Masroor Rock-Cut Temples

Masroor Rock-Cut Temples Latest News

Tucked away in the hills of Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra Valley lies Masroor Rock-Cut Temples, an extraordinary piece of Indian heritage that is mostly ignored.

About Masroor Rock-Cut Temples

• Masroor Rock-Cut Temples, also referred to as Masroor Temples, is an early 8th-century complex of rock-cut Hindu temples in the Kangra Valley of the Beas River in Himachal Pradesh. 
• They are often referred to as the Ellora of Himachal and the Himalayan pyramid. 

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Masroor Rock-Cut Temples History

• Archaeological surveys say that they have been built around the 8th century — almost 1200 years ago — due to their resemblance to the “Gupta style of architecture” from the same period.  
• However, there is no mention of the temple in any of the scriptures or historical records. 
• The temple complex was first reported by Henry Shuttleworth in 1913, bringing it to the attention of archaeologists.  
• They were independently surveyed by Harold Hargreaves of the Archaeological Survey of India in 1915. 

Masroor Rock-Cut Temples Architecture

• The 15-monument temple complex resembles the North Indian Nagara architecture style and is dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lord Ram, Goddess Sita, and Lord Lakshmana.  
• Unlike other Hindu temples in the country that face the east, this one faces northeast towards the Dhauladhar mountains.  
• The temples were carved out of monolithic rock with a shikhara and provided with a sacred pool of water.
• The temple complex follows a symmetrically laid-out square grid. 
• The main temple, with a square plan, is surrounded by smaller temples arranged in a mandala pattern. 
• Three entrances adorn the temple, facing northeast, southeast, and northwest. Interestingly, evidence points towards a planned but unfinished fourth entrance, often overlooked in historical records. 
• The Masrur Temples display elaborate reliefs portraying significant Vedic and Puranic deities. 
• These reliefs are accompanied by captivating friezes that narrate ancient tales from Hindu texts. 
• Much of the Masroor temple’s sculpture and reliefs have been lost. They were also quite damaged, most likely from earthquakes.

News: TOI