Main Info
Area : 0.2 Acres
Close to the foot of rocky hills, there are the remains of three ancient Jain structures supposed to have been built in A.D 1375 and 1449. The largest of this group of temples which is referred to as Temple II stands on a platform about 3’ high and is 39’ wide on the front side which is on the north. It has the main entrance door in the center and on either side of its two niches on the exterior as well as interior. This door is ordinary (Kanjur) stone and has a Jina in a small niche carved over the lintel. There were some carved idols on its sides that have decayed and are unrecognizable now. The side niches are of red sandstone with carved DASA, side shafts, and headpieces and project out of the surface of the walls. Opposite this door, there is another door on the southern side which opens in the back courtyard. This temple is a centrally planned structure with have in the center and a square aisle around it after which there are two rows of 5 cells each on the east and west sides. There are no cells on the north and south but only walls that are similar to each other and have as mentioned earlier a door in the center and two niches of sides.
The nave is colonnaded with 4 columns on each side and roofed with a corbelled low dome of the shape of an inverted bowl supported on octagonal base of beams resting on eight columns. The floor space under it is square and below the level of the floor of the surrounding aisle and has three steps descending to it from all the four sides. However the huge stones which used to form the floor are now lying in a heap in a shallow pit in centre.
After the aisle there are 5 cell as on each side and opposite to them 5 no the west. In between the doors of these cell as there are pilaster or shafts corresponding to the pillars of the nave. On sides of both the central cell as which are comparatively smaller than side ones there are carved idols on pedestals typical of the Jaina temples.
On the outside there is a double cornice running on the east west and northsides except the central portion of the front wall and entire south wall which have been repaired in the past. The incomplete wall on the east measures 40.5’ where as the west wall measures 31.5’ which indicates that there was back enclosure on the south side probably with a central cell or inner temple for housing the main idol but has disappeared in course of time.
On the roof there is a central dome of the nave and around it 16 domes of the aisles and 10 more domes of the tow rows of the cells which makes in all 27 domes. From inside some of these small domes are corbelled in circular fashion and some in diagonal patterns From outside the entire roof including the domes have been plastered with white lime, in thick layers. Along the eastern side of this temple there was an enclosed portion attached as shown by the low compound wall of rubble stones.
All stone used in the temple in Kanjur stone and red sandstone which are not local. However, the stone used in the platform and the attached compound wall is local sand stone or granite of red tint =.
ADDITIONAL INFO
- District: Hyderabad
- Visit hours:Summer: 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Winter: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
