The nondescript Talegaon village, also known as Talagram and Amerikapagram, is 90 km from Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh. Located on the banks of the Maniyari river, it is home to the 6th century Devrani-Jethani Temple complex. The twin temples built of red sandstone are in ruins, and stand on a six-acre sprawl that is now an open-air museum. Yet they offer visitors a glimpse of the glory that must have once been. It is the unique seven-foot-high idol of Rudra Shiv, supposedly encompassing within it all of creation, that serves as the main crowd puller to this little hamlet. The entrance to the precincts, architecturally in an Odishi style, is of recent origin. A beaming Hanuman flanked by swans is at the centre of an archway; the twin pillars of which have Karthik, Ganesh and a few apsaras sculpted on them. A small flight of steps to the left of the archway lead to the embankment of the Maniyari waters, its opposite bank shrouded in lush greens.
Archaeological discovery The area was once a dense forest; the accidental discovery of portions of the ruins by a cowherd kindled the interest of archaeologists. A series of excavations began in 1977, and the area is now an ASI-protected monument. A silver coin of Prasannamatra of the Sharabhapuria Dynasty unearthed here prompted scholars and historians to date the temples to the 6th century AD, when the Sharabhapuria rulers held sway in the region. The king supposedly had the twin temples built for his two daughters-in-law; hence the name Jethani-Devrani (elder and younger daughters-in-law) Temple. The edifice must have certainly witnessed its days of grandeur, as testified by several exquisitely carved but damaged fragments of sculpture that lie scattered in the verdant lawns. It is surmised that the art at Talegaon was partially influenced by the architectural style of the Guptas, who ruled large parts of India at that time. The temples bear testimony to the Shaivite cult that was followed in the region. While both the temples lie close to each other, the Devrani Temple is better preserved. The doorway to the sanctum sanctorum is ornately bejewelled and contains foliate scrolls interlaced with birds, swans and floral garlands, apart from carvings of mythological characters. Goddess Lakshmi as Gajalakshmi is flanked by the ghandarvs, and the pillars themselves are adorned with the river goddesses Ganga and Yamuna. Alongside idols of Shiva-Parvati, there lies on a single slab of stone, the navagrahas, with other ruins that reveal sages and figures that bear semblance to the tantric idols seen in Khajuraho. Remains of the past The temple was built to resemble a chariot, pulled by a pair of elephants in the northward direction; hence the temple has entrances facing east, west and south. Most of the figures here, including those of elephants, crocodiles and goddesses, though intricately sculpted, have suffered damage of varying degrees. Half a dozen steps lead to the south entrance that has four pillars, two of which are held aloft by the bharvahaks or weight-bearers. These pillars are in various states of preserve. Talegaon’s most stunning and unique discovery, unearthed with minimal damage, is the iconographic seven-foot-tall image that came to be named Rudra Shiv, believed to be the only one of its kind in the world. The idol, placed under lock and key, is believed to weigh well over five tons and is characteristic of the tantric cult much in practice among the villagers and tribals of the region in those times. The anatomy of the idol is a curious mix of the Almighty’s creation at all levels — amphibians to avians to mammals! While nothing is known about the artiste who created this masterpiece, it may be surmised that the serpent was his favourite subject. A pair of coiled serpents represents the head gear. Serpent hoods adorn the shoulders, which come down to the arms in the form of a crocodile with serpents forming the fingertips. The snake also serves as motif for the waist band and the left leg which it entwines. A lizard in descent forms the nose of the idol, whose ears are adorned by peacocks. Frogs’ eyes, fish as moustache and crab for beard, complete the face. Seven human heads of varying sizes bedeck various parts of the torso. The largest of these forms the abdomen while a pair of smaller ones serves as the chest. Each thigh is sculpted with a pair of smiling heads on its front and exterior sides. The knee is portrayed by heads of the lion. The head and neck of a tortoise denote the genitalia. The feet of the idol are represented by the elephant, symbolic of the might holding up the entire being! While the temple’s biggest celebration happens during Shivratri when it attracts devotees by the thousands. It lies deserted for the rest of the year barring the curious tourists who come in great numbers to see this unusual sculpture of Shiva. Fact file: * Road: Travel on NH 200 on Bilaspur-Raipur Route. Talagram lies on the Bhojpur-Dagori stretch of the highway. It is 30 km from Bilaspur and 90 km from Raipur. When travelling from Raipur, take a right turn after the Maniyari Bridge from Bhojpur village. * Rail: Dagori Railway Station on the Bilaspur-Raipur network is the nearest, about 7.5 km from Talagram.
