Gone Temples in Jatland
You got to know of Kama through one of your favourite blogs. Looking at the temple pillars in the arcades of Qutb Complex, you have always wondered about the fate of the temples. Then you found this totally exquisite idol of Sankarshan, a Vishnu avatar, in the National Musuem and finally Delhi’s timeline into pre-sultanate times began to unblur.
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| Chaurasi Khambha - Ghurid Mosque in Kaman, Rajasthan |
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| Vimal Kund, Kaman, Bharatpur, Rajasthan |
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Never seen a God with that much Swagger and Attitude
What a God what a God what a mighty good God – Just look at Him, isn’t he the most flamboyant God (Salt N Pepa)
The long braided hair, the polished yellow stone, this is like the most handsome Vishnu you have ever seen.
Narvarah, Pratihar, 8th Century, from Kaman Rajasthan, Bharatpur Govt
Museum, Rajasthan
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In your travels across the country, it is quite clear that whatever little time everyone was not fighting, was spent in construction – forts, palaces, temples, mosques, tombs, water tanks and havelis. Some substantial construction happened across the centuries and across dynasties. Delhi too would have seen construction from Mauryas (you are pretty sure there were stups here) to Guptas and leading upto 12th century with contributions from Pratiharas, Tomars, Chauhans and Gahadvalas.
Varun mentions four Ghurid Mosques in his scholarly worded blogpost (you keep returning to it) – Qutb, Ajmer, Kama and Khatu. Khatu, slipped through your fingers last Diwali. Of course, since you have found some more in Mandu and Dhar. Few years ago, you had finally managed to visit Kama to see the Chaurasi Khamba Mosque on your way to Deeg and Bharatpur. Then, the Bharatpur Museum was still undergoing renovation and you do not remember going inside. Bharatpur, the seat of Jat power keeps pulling you back and last year you again found yourself in the city of Lohagarh.
The Bharatpur
Museum after many years of renovation looks like new. You absolutely love what
they have done with the place. Apparently, now they have unearthed their images
treasures and displayed them in the decorated verandas with some informative
signage. Two sculptures catch your eye. One is a grand Post-Gupta stele of
Uma Maheshwar and the other is a swashbuckling sculpture of 8th Century
Pratihar Varaha. The signs mention the ‘Find Spots’ as Kama. Now this is
INTERESTING. So now we can put a face to the temples that went into making of
Chaurasi Khamba too.
Kama forms part of Braj and would have been a sacred town like the nearby Nandgaon. Originally the town was called Brahampore, but Raja Kama Sen, maternal grandfather of Krishna, changed it to Kama. Kama is included among Bans, like Brindaban and Mahaban and is also called Kamban. The gazetteer reports that the town is visited by thousands of Vaishnav Hindus pilgrims during the month of Bhadon called the Banyatra.
The Gazetteer further mentions that the town has a curious old temple consisting of 84 pillars called Chourasi-Khamba and that its pillars can never be correctly numbered.
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| From the book Monuments of Bharatpur by Anil Kumar Verma |
Of course, Bharatpur is an erstwhile Jat ruled state and along with Dholpur, has lots of childhood memories from your mother’s side. Geographically, Bharatpur lies between the Braj heartland of Mathura and the Mahabharat’s Matsya region of Bairat or Viratnagar. Bharatpur has lots to see and explore and though you have visited several times a lot still remains unexplored in the three districts of Bharatpur, Dholpur and Karauli.
On the old Mathura highway,
you turn right towards Nandgaon from Kosi Kalan. This is Braj and just like
Mathura you are sure this too was all stup and temple country. ASI lists
locations of several mounds in this general area that have been excavated by
ASI. Stupa complexes turned into mounds as Buddhism declined. Temples had no
chance since this would have been the route to Deccan for the armies of the newly
established Delhi Sultanate.
And this is where the
country road is taking you to – to the initial handiwork of the Sultanate. You
have still not been able to visit Braj during the Holi celebrations and
Nandgaon and Barsana will have to wait. Crossing into Rajasthan you enter the
small town of Kaman. Driving through the village streets you can see the town
has some interesting havelis. It is late April and hot. You will like to get
down to real business. Havelis will have to wait for next time.
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| Gems that we are fast losing |
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| Kama does have interesting buildings |
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| Map of Kaman with the outcrop that houses the Chaurasi Khambha |
You arrive at this open ground which looks like a stadium for public events and is probably the only open area in the whole town. On one side is an interesting looking seemingly British era Baradari-Resthouse structure with arches and thick brick walls. Spending few moments here as it gets even hotter you are on your way to Chaurasi Khambha on the other side. Now that you are looking at the google satellite map, this part of the town seems to be sitting on top of an outcrop.
