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{{Infobox religious building
| name = Arang Jain temple
| native_name =
| religious_affiliation = [[Jainism]]
| image = File:9th century Bhand Deul Jain brick temple, Arang Chhattisgarh.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Bhand Dewal temple
| map_type =
| map_size = 250
| map_caption = Location within Chhattisgarh
| coordinates = {{coord|21|11|42.17|N|81|58|9.87|E|region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes =
| location = [[Arang]], [[Chhattisgarh]]
| deity = [[Neminatha]]
| festivals = [[Mahavir Jayanti]]
| temple_quantity = 3
| creator =
| established = 9th century
| website =
}}
{{Jainism}}

'''Arang Jain temples''' is group of three [[Jain]] temples in [[Arang]], [[Raipur district|Raipur]], [[Chhattisgarh]], India. These temples dates back to the 9th and 11th centuries.

== History ==
Arang was ruled in ancient times by the [[Haihaiyavansi Kingdom|Haihayas]] [[Rajput]] dynasty.{{Sfn|Garg|1992|p=578}} Archaeological finds establishes that the town had an ancient history as the centre of [[Hindu]] and [[Jain]] religious faiths.{{Sfn|Provinces|1909|p=259}} Arang also finds mention in the Hindu epic ''[[Mahabharata]]''.{{Sfn|Surjan|Verma|1996|p=18}}

Arang has many Jain and Hindu temples that date backs to the 9th to 11th centuries.{{Sfn|Archaeological Survey of India|1878|p=165}} Archaeological excavations carried out in the town has confirmed the town's ancient history as a Hindu and Jain religious centre, which prospered under the rule of [[Hindu king]]s.{{Sfn|Provinces|1909|p=259}}

The ancient temples in Arang, which are tourist attractions are the Baghdeval temple, the Bhanda Dewal temple, the Mahamaya temple, the Danteshwari temple, the Chandi Maheshwari temple, the Panchmukhi Mahadev temple, and the Panchmukhi Hanuman temple. Of these, the Bhand Dewal temple and Bagh Deval temple are particularly ancient and well-known.{{Sfn|Provinces|1909|p=259}} In May 2017 an idol of Adinath ([[Rishabhanatha]]) was excavated near this temple. This idol is {{Convert|1.16|m}} in height, {{Convert|37| cm}} in width and {{Convert|21|cm}} in thickness. This standing sculpture has a [[Yaksha]] and [[Yakshini]] near its knee region on two sides. The sculpture is dated to 5th-6th centuries AD.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://thehitavada.com/Encyc/2016/5/19/Ancient-idol-of-Tirthankar-Adinath-found-at-Arang.aspx|title=Ancient idol of Tirthankar Adinath found at Arang|date=19 May 2016|access-date=30 June 2016|newspaper=The Hitavada|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160520152531/http://thehitavada.com/Encyc/2016/5/19/Ancient-idol-of-Tirthankar-Adinath-found-at-Arang.aspx|archive-date=20 May 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Temples==
===Bhand Dewal temple===
[[File:9th century reliefs on exterior wall of Bhand Deul Jain brick temple, Arang Chhattisgarh 5.jpg|thumb|Detailed carvings on the wall]]

Bhand Dewal temple, a Jain temple dated to the late eleventh century, is in the Mahakosala area of Arang. The temple is built in [[Bhumija|Bhumija architecture]].{{Sfn|Jain|1972|p=446}} The plinth of this temple has detailed ornamentation. It has a [[Socle (architecture)|socle]] that supports a pedestal and two rows of sculptures on the wall. The temple layout plan is in a star shape known as stellate (meaning: shaped like a star, having points, or rays radiating from a centre) with six "offsets". The temple rises to five floors, which is considered an unusual feature.{{Sfn|Jain|1972|p=446}}

The temple faces west and is in a rundown condition. In the past, a ''[[mandapa]]'' (an outdoor pavilion) and a porch probably existed as part of the temple. The damaged front fascia of the temple tower has been plastered without any decoration and also whitewashed.{{Sfn|Archaeological Survey of India|1878|p=160}} The north-east and south-east faces of the temple tower, which were also dilapidated, have been redone in brick and mortar, but crudely. However, the overall view of the tower is still pleasing. At some stage, this temple was used as a survey marking station. As there was a tendency for the upper half of the tower to structurally burst by its seams, a metal strap bracing has been wound around the tower at the middle section to give it stability. A similar strap has been wound round at the top of the tower. A large number of images are carved on the exterior and interior faces of the temple. The bigger images are carved in two lines. Above the lines of bigger images, a row of carvings of smaller images has been sculpted. At the base of the larger images is a row of a highly decorated depiction of inscription panels, flowers, and a royal march of horses, animals, and people.{{Sfn|Archaeological Survey of India|1878|p=161}} The exterior faces of the temple have been embellished with carved images.{{Sfn|Archaeological Survey of India|1878|p=162}}

The temple has three free-standing large images of Jain [[tirthankara]]s deified in the [[garbha griha]] or sanctum sanctorum.{{Sfn|Shah|1987|p=154}} These are carved ornately in black stone and highly polished. The three Tirthankaras are [[Ajitanatha]], [[Neminath]] and [[Shreyanasanatha]]. The central figure is adorned with the symbol of a wheel holding two deer in the left hand, and a globe on the right hand. The base of this image has a "winged figure" carving. Carved images also embellish the exterior faces of the temple.

