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News: The Masroor Rock-Cut Temples in Himachal Pradesh have been highlighted as a unique heritage site known as the “Ellora of the Himalayas.”
About Masroor Rock-Cut Temples
- The Masroor Rock-Cut Temples are an early 8th-century complex of 15 monolithic Hindu temples
- Location: The temple complex is situated in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, in the Kangra Valley of the Beas River near Masroor village.
- Known as: The temples are often referred to as the “Ellora of Himachal”, “Himalayan Pyramid”, and “Ellora of the Himalayas.”
- Architecture and Layout:
- Style of Architecture: The complex is built in the North Indian Nagara style and is a rare monolithic rock-cut temple complex with a shikhara (spire) in Northern India.
- Layout and Grid: The 15-monument temple complex follows a symmetrical square grid, where the central shrine is surrounded by smaller shrines arranged in a mandala pattern.
- Thakurdwara Shrine: The central Thakurdwara shrine is completely excavated inside to form a functional garbhagriha, unlike the surrounding shrines.
- Directional Alignment: The temple complex faces northeast and is aligned toward the snow-clad Dhauladhar mountain range.
- Entrances: The complex has three completed entrances facing the northeast, southeast, and northwest, while a fourth western entrance remained unfinished.
- Sacred Water Pool: A large sacred quadrilateral water pool is located directly in front of the temple complex.
- Iconography: The inner sanctum contains stone idols of Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita, while reliefs of Shiva indicate an earlier dedication to Mahadeva.