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| The Kama Fort |
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| Cheel Mahal or Raja Kamsen Mahal - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4mQFO2lJ4w |
This outcrop overlooking
the Kaman town would have made perfect sense to build the original temples. Though
not as extensive as in Mathura and its suburbs, Kaman being on the outer limits
of Braj, would have received some attention from the temple makers after the
slow decline of Buddhism in the area in the post Gupta period starting with the
Gurjars and then Pratiharas. Your guess is that there would have been a group
of about five Vishnu and Shiv temples, with at least two of substantial size here.
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Sometimes, one image is enough to let you imagine the grandeur and scale of a temple. Looking at this exuberant image of Uma and Maheshwar, the lovestruck spellbound couple, PDAing unabashedly – not able to keep their hands off each other, sitting in the lalitasan posture, it is clear that the temple builders of Kaman were at the top of their game. On the top is Brahma and Vishnu along with Ganesh, Kartikeya and Nandi at the bottom. The detailed imagery includes some charming Gandharv couples; a wholesome stele altogether.
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| Uma & Maheshwar at Bharatpur Govt Museum - Provenance Kaman - Post Gupta Period |
This image along with Varah when juxtaposed with the ornate pillars, it is clear that the temple construction skills had clearly evolved when compared to their Mehrauli counterparts. You always wonder about this band of craftsmen plying their trade across the country, learning, evolving and in turn readying the next generation of craftsmen.
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A
Facebook Post that you did earlier on the Uma Maheshwar Stele
Kaman in Bharatpur was a mini Mehrauli. If not 26 temples, there would have been at least 10 temples here. The gandeur of the Mehrauli temples can be gauged from the Sankarshan image in National Museum.
How did the temples in Kaman and the neighbouing areas of Deeg, Kumher, Weir and Karauli look? Well they were as grand as the Mehrauli ones.
This stele recovered from Kaman is ‘lush, overtly sensuous, masterfully rendered and vibrantly expressive. The image is remarkable for its prodigious size and superb execution’ – Cynthia Packert Atherton in Sculpture of Early Medieval Rajasthan.
The details are mindboggling – three headed Brahm, Vishnu seated on Garud, sitting Nandi, Ganesh, Kartikey riding a big peacock, attendees worshipping the lings and Gandharvs playing instruments, Shiv’s elaborate Jatamukut, curious Vasuki, the serpent.
Just like Mehrauli, except the pillars (Cunningham says the pillars survived because of conquerors’ cupidity) which have been used to build a similar Ghurid hypostyle mosque (similar mosques are seen in Khatu, Ajmer, Mandu and Dhar), nothing survives from those glorious temples. Except the most awesome Narvarah and this doting pair of lovebirds.
Uma Maheshwar, Post Gupta Period, 9th century (?), Kaman, now in Bharatpur Government Museum, Rajasthan
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| Chaurasi Khambha in Kama, North Side |
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| The open North wall of the Chaurasi Khamba |
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| Chaurasi Khamba, Kaman - Mihrab niche and Minbar |
Chaurasi Khamba, is a small structure compared to Qutb or Ajmer or the ones in Mandu and Dhar. The mosque uses the same hypostyle template as that of the other Ghurid Mosques. Dismantled temple pillars are arranged in colonnades that run on the three sides with the west facing Qibla wall having an ornamented mihrab and a minbar. A video of the mosque you watch on youtube, the minbar is referred to as the seat of King’s throne! But then you too would have wondered the same few years ago!
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| The platform in the north west corner - Chaurasi Khambha, Kaman |
On the northwest corner of the prayer hall, there
is a raised chamber for the royal family or women. Qutb possibly too had this
chamber but is ruin now. The only Delhi mosques to have this feature that you
know of are the Begumpur and Wazirabad mosques. The north colonnade
is two levelled with the outer part raised, probably meant to discourage entry
except from the eastern doorway. Also, since the structure is small, no wall is
erected on the north side to allow the place to be naturally lit and airy. From
what you remember, the other mosques are walled in all other locations.
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| The pillared colonnades of Chaurasi Khambha |
The structure overall is compact and nicely put together. The standout
feature are the pillars that are quite profusely decorated and more attractive
than at Qutb. However, the structure is not as high-rising nor the ceilings as
attractive as at the Adhai Din Ka Jhompra in Ajmer where the ceilings are
eye-poppingly detailed and columns rise high. Yes the architectural ambition
here wasn’t that great compared to Qutb or Ajmer since Kaman was not a huge
centre to attract the faithful.
