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The Structural Temples of Gujarat
At Broach there are three old sites dedicated to Devi worship
belonging probably of 15th or 16th Cent. A. D. Simhav膩hani
or Sindhavai M膩t膩 temple is perhaps the oldest one. The
Vallabhabhatt Devi temple is of V. S. 1662 (A. D. 1606). The
temple of Ganganatha Mahadeva has old images of Ambam膩t膩
and Umiy膩m膩t膩. Amb膩ji is described as Kanke艣var墨 M膩t膩 in
Rev膩pur膩na. 85
Samalaji (Dist. Sabarkantha) is at present associated with
Vis峁噓 worship but originally the site was pre-eminently Saivita 86
probably under the influence of the Lakuli艣a cult. The present
shrine of Samalaji is a mediaeval one, dating possibly from 16th
Cent. A. D. The image in the sanctum obviously represented
the Trivikrama, form of Vi峁ａ箛u which was later known as
Ranchhodaji in Gujarat and Rajasthan. The temple is full of
ornamental sculptures inside as well as outside. The carvings
contain images of Gods and Goddesses and illustrations of some
incidents from the R膩m膩ya峁嘺 and from the life of Krishna. 87
There is a small shrine on the way to Mesavo river from
the samalaji temple where a late Gupta standing Ga峁噀艣a image
is still in worship.
85. G. H. Desai, 'Bharucha Saherano Itihasa'. (1914) pp. 50 ff.
86. From the compound of the temple a beautiful old Bull, vigorously
carved has been recovered. It obviously dates from c. c6th ent A. D.
and is one of the best animal sculptures of Gupta age. Opposite the
Samalaji shrine is the Khakachoka area. On one end of this Chowk
there is a temple of Trailokyanatha where a beautifal Saivite sculpture,
obviously not originally belonging to the shrine, is in worship. Another
almost similar sculpture was found from the adjacent small shrine. This
sculpture as well as the aforesaid Bull have been removed to Prince of
Wales Museum, Bombay.
To the north of Khaka chowk, is a small Siva shrine (K膩艣ivi艣ve艣ara
temple) with an Ekmukha-艢iva-Linga, in the sanctum still in worship.
The linga (of Schist) dates from c. 7th cent. A. D. (SSR. p. 36).
87. AFIS. Plts. XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII, IX. Nos. 35 to 42. Here
Figs. 146-150.