An amazing statue with a height of 7ft and width of 4ft is present nestles in the temple. It weighs about 8 tons. People round the globe come to view this statue more than the temple. Even after so many years the deity here has not been named.
Talagram is also famous for Rudra Shiva. Maniyari River flows by Talagram. Raipur is the nearest airport while Bilaspur is the closest railway station. Rest of the route can be travelled by bus.
Talagram, a village in Bilaspur District of Chhattisgarh, is home to a 5th century temple named Devrani Temple. This temple was excavated along with the adjacent Jethani Temple. The word ‘devarani’ means ‘younger sister-in-law’.
Devrani Temple is built with dull red colored stone. A series of steps lead to the entrance, which is flanked on both sides by Yaksha figures. Beyond the entrance is an outer chamber, further ahead of which is an inner chamber. These chambers are embellished with exquisite sculptures and carvings depicting Lord Shiva and Parvati. The walls are adorned with images of other gods in Hindu mythology such as Goddess Durga, Lord Surya, Lord Kuber and Lord Kamadeva. The inner sanctum sanctorum lacks the idol of the presiding deity. However, the surrounding idols and images point out to a pre-existence of a Shivling. http://www.india9.com/i9show/Devrani-Temple-80562.htm
Jethani Temple is one of the prominent historic landmarks of Talagram village, which is located in Bilaspur District of Chhattisgarh. This temple, dating back to the 5th century, is of immense archeological importance. It was excavated along with the adjacent Devrani temple.
The Jethani temple is bigger in size compared to that of Devrani temple. Their names have been derived from their relative sizes. The word jethani means elder sister-in-law and devrani means younger sister-in-law.
Jethani temple currently stands in ruins. The only thing intact is its exquisite sculpture, which speaks volumes of the artistry of the bygone era. The temple has been declared as a protected monument by the local government. http://www.india9.com/i9show/-Chandigarh/Talagram/Jethani-Temple-80548.htm
INDIAN mythology is replete with all kinds of fantastic stories and legends. This is what in part that makes our culture so rich and varied. However, there exist some examples of our heritage that cannot be explained on the basis of any myth or legend. One such example is the sculpture unearthed at Tala. This 10 feet tall statue is one of its kind. This unique statue does not have any parallel in any of our ancient stories. And there is considerable controversy regarding the identity of the statue.
It is intriguing that today this statue lies neglected and forgotten. Perhaps, a little history about the statue will provide us with some clue about its identity.
Today Chattisgarh has become famous because of its impending status of statehood. What is not known is that Chattisgarh also has a rich cultural heritage. There are several places in Chattisgarh that have their own distinct historical significance. In the Bilaspur district of Chattisgarh this is exemplified by the Mahamaya temple at Ratanpur, Malhar, Shivdi Narain and the above mentioned Tala. The first information about Tala was provided by J.D. Wangler, an associate of Major General Cunningham in 1878. It was listed under Raipur in section seven of the Archaeological Survey of India. Tala (also known as Ameri Kapa) is a village situated on the banks of the Maniyari. It is at a distance of 24 km from Bilaspur on the Bilaspur-Raipur highway. The village proper is located on the Bhojpur-Dagauri road. Tala is famous for its two temples called Devrani and Jethani. The temples are so christened because though being adjacent to each other, one is somewhat larger and so the villagers came to address it as Jethani or the elder sister-in-law. And naturally the smaller came to be known as Devrani or the younger sister-in-law. The naming of the temples thus, is unique in itself.
Detailed information about the temples was first given by the well-known professor of archaeology, Dr Vishnu Singh Thakur. Later, several national and international research students and writers did research work and published articles on the same. Notable among these are Donald M. Steadnagar of the University of Texas, Joana Martyard Williams, a French academician and Dr Ramnath Mishra. The Department of Ancient History Archaeology and Culture, Sagar University, has also done considerable work here. In 1984 the MP government declared the Devrani and Jethani temples as protected monuments. Subsequently Dr Pramod Chandra, the then honorary adviser in the Department of Culture of MP government, and a professor at Harvard University, who is also an expert on South Asian art, testified to the excellence of artistry exhibited in the temples.
Later, the Archaeology Department of Bilaspur under the supervision and direction of its officers Rahul Singh and G.L. Raikawar worked to clean the temple area. They unearthed large portions of the temple that had become embedded in rubble.