===Bagh Deval temple===
Bagh Deval temple, which was inferred initially as a Jain temple, is dated to the 11th century. It has similar architectural features as the [[Khajuraho Group of Monuments|Khajuraho temple]].{{Sfn|Beglar|1878|p=162}}

===Mahamaya temple===
Mahamaya temple also has three colossal images of Tirthankaras. There is also a large single stone sculpture with illustrations of all 24 Tirthankaras carved on it.

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Ruins of the great Jain temple, Bhand Dewal, at Arang.jpg|Bhand Dewal in 1873
File:Three sculptures of Jain tirthankaras in the Bhand Dewal Temple, Arang.jpg|Sculptures of [[Ajitanatha]], [[Neminath]] and [[Shreyanasanatha]] inside Bhand Dewal
File:9th century reliefs on exterior wall of Bhand Deul Jain brick temple, Arang Chhattisgarh 2.jpg|Carvings on the wall, Bhand Deul
</gallery>

== Current status ==
It is a protected monument under the Raipur circle of [[Archaeological Survey of India]], since 1920.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.asiraipurcircle.in/List%20of%20centrally%20protected%20monuments,%20ASI,%20Raipur%20Circle,%20Raipur.pdf | title=Centrally Protected Monuments/Sites/Remains, Archaeological Survey of India. Raipur Circle, Raipur | access-date=10 February 2015| publisher=ASI}}</ref>{{Sfn|ASI, Raipur Circle}}

== See also ==
* [[Haihaiyavansi Kingdom]]

== References ==
=== Citation ===
{{reflist|23em}}

=== Sources ===
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{Citation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZBsn4oVlyewC |title=Archaeological Survey of India |edition = Reports 1862-1884 | publisher=[[Archaeological Survey of India]] – Government Press |date=1878 |access-date=2017-10-02 |ref={{SfnRef|Archaeological Survey of India|1878}} }}
* {{cite book|last= Garg |first=Gaṅgā Rām |title=Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0U2QRpDv2KMC&pg=PA578|year=1992|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|isbn=978-81-7022-376-4}}
* {{cite book|last= Jain |first=Kailash Chand |title=Malwa Through the Ages, from the Earliest Times to 1305 A.D|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_3O7q7cU7k0C&pg=PA446|year=1972|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn=978-81-208-0824-9}}
*{{cite book|author=Central Provinces |title=Raipur district|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZA0mAQAAIAAJ|year=1909|publisher=[[Pioneer Press]] | volume=8 | edition=1 | series=Central Provinces District Gazetteers |ref={{sfnRef|Provinces|1909}} }}
* {{Citation |last=Beglar |first=J. D. | author-link=Joseph David Beglar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qc8OAAAAQAAJ|title=Report of a Tour in Bundelkhand and Malwa, 1871-72, And in the Central Provinces, 1873-74|volume=7 |publisher=Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing|date=1878|access-date=2017-10-04}}
* {{Citation |last=Shah |first=Umakant Premanand | author-link=Umakant Premanand Shah |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m_y_P4duSXsC|title=Jaina Iconography|volume=1|publisher=Abhinav Publications |date=1987|access-date=2017-10-04|isbn=9788170172086}}
* {{Citation|url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_alphalist_chattisgarh.asp|title=Alphabetical List of Monuments - Chhattisgarh|publisher=[[Archaeological Survey of India]]|ref={{SfnRef|ASI, Raipur Circle}}|access-date=2017-10-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010060759/http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_alphalist_chattisgarh.asp|archive-date=2017-10-10|url-status=dead}}
* {{cite book |last1=Surjan |first1=Lalit |last2=Verma |first2=Vinod |title=Reference Deśabandhu Madhya Pradesh |date=1996 |publisher=Deshbandhu Publication Division |isbn=978-81-900733-1-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nyRuAAAAMAAJ |access-date=28 February 2021 |language=en}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
* {{commons category-inline|Arang Jain temples}}

{{Jainism Topics}}
{{Jain temples}}

[[Category:Jain temples in Chhattisgarh]]
[[Category:9th-century Jain temples]]

Arang Jain temples - Revision history

Rupa Banerjee Editor at 23:08, 23 October 2024