ASI Jaipur Circle: Description of Chaurasi Khambha
Kaman was
ruled by the Surasena rulers under whose patronage both Brahmanism and Jainism
prospered at Kaman. The old mosque, now known as Chausath (?) Khambha was built
from the material of the Hindu temples. There are bas-reliefs here of the
Navagrahas, the incarnations of Vishnu and the wedding of Siva-Parvati, the
last being of high artistic quality. The figures of Kali, Ganesa, Vishnu and
Narasimha are found sculptured on the pillars of this mosque. Three rows
of eight such pillars form three aisles. All the pillars are square, and the
lower half of many of them is quite plain. Around the entrance doorway of the
quadrangle, there is an Arabic inscription in large letters. All the roofs are
flat, except a small compartment in front of the mihrab, which has a
dome formed in the usual trabeate system. From the style of the carvings on the
pillars, it appears that these belonged to the Saiva and the Vaishnava temples.
This is also confirmed by a pillar on which are inscribed the words “namah Sivaya”.
The temple is datable to circa eighth century A.D.
Coming back to the exuberant Uma Maheshwara and Varaha images, it is
clear that the temple building had acquired high sophistication in terms of
both deity and pillar sculpture. And just like the Sankarshan of National
Museum, you wonder how these few lucky ones now displayed in Bharatpur Museum
survive? And again, you can just guess – maybe some idols were spirited away
before the demolition and which were recovered during excavations while most
were destroyed and some stolen in the intervening years.
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| Chhatris like this are decaying across North India |
And so the mission comes to an end. Now of the known nine Ghurid Mosques (Qutb, Ajmer, Khatu, Kaman, Mandu (Dilawar Khan Masjid & Malik Mughith Masjid), Dhar’s Bhojshala and Lat ki Masjid, Khatu and Ukha in Bayana remains unvisited unless others surface!
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| Vimal Kund in Kaman |
It is time to leave Kaman town for Deeg. On the way out, you see the
sign for a Kos Minar and the Vimal Kund. Now just like it always happens, every
town in India has its own suprises. Walking through the gated complex you
emerge looking over a huge kund. The quietness reminds you of Machkund in
Dholpur and to some bit Pushkar.
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| Siddh Peeth Shri Vimla Devi |
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| Daily Life at Bimal Kund, Kaman, Rajasthan |
Moments like this and the travel adrenaline seems to seep out leaving you languid. You will spend some time to allow the harsh afternoon to mellow down watching the monkeys do their monkey business and thinking of the Kishori who played Raas Leela with Krishna in these waters and to who Krishna gave the boon that this kund will now be known as Vimala Kund and whoever bathes here will get seven times more merit than Pushkar!
This is Braj and and every story here has the sweet fragrance of Lord Krishna’s association.
And as always, since this is the Neighbourhood of Matsya, the Pandavas too stayed here.
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| A beautiful summer house with an exquisite marble pavilion on the way to Deeg |
The sun is about to go down. You need to get to Bharatpur before it gets dark. This is the twilight zone – neither in Rajasthan or UP and that is how it has always been.
It is time for
Bharatpur to bask in the sunshine now.
Another Ghurid Mosque Unearthed - Surprises Continue - This time in Bayana
It
is certain that if you start reading Cunningham’s reports, one, you will lose
all track of time and two, there will be surprises.
So
here is Cunningham describing Kaman’s Chaurasi Khambha and then surprised by
the design of north wall, compares the mosque’s plan with Ukha Masjid, about
100 kms south of Kaman in Bayana. Ukha apparently is another Ghurid mosque
built in the same timeline.
Baha
Al-Din Tughrul was sent south by Muhammad ibn Sam (Ghori) probably with
architectural plans and express instructions to demolish temples and erect
mosques that share template with Qutb mosque. As Cunningham says, this route to
Bayana meant everything was easy prey. After commissioning the Kaman mosque,
Tughrul settled in Bayana where he would have built the Ukha Mosque, a minar
and Eidgah and his own township called Sultankut in the period 1195-1210.
April 2024 - Sam Dalrymple's Insta post reveals another Chaurasi Khamba in Gokul - this makes the count go up to Ten now!
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| Shokoohy.com |
References:
Sarson Ke Khet by Varun
Shiv Kapur - https://sarsonkekhet.in/2011/10/01/four-ghurid-mosques/
Ancient Delhi by Upinder
Singh
Report of a Tour in Eastern Rajputana in 1882-83 by A. Cunningham - Preface - Page IV and Page 54
The Architecture of Baha al-din Tughrul in the region of Bayana, Rajasthan by Mehrdad Shokoohy and Natalie H. Shokoohy, Muqarnas Vol 4 (1987), pages 114-132, available on JSTOR.org
https://www.jstor.org/stable/1523099?origin=crossref&seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
http://shokoohy.com/books_4.html
Mathura - A District Memoir by FS Growse - page 79-80
A Gazetteer of Eastern
Rajputana – Bharatpur, Dholpur and Karauli
http://asijaipurcircle.nic.in/Kama.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DFNbVw5c7c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vJwUpwdyow
https://twitter.com/my_rajasthan/status/1285525721545203712?lang=en
https://en.brajdiscovery.org/index.php?title=Vimal_Kund
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