Category:Devrani Jethani temples and ruins, Tala

Devrani Jethani temples and ruins, Tala 

6th century Hindu temples site in Chhattisgarh with enigmatic statue
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Instance of	Hindu temple
Location	Chhattisgarh, India
21° 54′ 24.5″ N, 82° 01′ 34.8″ E
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The Tala site in Chhattisgarh is a collection of major Hindu temples and ruins from the early 6th century (c. 525 CE), making it one of the oldest known Hindu monuments in Chhattisgarh that have survived into the modern age. Before 1950, colonial era British and Indian archaeologists knew of scattered ruins and a large mound at Tala. The site was finally excavated and studied in the late 1970s through 1980s, thus unearthing the scale and significance of the Tala site.

The Devrani Jethani temples site is located on the eastern banks of the Maniyari river, near a Hindu pilgrimage site and collection of modern era temples. The historic site consist of two temples made from sandstone. The larger Jethani temple is mostly in ruins. The smaller Devrani temple is more intact but also ruined. They are next to each other, and their modern era names mean "elder daughter-in-law" and "younger daughter-in-law" in many Indian languages, signifying that they are housed together, related and yet one is bit older and bigger. Both temples are under a shed (added in the 2010s) to prevent erosion from rain. A small museum at the site holds some of the better preserved 6th-century sculpture of Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism traditions, as well as Vedic deities.

The Jethani temple is quite large, spreads over 10000 square feet, with a platform and four stepped entrances. Huge damaged and fallen pillars, life size to larger than life size statues, naturally eroded structures, and some deliberately damaged Hindu artwork is visible. Of these, the bharavahakas (sculpted weight bearers below structural elements) are impressive as they facial expressions humorously show the dwarfs feeling the pressure of massive structure above them.

The better preserved Devrani temple is the oldest standing Hindu temple that can reliably dated to be from the ancient Kosala region mentioned in Indian epics. The dating is based on short inscriptions found here in a script style that existed prior to the 7th century. Further, the artwork here are of the quality found in some Gupta era sites in Madhya Pradesh and Vakataka era sites in eastern Maharashtra – both known to have flourished between the 3rd and 6th centuries. Thus, the Tala site has contributed a better understanding of art, Hindu iconography and creative innovation by about 550 CE in central and Deccan region of ancient India.

Tala enigmatic statue – a masterpiece of innovative creativity was unearthed in 1988. It is a stone statue about 5 tons in weight and larger than life (8 feet high), from a single rock, very likely produced at site with the temple. The exceptional aspect of the statue is that most of the man's visible body parts are other living beings. Snakes form his hair and a turban, a lizard forms his nose, lizard's hind legs form the brows, a frog his eyes, two fishes form his moustache, a crab shapes his chin and lip, two peacocks help form his ears, busts of two crocodiles shape his shoulder, a turtle his penis (in urdhvareta form, or ithyphallic), two lion cubs form his two knees, and so on. From fingers to toes, from a carefully interrelated fusion of living beings emerges the shape of a well built man. Further, many faces are carved on his chest and stomach. Since its discovery in 1988, scholars have offered many interpretations as to what this statue represents and signifies, particularly in light of the fact that it too is dated to early 6th century. Early suggestions referred to it as a form of Rudra-Shiva, but nothing similar has been found for Rudra or Shiva anywhere in India. Some suggest it to be a novel form of Shaiva and Vaishnava Hindu traditions, particularly Sadashiva, Matsya, Kurma, Narasimha and others avatars. An alternate theory is that the creature forms selected may be the vahanas of Hindu gods and goddesses, the artist thus implies and fuses the many gods and goddesses carried into one within the human form. There are other interpretations. There is no consensus yet. This Tala enigmatic statue stands in front of the Devrani temple and to the left of the steps that lead to its platform. This is where it was found.

The temple ruins, various artwork including the enigmatic statue attract reverential offerings and is treated as a place for worship by the regional Hindus. It is also a tourist attraction, well connected with modern highways. The site is a declared national monument, under the protection and management of the ASI.