architecture and learning were destroyed and taken over by Muslim invaders to finish off the oldest and the greatest civilization in the world. So we have to ponder over what keeps this civilization still alive in the face of destruction done centuries ago and the present disdain being heaped upon us by democratic governments.

The answer to this lies in the spirit of our illustrious ancestors who fought to defend our temples and our glorious heritage. Never has been invaders successful in conquering our nation and our temples, great wars were fought to reclaim our temples and restart worship of our Gods.

The same spirit now runs in the countless Dharmik warriors who dream of reclaiming our temples. All Hindu temples will no doubt be liberated from the encroachers and the due worship of Hindu Gods will be reinstated.

#ReclaimTemples

Image Credits: double-dolphin.blogspot.in

#LightALamp to revive our ancestral temples

The glory of Hindu civilisation is well evident in the magnificent temples and extra ordinary architectural skills imbibed in them. Many of these temples were centers of divine energy which helps the devotees during their various stages of life and even as cure for their maladies. The Hindu Gods and Goddesses consecrated at these temple sites were believed to have protected the people and the people in turn protected them.

However during the dark days of Islamic invasion of Bharat, lakhs of Hindu temples were destroyed across Bharat and they now lies in ruins as mute witness to the barbaricity of the invading hordes. Worse is the fact that many of these temple sites are abandoned by Hindus and even the customary rituals and Poojas are not done.

We have started #LightALamp initiative where we will be reviving worship in as many Hindu temples as possible, either in ruins or abandoned or neglected by the local population.

The revival will start with devotees lighting a lamp, as simple as an earthen lamp at the temple site. This can be done by anybody and accompanied by mantras if a person is well versed in it. The offering of fire to the Deity will rekindle the Divinity of the place and the revival of whole temple will happen in due time.

We have found that many often the people who are willing to restart Poojas and worship doesn’t have money or resources. To lend a helping hand and attempting to restart worship, we will be providing Rs. 2000 per month for 6 months for meeting expenses of temples where Poojas are not done, to ameliorate the difficulty faced and for starting worship in new temple sites. We believe that initial assistance will help individuals to restart worship at these abandoned ruins in his locality . And in another six months the devotees themselves can share the expenses and continue the Poojas.

We request you to support such initiative in your ancestral village or locality and contribute towards the same directly to the person reviving the worship. Together we can build #ReclaimTemples movement and ensure that no Hindu temple in Bharat lies abandoned, no Deity in Bharat is devoid of their due worship.

If you would like to connect us to such ancient temples which needs attention, please download our Android app via reclaimtemples.com/android and submit the details of the temple.

To become a volunteer in your district, please register with us via imojo.in/dharma

#ReclaimTemples

Mapping the Heritage monuments of Bharat

The land of Bharat was home to the most prosperous civilisation the world has ever seen. The remnants of this glorious civilisation now exists as ruins across Bharat. The magnitude of destruction that Hindu civilisation had suffered from Islamic invaders can be guaged from these ruins.

In our estimate, more than 2 lakh Hindu temples now exist in various stages of ruins and neglect and abandoned across the length and breadth of Bharat. The magnitude of the efforts required is huge and to make any change on the ground requires simultaneous work towards the revival of the Heritage monuments. The urgency is due to fact that slowly the Heritage monuments are getting destroyed, lost to Heritage thieves, vandalism, and encroachment by vested interests and even by Islamic and Christian fundamentalist organisations.

Keeping in view the efforts required, we have started off by mapping the Heritage monuments. The first phase was to map the structures under supervision of Archaeological Survey of India. We asked via RTI, the coordinates of monuments. But the response from the ASI revealed how lethargic and clumsy bureaucrats can virtually kill any reform envisaged under the RTI. ASI didn’t give us the coordinates.

We however decided to go ahead with mapping and secured the coordinates from publicly available sources and google maps. This was a task that required much manpower, and our volunteers command all the appreciation and respect in this regard.

We have released the initial map of Heritage monuments under ASI supervision as a google map and can be visited, downloaded via www.reclaimtemples.com/ASImap

The coordinates of some monuments secured from public sources are only accurate at the Tehsil level and needs further refining. This we are accomplishing gradually with help from volunteers.

Our next task involves mapping the Heritage monuments which are not under supervision of Archaeological Survey of India. For this, we are depending on crowd sourced efforts to locate the Heritage structures in their locality.

