AVANTISVAMIN TEMPLE , srinagar

AVANTISVAMIN TEMPLE

AVANTIPUR

           

            Avantipur (Lat. 33°55' N; Long. 75°00' E) is situated at a distance of 29 km southeast on the Srinagar – Anantnag road located at the foot of one of the spurs of mountain namely Wastarwan. It overlooks the river JJhelum flowing by the side of Jammu – Srinagar highway. The site still retains the ancient name, 'Avantipur'.

History:

          King 'Avantivarman' of Utpala dynasty founded the ancient town 'Avantipur' in A.D. 853 – 883. Kalhana in Rajatarangni states that this place was already a sacred center before the town was christened after Avantivarman. At Avantipur itself, Avantivarman built magnificent temples, dedicated to Lord Vishnu called 'Avantiswami' and other to Lord Siva called as 'Avantiswara'. Both the temples follow the same plan and layout as observed at Martand temple, but they are smaller in size.

Architecture:

          Avantisvamin temple comprises a colonnade peristyle enclosing a paved courtyard, in the center of which is the main shrine. The shrine is built on a double base with four subsidiary shrines at the corners. The entrance, which is in the middle of the west wall, is flanked by a plain rail and sidewall. The surface of the walls is ornamented profusely with sculpture reliefs. Another flight of steps leads down to the stone paved courtyard. The sidewalls of this staircase are plain, but the pilasters are carved with sculptured reliefs. The space between the gateway and the main shrine is decorated with a moulded pedestal base, which appears to be the base of Garudadhvaja pillar. The central shrine is built on a double base, which is partly intact, but the superstructure of the sanctum has almost disappeared. In fact the only fragments remaining are some part of the lowest courses of the walls in the northern side.

          The central shrine contained a four armed Vishnu and similar form of Vishnu is also noticed in the cells of the peristyle. The other prominent figures are the Yamuna and Ganga with their respective vahans, king and queen with the attendants, Kamadeva with his consorts. Among the detached images, noteworthy is the figure of Ardhanarisvara. The tiers are flanked on either side by a partly plain balustrade. The front side of the balustrade is covered with the figures of Vishnu with Lakshmi and a six – armed goddess.

          The four subsidiary shrines in the courtyard and at the corners of the main shrine show a panchayatana form of temple.

          Besides these four subsidiary shrines, three more shrines, two on the east and one on the south were also built. Almost all the shrines have lost their superstructure and only adhishthana has survived.

          The main characteristic of the temple lies in its cellular colonnade. It comprises 69 cell. The cells in the center are larger than the rest and projected slightly forward. In front of them are erected fluted columns on plain square bases the only wall decoration on the peristyle is the fluted pilasters on both sides of trefoiled entrance to the cells.

          In one or two cells on the eastern side of the peristyle are found pedestals, which show that images were also enshrined in them. The excavation carried out in the courtyard of the temple revealed that the steps of the temple were leading towards the river bank, which is on the western side.

          A large number of antiquities have also been unearthed during the excavation of this temple.

          The most valuable are a series of sculptures, which has been placed in the S.P.S. museum, Srinagar. In the one of the large jars that have been brought to the museum, an inscription mentioning the name of Avantivarman is notice. This record is of particular interest as being the only independent evidence for the correct identification of the site after Avantivarman.