Today the Jethani temple is in ruins and only the exquisitely sculpted idols of the temple remain. The Devrani temple, however, stands erect and tall as an example of the rich religious traditions of our country. The profusely sculpted temple done in dull red stone presents a majestic contrast to the bleak and arid surroundings. The steps leading to the temple are flanked on both the sides by beautifully carved Yaksh sculptures. The doorway leading inside the shrine is decorated by means of five intricately patterned rectangular borders. These borders contain minutely detailed engravings of delicate creepers, leaves, flowers, and Mithuna figures. The doorway gives way to the outer chamber which in turn leads into the inner chamber. The presence of assorted Shaiva Gana idols and other sculptures associated with Shiva indicate that the temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
The doors of the inner chamber are artistically delineated with flowering creepers. Directly above the door in the centre is the aesthetically carved sculpture of Shiva and Parvati being guarded by sentries on either sides. On the right side is the picturesque depiction Shiva and Parvati sharing a tender moment. Parvati is seated upon Shiva’s thigh and is gazing at Him with an expression of love and devotion. They are being attended upon by Shaiva Gana and various women servants. Another engraving is that of a beautifully adorned lion-head. Near this is the tastefully designed carving of Shiva and Parvati playing chaupad while Nandi looks on in benign approval. There are several other sculptures as well which are broken in parts. One of them seems to possess a trunk which is possibly that of Lord Ganesha. Another idol appearing to be that of Lord Kuber is portrayed seated upon an alligator and a fish. There are some sculptures of male figures that sport long hair twisted and coiled above their head. Beneath this is a carving of a lion-head. Assorted idols of, and related to Lord Kamadeva, are also present. A partly broken engraving is that of an aura-endowed Lord Surya alongwith the Ashwini twins. The eight-armed Goddess Durga seated upon a lion has also been sculpted in loving detail. Several carvings of apsaras and Shaiva Gana add further charm to the place.
The inner chamber leads into the sanctum-sanctorum. The central idol that should have been here is missing. However, all the remaining sculptures and idols point to the strong possibility of here having been a Shiva-Linga of exquisite beauty. On the four corners of the temple are the intricately carved heads of crocodiles. Dr Ramgopal Sharma, HOD of history in CMD College, Bilaspur, and member, MP Historical Society; gave considerable information about the temple and the associated sculptures. He said that the artistry exhibited here is one of the finest seen anywhere and is highly evolved.
Moving beneath are the shoulders fashioned out of a pair of animal heads, that seem a cross between an elephant and a crocodile. From the open mouth of these animals (the teeth of which are clearly visible), arise the arms proper of the idol. They are decorated by a pair of bracelets. The fingers of the hands are in the likeness of individual snake-heads. The chest contains a pair of medium-sized pleasant human faces in place of the breasts. The faces are clearly sculpted with wide round eyes and a pair of moustache each. The ears are rather large and are adorned with large earrings somewhat like jhumkas.
There is considerable dispute regarding the identity of this particular idol. It is widely believed that the idol is that of Lord Shiva in his rudra (angry) form. Local people refer to it as Rudra Shiva. Dr Ramgopal Sharma is also of the same opinion. This is borne out by the fact that the Devrani temple has been proved to be dedicated to Lord Shiva. The idol too is decorated with snake motifs, like the coiled snake-like jata, the snake-headed fingers and the open-hooded nagalongside it.
However, it is rather strange that the so-called custodians of our culture have not bothered to organise an in-depth study regarding the actual identity of this unique idol. There is no doubt about the fact that this sculpture is one of its kind in the whole world. It is even more mystifying that no mention of one like it has been made in any of our numerous mythological stories. We have the 10-headed Ravana, the four-faced Brahma, the eight-handed Durga, and the like. But Shiva made out of crocodiles, peacocks, tortoise, chameleon, crab, fish, snake, five human faces and two lion faces? This was probably beyond the wildest imagination of even the most prolific of our ancient sage- story-tellers. Such a complex form has never been given to any Rakshasa either.
Rishis & consorts ~ Devarani Mandir ~ ca 6th century, Vakataka Dynasty TALA
Garbha Grha with obese ShivaGanas dancing, Devi & feet
Devrani-Jethani temple.
Moving beneath are the shoulders fashioned out of a pair of animal heads, that seem a cross between an elephant and a crocodile. From the open mouth of these animals (the teeth of which are clearly visible), arise the arms proper of the idol. They are decorated by a pair of bracelets. The fingers of the hands are in the likeness of individual snake-heads. The chest contains a pair of medium-sized pleasant human faces in place of the breasts. The faces are clearly sculpted with wide round eyes and a pair of moustache each. The ears are rather large and are adorned with large earrings somewhat like jhumkas.