For easily submit the details and also to bring visibility to these Heritage monuments, we have developed an Android App ‘#ReclaimTemples Explore’ and released in Google Play Store. The app can be downloaded via https://reclaimtemples.com//android

We now depend on general public and Heritage enthusiasts to submit details of Heritage monuments in their locality. We will also be doing it via our volunteers.

The details submitted will be in public domain and slowly these unknown Heritage sites will get due publicity and attract visitors. We hope that the process will lead to rejuvenation of these Heritage sites and revival of worship will also happen at the ancestral Hindu temples now lying in ruins.

How you can contribute to Heritage of Bharat

  1. Download our Android App ‘#ReclaimTemples Explore’ from Google Play store. Click here
  2. Submit the details of atleast 10 Heritage sites in your locality via our App
  3. Share the App with atleast 10 friends and ask them to do same.
  4. Become a volunteer for the project by registering via imojo.in/dharma
  5. Donate to the project via instamojo.com/@ReclaimTemples

Success ahead

#ReclaimTemples

 

Intellectual Kshatriyas of tomorrow

The 1980s was a time of resurgence of Hindu religion and culture. The Ramjanmabhumi agitation had fired up the minds of many, and hundreds of thousands of Hindus braved the bullets to build a temple for Lord Sriram.

It was also the time of resurgence of intellectualism amongst Hindus. There were a group of individuals, who found the need to research on topics neglected for long and spread the truth of the history of Bharat. They did what nobody had done before to provide the intellectual base and momentum for a movement they thought will rebuild Hindu Rashtra.

Amongst the intellectuals of that time, SitaRam Goel, Ram Swarup and Koenraad Elst stand out among the rest. What made them stalwarts were their commitment to original research and truth. They did extra ordinary work to find the truth of the matter by going through historical documents, Mughal court records and other historically significant works. Of them Sitaram Goel visited medieval era Masjids across Bharat and collected evidences of them being Hindu temples.

The towering work and commitment of the sort would have earned them laurels and recognition. But what they gained was neglect and also banishment by various organisations. As a result the intellectualism in the Hindu society that promotes original Dharmik thoughts subsided, and propagandists took their place.

This is an attempt to revive the concept of Intellectual Kshatriya amongst Hindus. We are looking to nurture the best minds, who can think originally, analytically and has the courage to speak and write what they found by hard research and facts. The Intellectual Kshatriyas would have the answers to Leftist and British historians and archaeologists who corrupted history of Bharat to suit their interests.

Over the course of time we will partnering with various organisations, individuals to promote the intellectualism and nurture them. We intend to give scholarship and honorariums to best minds and offer them a ecosystem to present and evolve their thoughts and research.

Prayaan Scholarship on Indic Studies and Heritage

Prayaan Foundation is offering one time award of Rs. 10,000 to those who present original research papers on Indic Heritage. The topics available are

  1. Indo Saracenic architecture, the evolution of domes and arches
  2. Identifying the truth about Hindu Muslim architecture

The papers can be submitted via http://bit.ly/2DDsXtq

Research Articles on ReclaimTemples.com website

We welcome research articles on topic of Islamic destruction of Hindu temples to be published on our website www.reclaimtemples.com . The best articles will be given a honorarium of Rs. 3,000

The articles may be submitted via http://bit.ly/2GHBXko

We value the time and efforts that need to be spend for the research work, and have instituted the scholarship and honorarium so that it will help in procuring the needed resources and will benefit the researchers.

And we hope that Intellectual Kshathriyas will rise who will have the courage and conviction and capability to record the true history of Bharat, devoid of any propaganda to suit anyone.

#ReclaimTemples
“Dharm Ka Saath, Adharm Ka Vinaash”

RudraMahalaya, awaiting revival of worship

Article by Nayandeep

As they say truth needs a big cover for the lie to prosper. In the case of Hindu temples, the wanton destruction, conversion to mosques and cover of time as it passed was used to propagate the superiority of Islam over the infidels. What was unmatched in beauty of architecture and construction was destroyed, mutilated and converted into what the invaders wanted the history to remember.

But truth cannot be long hidden, history shows of the strange manners in which truth resurfaced. Minor repair works, accidental discoveries and excavations have resulted in a large no of temples being discovered beneath new structures which were constructed to destroy a glorious civilization. It might have succeeded in other places but in a country which never gave up fighting and where entire Vedas are memorised verbally, nothing could destroy it.

