Famous Temples in India

Architecture

Avantiswami temple - The Vishnu temple has a central sanctum tower with preceding mandapas, inside a rectangular prakara with a large number of Cells and preceded by a Gopura. The temple is conceived as a Pancayatana temple with four additional small temples around the main sanctum tower. There was also a Garuda sthambha in the complex. One of the niche contains a figure of Kamadea. A sculpture on the northern side is identified with Avantivarman himself. A corresponding niche carries another portrait probably of Avanti varman or his predecessor. One of the best sculptures of Vishnu was found within the compound during excavation. This represents a four face Vishnu known as Vaikunta, Chaturmurti or Cahtur vyuha. This Vishnu with his right face s a lion, and the left as a varaha and the front one as Vasudeva is the finest of Kashmiri images. It is said that the other four smaller shrines around the main shrine were dedicated to Samkarshana, Aniruddha, Pradyumna and also Vasudeva with the central main image representing Chatur vyuha-Cahturmurtii. In the prakara there are 69 cells dedicated to various deities. A good number of sculptures were found in the temple during excavation and they are now housed in the local Pratap singh Museum.

Avantisvara temple - The temple faces west and is almost the same plan as the Vishnu temple but on a more grand scale. It is also built as a Pancayatana temple with one central tower surrounded by four subsidiary shrines. It has an oblong prakara with a number of cells. It has also a chambered gopura in front. There is a sculpture of Lakulisa and another a portrait of Avanti varman himself. Both these temples have suffered extensive destruction in the hands of the Idol destroyer Sultan Sikander.