Category:Jagannadh temple, Khallari Chhattisgarh

Jagannadh temple, Khallari Chhattisgarh 

14th to 15th century Hindu temple built by a cobbler
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Instance of	Hindu temple
Location	Mahasamund district, Raipur division, Chhattisgarh, India
21° 05′ 40.15″ N, 82° 17′ 08.33″ E
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This is a 14th to early 15th century Hindu temple in Mahasamund district of Chhattisgarh. The temple is significant for its inscription that describes that a cobbler named Devpala – son of Sivadasa, grandson of Jasau – built this temple for Narayana (F Kielhorn, Epigraphia Indica Vol 2, p. 229). In modern sociology, cobblers are classified as Dalit (formerly untouchables). The significance of this temple is therefore that, at least in the 14th to 15th century, the leather workers were relatively wealthy and educated to sponsor a temple with a poetic inscription, that one of them named Devpala was dedicated to the Shiva and Vaishnava Hindu traditions, and that the royalty and society accepted a temple built by a cobbler. Furthermore, the temple mentions the reign of Hindu kings in eastern Chhattisgarh from the Yadav dynasty, a period just before Delhi Sultanate conquered and assassinated this dynasty in Devagiri – its capital in Maharashtra. This temple was first photographed and published in 19th century scholarly publications by Beglar and Cunningham, the inscription translated by Keilhorn.

The temple is similar to the Jagannath temples found in Odisha, Jharhkand, Bihar. Made from stones, the outer walls and pillars are plain. The entrance has Ganesha, the sanctum has the Jagannath triad (in the 19th century, Beglar noted that the complex is in ruins and one shrine had a Shiva linga in it). The main temple faces east. The temple is moderate size and very graceful. The base is moulded, while the shikhara is of Nagara-style. The temple includes a mukhamandapa, a mahamandapa, an antarala and a garbhagriya – all with a square plan. The notable artwork include Ganesha, Ganga and Yamuna. The inscription is now preserved in the archaeological museum of Raipur.

The Jagannadh temple of Khalari (Khalvatika) is one of many temples in the pilgrimage town. Others include the Khallari Mata temple and the Mahamaya temple.