MaThas

Haradih

Today we shall look at the obscure village of Haradih which was a saiddhAntika shaiva kShetra that has never been properly described. It is near Ranchi in Jharkhand as show in the map. Likely patronized by pAla-s in they heydays. H have made a come back here but have forgotten how to build. First if we zoom in we see that the ruins are beside the compound of modern durgA mandir built from concrete with three spires. The green area beside is where the old kShetra-s ruins lie

Some notable elements: series of fragments of li~Nga-s with the modern durgA mandira to the left … An old mahiShamardinI among the ruins still receiving worship. Multiple maTha-s are mentioned as being built in the pAla-sena age and before in the region going back to a deshika named sUkShmashiva who as scholar in the court of Adityasena.

Chunari

Locating a lost saiddhAntika shaiva maTha at Chunari village in MP. Was probably built by yuvarAjadeva the king of the kalchuri-s and shaiva deshika prabodhashiva and/or prashAntashiva. The ruins of the maTha seen in the satellite image along with the large rectangular tank to its east. One can also see the paths of the streams that drain water into it.

Satellite view of famous Bheraghat circular yoginI-temple. An inscription found in the vicinity of kalachuri queen alhaNadevI mentions that she commissioned a row of gardens &library/study hall in the vicinity. Its management was handed to pAshupata teacher rudrarAshI from lATa

The famous lAlpahAD near Bharhut where another fragmentary inscription of queen alhaNadevI was found. She is said to have built shaiva maTha/teaching area attached to a temple. Ruins have been seen near the bauddha stUpa about 1.2 km from the lAlpahAD. This might be the site of one of her constructions. A zoom in on the location of the ruins. South east of the stUpa and in vicinity of a lake.

Golagi

Source: TW

Next we shall look at the equally important saiddhAntika shaiva kShetra of Golagi. It again sent out teachers who were influential throughout the Indosphere. It is not even on the map but its location has been marked in Madhya Pradesh. Now when we zero in on the actual ruins we see the same pattern as at Amardaka. Note the rAkShasAlaya next to the ruins, which tells you the whole story of what happened to the shaiva pITha. Now when we zoom in and enhance the satellite imagery to the north of the dargah, ~11:00 position, you will see the unmistakable outline of the ruins of the H temple. That for you, ladies and gentlemen is the famous shiva temple of the golagI maTha. The diffuse darker area around marks the ancient economic zone around the temple and immediately south of the dargah was a likely old well. Below are some images documented by ASI from the golagI ruins.

Further to the north of the golagI ruins the ASI has marked the ruins of another small temple the kudiya mahAdeva mandira which has also been obviously ruined by the marUmatta-s. About 1.13 Km from the core golagI ruins one can use satellite imagery to locate the even more decrepit ruins of another H temple. That temple ruin is marked here. Thus, the whole topos was dotted by multiple smaller temples in the vicinity.

kadambagumpha

Today we shall look at another lost saiddhAntika kShetra: kadambagumpha of the mattamayura lineage of shaiva mantravAdin-s. The first GOI map is used to mark its location in Ashoknagar division. Today it goes by the name Kadwaya and the second map appended below is to show its actual location as it is hard to find. To its north one finds Rannod. That is where the famous mattamayUura inscription of shaiva mantravAdin puraMdara was found and it mentions it as kadambaguha.

When you zoom in on the tiny hamlet of Kadwaya you find two temple locations. One complex with several small temples in the large eastern rectangular complex and small temple beside the road to the west. This allows us to locate the old kadambaguha maTha as likely between them. These temples have been extensively described. However, they are of great beauty; hence, we’ll post notable images. Here one sees a lakShmI on the top panel. On the lower panel is a rather iconographically unprecedented shakti holding being. vAyu and vidyAdhara might be noted.

Of the temples the so-called Akhati cluster is dedicated to viShNu see central varAha. But the unmistakable image of the shaiva teacher (highlighted) and the ithyphallic bhairava on the western end shows that it was installed by saiddhAntika following the sarvAdhikArin principle.(5)

Another temple of the Akhati cluster shows a central empty niche flanked by brahman & kShetrapAla similar to the above one indicating that it had a viShNu who has now be stolen or vandalized by marUnmatta-s. However to the east is the remarkable sarvapraharaNAyudha viShNu hilighted.

The socalled Gadi temple dedicated to rudra. A niche with a vR^iShchodarI image is highlighted. The remnants of the historic shaiva maTha can be seen the background. The ruins of masjid eat into part of this temple. The inscription there mentions Alla-ad din Khalji who first attacked and partly demolished the temples. However, the H struck back reconquering it for sometime. It later fell again to the successor sultans of Malva at which point it was lost to the H. Here are inscriptions from the part “repurposed” as a masjid

In twt4 we may identify the beings held by the shakti from this second exemplar at another of the kadambaguha temples: they are gaNesha and kumAra. In the above exemplar the gaNesha as been vandalized.

Finally here are so called Kirna group of temples of the kadambaguha site dedicated to shiva

Amardaka

GOI map of Mh showing auNDha the site of the famed Amardaka pITha of the saiddhAntika shaiva-s in their heydays. It supplied learned mantravAdin-s throughout the Indosphere. Today only a fragment of the temple blown up by Awrangzeb survives with an eyesore of a modern construction

The zoom-in show the total destruction of the topos of this central shaiva-kShetra and its takeover by disputed structures in the form of the masjid-s and the dargah-s squatting on its lands. That interesting circular lake that was in front of the temple is all that remains of it.

This is the likely location was where the maTha’s key structures once stood. Notice that “disputed” marUnmatta structure in the vicinity giving you a hint of what happened.

Two further signs of ruins associated with the old site. One of them as you can see has been taken over by the marUmmatta shmashAna in all likelihood on purpose. The second is in the vicinity of the remnants of the temple that survive today.

The location of the partly ruined southern temple complex of Amardaka which houses the jyotirli~Nga. Note the pond next to it square in the typical fashion of a H artificial pond. But The lake closer to the old maTha/temple is circular making 1 wonder if it is an impact crater.

The jyotirli~Nga temple is oriented in the perfect East-west orientation with the rectangular lake to the east of the temple. The ruins in the vicinity of the marUnmatta shmashAna is exactly to the north. Compare the remnants to the modern eyesore construction.

The surviving part of the Amardaka nAgeshvara jyotirli~Nga temple displays some remarkable iconography including the two handed manifestation of rudra as a teacher