The Larger Surang Temple, a 10th - 11th century architectural masterpiece of the Chandelas is one of the many shrines in the dilapidated temple complex at Dudhai village. Commonly known as Badi Sarai, this temple is best known for its twin shrines that share a majestic shikhara. On first glance, this temple sits on... Continue Reading →
Lesser Surang Temple (Choti Sarai), Dudhai Village, Lalitpur District, Uttar Pradesh
A stunning example of the architectural ingenuity of the Chandelas is the lesser-known Lesser Surang Temple in Dudhai village in Lalitpur district. This temple is part of a larger complex that is under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). It is extremely unfortunate that the glorious period of the Chandelas and... Continue Reading →
Rock-Cut Narasimha, Dudhai Village, Lalitpur District, Uttar Pradesh
Located a little away from the hustle and bustle of Dudhai village is an extremely rare rock-cut image of Lord Narasimha that is nothing short of an engineering and artistic feat. One must remember that the facial expressions, posture and ferocity of Lord Narasimha is probably one of the most difficult to depict even for... Continue Reading →
Chausath Yogini Temple, Dudhai Village, Lalitpur District, Uttar Pradesh
Lalitpur district, once the stronghold of the Guptas and the Chandelas of Jejakabhukti has some of the earliest brick and stone edifices found in Akhanda Bharat. Though a sizeable number of these magnificent structures did not survive the savagery of the Muslim invaders and the British, some of them have been restored to their former splendour... Continue Reading →
Pisanahi Mandir, Birshibpur, Ghatampur Tehsil, Kanpur Nagar District, Uttar Pradesh
It is perhaps not known to many that Hamirpur road in Ghatampur tehsil has some of the most beautiful brick temples in Kanpur district. The ancient Temple of Mahadeo Baba in Parauri, Auilyeshwar Mahadev Mandir in Karchulipur, Two ancient temples at Koratha and some smaller ruined temples on this road have exquisite carved brickwork and... Continue Reading →
Two Ancient Brick Temples, Koratha Village, Ghatampur Tehsil, Kanpur Nagar District, Uttar Pradesh
Another impressive edifice of the Gupta period is the pair of brick temples located in Koratha village in Kanpur Nagar district. This ancient temple complex is frankly in the middle of nowhere and yet, has been remarkably preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). On first glance, one will see the complex divided... Continue Reading →
Temple of Mahadeo Baba, Parauri Village, Ghatampur Tehsil, Kanpur Nagar District, Uttar Pradesh
Another excellent example of the craftsmanship and ingenuity of the Guptas is the ancient brick temple of Mahadeo Baba in Parauri village in Kanpur Nagar district. This charming brick temple, though relatively unknown and relegated to obscurity for centuries sits in the midst of stunning natural beauty. Archaeological excavations conducted in the late 1800s... Continue Reading →
Garhwa Fort, Garhwa Village, Shankargarh, Bara Tehsil, Prayagraj District, Uttar Pradesh
One of the lesser-known architectural gems of the Gupta period is Garhwa Fort at Shankargarh that houses a group of ancient temples, halls, tanks as well as other structures within its pentagonal stone enclosure. According to historians, Garhwa used to be known as Bhattagram (Bhattapraya) during the Gupta reign and appears to have been an... Continue Reading →
Kalpa Devi Temple and Astika Baba Temple, Nasirabad Village, Sidhauli Tehsil, Sitapur District, Uttar Pradesh
Two groups of brick temples, Kalpa Devi and Astika Baba located close to each other in Nasirabad village in the historical district of Sitapur bearing striking similarities to the brick temples built during the Gupta period have captured the interest of architects, archaeologists and historians for decades. There are remains of as many as six... Continue Reading →