India - Madhya Pradesh - Khajuraho - Beejamandal Temple Ruins - 9

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Not to be mixed up: Beejamandal is also the name for a ruined temple in Vidisha
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This `Beejamandal - or Bijamandal´ is a ruined temple in Jatkara village near Khajuraho. With the Duladeo Temple and the Chaturbhuj Temple it belongs to the southern group of temples. 

Beejamandal is near the Chaturbhuj temple and was opened to visitors in 1999. It has not yet been fully excaved and explored. It has a length of 34.60 meters and is thus longer than the largest temple of Khajuraho namely Kandariya which measures about 30 metres.

According to the local villagers this structure was under a huge mound of earth which was marked on the apex by a white stone. The villagers regularly lit the holy oil-lamp each night on this mound since time imemorial.

In all there are supposed to be 85 temples in Khajuraho, however only 22 of them have been unearthed. Bijamandal is one of the many which are yet to be discovered. It was one of the 18 unexplored mounds in the vicinity of Khajuraho. The archaeological survey of India does not have the authority to excavate other mounds.
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Cunningham and Phanikanta Mishra regard this as the Vaidyanath temple mentioned in the Grahapati Kokkala inscription:

The Grahapati Kokkala inscription is an epigraphic record documenting the dedication of a Shiva temple. It dates to 1000-1001 CE. It is one of several Chandella era inscriptions that mention a Grahapati family. It is the earliest known reference to a Grahapati family. Unlike all other Chandella era Grahapati inscriptions which are Jain, this refers to a Shiva temple, although Verse 3 suggests that the builder also worshipped Jinas.

It was found somewhere in Khajuraho or its vicinity, and is currently located in the Vishvanath temple there. 

The inscription was first published by Cunnigham, and has since been published in several books. The inscription at Khajuraho, dated Samvat 1056, Kartika (1000–1001 AD), is engraved on a slab and records the dedication of a temple termed Vidyanatha temple. The current location of the Vidyanatha temple is uncertain; the inscription slab has been fixed to the Vishvanath temple. Cunnigham had identified the Beejamandal temple at Jatkara village near Khajuraho as the Vishvanath temple. The most of the inscription is metrical, with the exception of the initial invocation to Shiva and the samvat at the end.
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Taken on: March 2, 2014

Tags:

India

Madya Pradesh

Group Of Monuments

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Sets appears in: • India - Madya Pradesh - Khajuraho Group Of Monuments - 2014

Camera: Nikon D7100, f/6.3, 1/640 sec, 105mm (=157mm), ISO 250 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D7100
Aperture:	f/6.3
Exposure Time:	0.002 sec (1/640)
Focal Length:	105mm (35mm equivalent: 157mm)
ISO:	250
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	ACDSee Pro 7
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