One such wonder of our time is Rudra Mahalaya of Sidhpur, Gujarat now known as Jami Masjid after its destruction and take over by the invading Muslim hordes. Rudra Mahalaya is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Siva. It was constructed by Chalukyas, started in 943 AD by Mularaja and completed in 1140 AD by Jayasimha Siddharaja. It’s grandeur can be gouged from the fact that even Sultan Ahmad Shahs historians in the book Mirat e Sikandari wrote of the idols inside the Rudra Mahalaya which they said could put the idols of China and Khotan to shame. It clearly states that by the efforts of Sultan and his General Ulugh Khan, Rudra Mahalaya was rid of the idols.

Famous Historian Sita Ram Goel in his book “Hindu Temples what happened to them” has given an incident when Maharaja Jaswant Singh was appointed Governor of Gujarat in 1658, his historian Munhata Nai Nasi made a visit and in his words Sidhpur had lost the spiritual glory and importance during the centuries which followed after its destruction. According to him Sidhpur was founded by Siddharao, who named the place after himself and invited one thousand Brahmans well versed in Vedas to settle there and granted 700 villages around Siddhpur to them. The temple was destroyed by the Sultan Alauddin and many Brahmans were massacred, still some portion of it survived only to be attacked by the next invading horde.

BL Nagarach an expert archaeologist further states that during excavation he found “a standing idol of an Apsara”, “four armed Varuna” and a “two armed female deity holding a sword and a cut head”. Even a layman can tell that mosques do not have idols inside them, unless otherwise the mosque is a Hindu temple under siege. It is pertinent to note that the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) report of the year 1979-80 published in 1983 stated finding Hindu and Jain pantheons stretching back to the 10th century. In one of his chapters Nai Nasi had included a poem by poet Lalla bhat praising the Rudra Mahalaya, Lalla Bhatt says “18000 statues studded with diamonds and 30000 flag staffs with carved stems and gold leaves and thousands of sculpted horses and elephants stand in attendance before the Rudra”

In a nation where even reclaiming the birth place of Lord Rama is still a far thought, there are thousands more temples of our ancestors looking at each of us and waiting for us to to build a collective resolve and come out of our complacency of centuries and simply reclaim what was always ours.

As the famous saying goes a closed room is only in dark as long as no one opens a window and let’s the sun in. We all collectively can open these windows and let in the “Sun” whom we worship. Let it purify centuries of neglect and shine on our great legacy. Time to revive our Heritage, our Civilisation and our Dharma.

#ReclaimTemples

Punarutthana of abandoned Hindu temples

Karnataka was once part of Vijayanagara empire, which successfully safeguarded the saffron flames of Dharma for close to three centuries. Also the Kakatiyas and countless other Hindu kingdoms ruled this illustrious land of Bharat, blessed by countless sacred rivers.

The might, prosperity and grandeur of the Hindu kingdoms which ruled Karnataka and nearby regions is very evident in the Hindu temples they constructed and bequeathed to next generations. The temples are known for their exquisite grandeur, intricately carved pillars and idols which had eyes of precious gems.

The plunder and loot of these temples stripped the Gods of their possessions, and many of the idols now we find in museums in foreign lands. The abode of these Gods fell into abandon and ruin as the Presiding Deity of the temple was taken away and sold in black markets by thieves.

Its is estimated that around 70,000 Hindu Heritage monuments exist in Karnataka alone. And needless to say the State Archaeology Department and Archaeological Survey of India is ill equipped to preserve them, leave alone renovate them.

At this juncture of doom, was started the #ReclaimTemples project in Karnataka by Girish Bharadwaja and other Dharmik warriors. They took the lead and started organising the local Hindu community to revive the Hindu temples now lying abandoned and in ruins.

The sincerity of their efforts saw people joining the project and leading from the front. #SundayForDharma campaign where every Hindu is asked to devote atleast one Sunday for Shramdaana and revival of ancestral temples in their locality is being embraced by people from all walks of life. The result is for all to see, as people started working for Dharma beyond the narrow confines of caste or organisational identities.

The revival of Hindu temples is happening at never seen before pace, and two ancient Hindu temples were reclaimed and revived in less than 2 months.

Rummanagudu Shri Neelakanteshwara Temple temple in Kalaburagi Karnataka was revived and NandiMurthy was consecrated and worship restarted.

Another temple revived was Rukmini Panduranga temple at Kalaburagi Karnataka. The consecration of the idols brought a festive cheer in the villages and HinduSamaj united in welcoming the Deities back to the temple.

 

Bharata Punarutthana Trust registered in Bangalore is leading the activities. The updates about the activities can be tracked via the twitter handles @punarutthana and @GirishVHP

Donations can be made via https://www.instamojo.com/@bpt.

