Rawatbhata Ep.1,Badoli(Baroli)Temples complex,Chittorgarh district, Rajasthan

Rawatbhata is a tourist attraction near Kota,Rajasthan.

The Baroli Temples Complex, also known as the Badoli temples, is located in Baroli village in Rawatbhata City in Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan, India. The complex of eight temples is situated within a walled enclosure; an additional temple is about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) away. They are built in the Gurjara Pratihara style of temple architecture dated to the tenth century CE and today show various degree of preservation, decay and All nine temples are under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India for conservation and protection.A well known art critic characterised "the creations of Badoli as the most perfect of their age that he had encountered within that part of the country and, in their own peculiar style."


The Baroli Temples Complex is located in Baroli village in Rawatbhata City in Chittorgarh district in Rajasthan, India. The complex is located close to the rocky bank of the Chambal River, 45 kilometres (28 mi) south east of Kota, on the outer limits of Rawatbhata City. Set around a natural fountain, they are positioned in two zones in the midst of a forest containing peepal, kadamba, mango, and jamun trees

Though the history of the Baroli Temples is not very clear,[6] they are reported to have been built during the Gurjara-Pratihara Empire in the 10th–11th centuries. They are one of the earliest temple complexes in Rajasthan.A carved stone image of the god Nataraja was stolen from the Baroli temple complex in 1998. It has been traced to a private collector in London. However, the statue has now been recovered.

The 10th-century Baroli Temples are of great architectural interest, consisting of temple structures built in the Gurjara-Pratihara architectural style, with exquisitely carved stonework. They are in differing stages of upkeep, with some in a semi-ruined state.

There are 8 major temples in Baroli and a ninth about one kilometre away. Four temples are dedicated to Shiva (including Ghateshwara Mahadeva Temple), two to Durga and one each to Shiva-Trimurti, Vishnu and Ganesha.

The Nataraja (Natesha) images carved in these temples are similar to those seen at Upramala. The sculpture has 16 arms and its headdress is matted. There is a large diadem carved at the centre top of the skull, which is "garnished with beaded swags." The facial features are very fine, with high arched brows and full mouth
The Ghateshwara Mahadeva temple is the most prominent and the largest in the complex. The main temple structure comprises the sanctum (garbhagriha) and the mukhamandapa, a front mandapa or hall.Dated to the early 10th century, it is an intact structure that has the god Shiva depicted in the form of five lingas. One linga appears like an inverted ghata or pot, and hence the name was given to the temple of "Ghateshwara" (pot-Lord), while "Mahadeva" is a term for Shiva. The sanctum has a ceiling in the form of a large blossoming lotus. The temple has a finely carved shikara(pinnacle) above the sanctum. The superstructure has been described as a latina and the pinnacle is a phamsana. The entire superstructure is supported by six pillars and two pilasters. The pilasters, which are part of the sanctum wall, project from the wallby two-thirds of its width, and have niches encased with sculptures.

The mukhamandapa serves as a pillared entrance that leads to the sanctum. Shiva's mount Nandi (the bull) is installed between the mukhamandapa and the sanctum. The niches inside the temple are decorated with elegantly carved images of Andhakantaka (shiva slaying the demon Andhaka), Nataraja (Shiva as the Lord of dance) and the goddess Chamunda; similar images are also carved on the lintel above the entrance door. The mukhamandapa also has many carved images of semi-clad, dancing apsaras (heavenly nymphs). The ceiling is decorated with concentric forms with coiffured cusps.

The Sringar Chauri or rangamandapa (the hall of dance) is a later addition to the temple, situated just outside it. The large pillared hall is built over a raised platform called a pitha, which has decorative carvings. The transepts of the hall have co-axial entrances, both on the east and the west, ensconced in kakshasana balustrades. The four central pillars supporting the hall are very well ornamented. The images include the river goddesses Ganga and Yamuna as dwarapalas (door-keepers), the trinity images of Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva, and several depictions of Shiva in his different incarnations. Twenty pillars around the perimeter of the hall are simple in design.

There is a sacred tank next to the temple which has a tiered approach leading to the edge of the water.


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