History Of India History Of Temples Manakeshwar mandir zodge

 

Mankeshwar Temple, Zodge

 

               The village of Zodge is about 30 km from Malegaon on the Mumbai-Agra highway. At the foot of this hill is the Mankeshwar temple.

               There is an old story behind the construction of Mankeshwar Shivalaya. According to the villagers, Hemadri Pandit must have built a Shivalaya at this holy place as Jhutumba or ZotingBaba has a place on this hill. Hemadri pandits must have felt safe to build this temple on the basis of this mountain. The stone for the temple is brought from the hill to the south of the temple, where a large pit can be seen. Built during the Yadav period, the temple is of Bhumij style and may have been built around the 12th century. Located to the south of the village, the temple faces west. The face direction of temple seems to have decided according to rainfall. The Mankeshwar Temple has been declared a protected structure by the Central Government. They have done some repairs and quadrangle work of the temple.

             

                 There is a beautiful idol of Nandi in front of the temple. Before entering the temple, the sculptures on the mukhamandapa catch your eye. There are beautiful sculptures on both sides of the exterior of the mukhamandapa. In these, the Viraja sculpture, the lion of the king of animals, which is standing and looking back, is beautiful. Going up a few steps, carvings  Rambha, Urvashi, Tilottama on both sides in a ceremony of dance, pakhwaj and musicians, take you to the mukhamandapa of the temple .Entering the mukhamandapa  build on six pillars, There are rectangular pits for birds to drink. It has water in it. It should also be noted that the construction of the temple was done with great care for the convenience of the birds.

                 The assembly hall of the temple is weighed on twelve ornate pillars. But these pillars are in the wall. The roundabout of the auditorium is carved adorned with dancers playing various instruments. The temple is of Tridal Gabhara system. There are two chambers in the sabhamandapa and the main chamber in front. Both the tombs are open and should have idols in the past. These two rooms are also called Bhogmandap. Things to offer to God are kept here. Also, vertical rectangular windows have been made in the assembly hall to make the atmosphere in the temple pleasant and bright. This structure also makes a difference in the temple of Zodge.

                  There is a free space between the main chamber and the sabhamandapa. In the space, there is a turtle carved which sends a message to pull your disorder in it. The entrances to the temple are adorned with Vyalasundari. The sculptures of Yaksha, Kinnar and Gandharva singing Ishtavan on it are also charming. The idol of Ganesha on the entrance door attracts attention. After entering the temple and descending two steps, there is a Shivpinda in front. As the Shiva temple is facing west, the winding road of Shivpinda is on the left hand side. The ancient Shivpind in the temple has now been replaced. The more the interior of the temple is decorated, the more elegant and artistic the exterior of the money temple.

                   From the base of the Mankeshwar temple to the top, unique carvings keep us hooked. As it is a Shiva temple, many idols of Shiva can be seen on the temple. There is an amazing image of Lord Shiva in a chamber. The frightening sculpture of godess Chamunda can be seen here. Ashtadikpal, Bhairav ​​and Vishnu, the lords of the eight directions, also add to the beauty of the temple. The exterior of the temple is adorned with beauties. On the front side of the temple, one by one, the distinctiveness of the temple is easily noticed.

                  

  The religious histories of these idols are everywhere. Seeing this wonderful beauty of the temple fills the eyes with the memories of those artists. This journey is blessed when you see Shivpind along with the sunset going west in the evening. In front of the temple is another Bhumij style demolished temple. It is also called Saraswati Temple. The idol in the temple is missing. But this temple should also be beautiful. It hurts to see its remains lying elsewhere. There is a pond across the highway in front of the temple. The pond may have been built by a merchant from the village, the inscription of which can be seen there.