To join the activities on ground, please register via imojo.in/dharma or call #ReclaimTemples toll free number 18002002805

Cheriyamundam Vaniyanur Siva temple Malappuram

Cheriyamundam is a village in Malappuram district of Kerala where the Hindus are only 11.83% of the population as per the 2011 Census of Bharat. The economically backward situation of Hindus is compounded by pervasive and aggressive display of Islamic extremism in the locality by organisations and individuals who follow the doctrine propagated by ISIS. The result being that the Hindu community is forced to restrict their religious rights and freedom of worship.

Cheriyamundam Vaniyanur Siva temple was destroyed by Muslim rioters in 1921 Moplah riots. The land belonging to the temple was taken over and the whole temple was demolished in due course by Jihadis.

However no amount of desecration could affect the divinity of the Presiding Deity of the temple. The Jihadis of the locality were terrified when calamities started happening in their lifes, on their families and loved ones. An instance very vivid in the minds of the locals is when Jihadis slaughtered a cow in Vaniyanur temple site and served the beef during the marriage . The bride turned mad the next day and started crawling on ground like snakes. Terrified Jihadis it is said did a small Puja as a penance, and has abandoned the site and took care not to defile it again.

As part of the #ReclaimTemples project, the temple is now being reconstructed. The project is embraced by the people of the locality who have come together to resurrect their temple and restart worship of Lord Siva. A new vigour and confidence has descended on HinduSamaj of the region, as the very thought of reviving a destroyed Hindu temple after close to one century inspires them.

The revival was started on first week of January 2018. Swamy Bharati Maharaj, Managing Trustee of Bharat KshethraBhumi SamrakshanaVedhi lighted a lamp and marked restart of the Pujas at the Siva temple on 11 Jan 2018.

However the temple was ransacked again on 11 Jan night and the lamps, Pooja items were dumped in nearby well. The temple was also desecrated. However contrary to what the attackers must have imagined, the Hindu community of the region showed remarkable courage and thousands visited the site next day 12 Jan and took pledge to rebuild temple at any cost.

A committee was formed to oversee construction of temple and also a MathruSamithi was formed to oversee administration of temple. DevaPrashnam a ritual marking the rebuilding the temple was conducted on 5 Feb 2018. The Temple architect and Chief Priest visited temple and have designed plans for reconstruction of temple.

First a temporary office cum store room was constructed in the temple site. This enables the safe keep of Pooja items as well as construction tools.

As advised by the Thanthri and the temple architect the first step was cleaning the well of the temple. It was also foretold that the temple idols were broken down and dumped into the well long ago.

Parts of temple which was destroyed and dumped into well

 

Piles of stones near the well are recovered from inside the well. Reveals the mindset of those who destroyed the temple

The excavation of the well was a hard task as the person had to make sure that they dont damage any idols which was to be recovered from the well. Also huge stones and temple pillars were being found in the well. Some of them weighing few tones were difficult to be taken out using manual labour. And at many such instances the excavation process slowed as devotees found difficult to remove the stones from well. Ultimately crane had to be brought to take out the huge stones.

And as the temple architect had predicted, an idol of Goddess was recovered from the well. The idol from its characters belonged to the Chola era and the character was that of a benevolent Goddess. The recovery of the Goddess idol caused a rethink over the temple architecture as now, the architect has to design a sanctum for the Goddess aswell in addition to Lord Shiva.

Broken idol of Goddess which was recovered from temple well

It was also decided to complete excavation till bedrock of the well, in hope that more such idols will be discovered. The excavation of the well is almost complete and next stage is the construction of the temporary abodes for Lord Shiva and the Goddess.

The updates on revival of Cheriyamundam Vaniyanur Siva temple can be tracked via

The reconstruction of the temple is made possible only due to support given by Hindus from across the world.

You can join the reconstruction of the temple by supporting the fundraiser via ket.to/kl001

Ultimate objective of the #ReclaimTemples project is to ensure the survival of HinduDharma  and rebuild 300 Hindu temples in Malappuram by year 2021. These temples were destroyed during Tipu invasion and various Moplah riots ever since.

We have to act before its too late. The Hindus in Malappuram are courageous and will fight till their last breath. What they lack in is only resources to fight an enemy equipped with slush funds from Middle East and other Jihadi havens.

Lets join hands to protect HinduDharma and strengthen it, thereby prevent Kerala from becoming another Kashmir.

#ReclaimTemples