Bhoramdeo

The Emerald Road, Less Traveled

 It may sound like an oxymoron, but Bhoramdev or Bhoramdeo fits the definition of being a place that is remote, yet accessible. Situated close to the Kanha national park, surrounded by hills and now having its own notified wildlife sanctuary, it is cool, green and absolutely stunning landscape. Hidden in that greenery is this gem of a temple, well proportioned, nagara style dedicated to Shiva as Bhoramdeo. Not much details are available beyond what the couple of inscriptions at the temple have to say about the date of the temple and a probable name of the king who could have built it. There is also speculation if it was a Vishnu temple, or of a local Gond king, or a local deity. 

We decided to travel to Chhattisgarh, as it was one of the states not explored, and also because we wanted to go to Bastar. There was no guide at that time to take us to Bastar, and we ladies developed cold feet. Being interested in history and wildlife, we contended picking up a few historical places, temples to visit, and also a stay at the Barnawpara Wildlife Sanctuary. Sirpur was the main attraction, but we were able to put together a travel plan for two of us with Raipur as the base. Of course, we got help through social media to find a guide in Raipur who facilitated our hotel and transport arrangements.

After spending the Holi evening at Raipur’s Dudhadari Temple, we started our tour the next morning, pretty early to head to Bhoramdeo. It is over two hours journey by road from Raipur, and the road is pretty good and it is a breeze to drive. We had no idea what was in store as we went past the beautiful central Indian landscape dotted with large trees. There the car stopped at the lake and the temple was just there in front of us. Beautiful with the shades of brown glistening in the morning sun. 

Rightly or wrongly, Bhoramdeo gets the tag of “Khajuraho of Chhattisgarh”. It fits the tag yes, if we were to look at the similarities in terms of the erotic sculptures that adorn the exterior walls of the temple. But, the comparison ends there. Bhoramdeo is a beautiful looking temple, a saptarata temple, with an entrance together with detailed doorway, porch, leading to the central shrine. The ceilings of the chamber inside, the roof over the porch are exquisitely carved. There are several deities inside the Garbha Griha, the main deity in the form of a Shivalinga. The outer carvings are well planned, almost like Khajuraho in the way the deities, in larger chambers, the smaller boxes where everyday life, erotica, musicians are sculpted, along with the rows of elephants and the vyala or yalis at the base. While the structure and the sculptures of the devi, devatas are exquisite, it cannot be compared to Khajuraho because it lacks the sheer grandeur and also the beauty and grace of the musicians and other figures. It actually doesn’t even compare well with the beautiful depictions at the Sirpur temples, which are perhaps older than Bhoramdeo. 

“… the super structure above the porchs and the ante chamber the riot of images engaged in sex war, dance or music out sie representing the ephemeral world of senses gives way to the darkness emptiness and silence of the bomb chamber inside, where gommunion takes with God takes plase.” This quote from the board outside the temple, put up by the Kawardha, District Kabirdham, and it shows perhaps the limited information that is available. That in no way takes away the importance of the temple, it is a very popular temple, and much visited by the local population.  

Though the temple is given a broad date of 7^th to 11^th centuries, the inscriptional evidence is used to trace it to the 11^th Century Nagavanshi King Gopaladeva.  “Alexander Cunningham, the first Director General of Archaeological Society of India, visited this temple in the 1880s. In his Reports, he suggested that it was built by a certain ‘Lakshana Deva Raya’, along with his wife and sons – based on the inscriptions found on the figure of a bearded man placed inside the temple whom Cunningham believes is the builders’ religious adviser. The pedestal of this figure mentions the name ‘Lakshana Deva Raya’ along with the name and date of a Nagavanshi king, Gopaladeva (c. 11^th century). Cunningham deduced that the temple was built and dedicated by Lakshana Deva Raya to king Gopaladeva. (Source: geographyandyou.com)

There are two older temples nearby, Cherkhi Mahal, where nothing but a single superstructure and a carved doorjamb is seen and the restored Mandwa Mahal, a Shiva temple also detailed on the outer walls with pretty gross depictions of erotica. Though the Wiki entry says that it depicts 54 images from Kamasutra because the Nagavanshi kings were practitioners of Tantra, can’t add anything more because I haven’t been able to get any detailed account, papers, books on Bhoramdeo. “Madwa Mahal, located about a kilometer away from the main temple, is a west facing temple where a Shiva Linga is deified. As the temple was built like a marriage hall or pandal (fabricated structure), known in local dialect as "Madwa". It was built in remembrance of the wedding of Nagwanshi king Ramachandra Dev and Haihawanshi Queen Raj Kumari Ambika Devi that took place in 1349,” says Wikipedia. 

I said gross on the erotica not because I was appalled by it as “Victorians” were when they first found Khajuraho, but because it lacked the finesse of the Khajuraho or Konark depictions. I could in some ways relate to why there were scenes of sex, child birth as the sati stones all around were stark reminders of how precious procreation, sustaining life and living was. So much gets written about the Kamasutra, either derogatorily or otherwise, but we relate very little of it to wars, destruction of life and the longing to sustain, for progeny. Of course, there are several books, papers on the Sati stones, virgals, I am not talking about them, but looking at the erotica on one side, and the sati stones on the other side. I don’t even know if the sati stones are from the same period as the temples, or later, but the idea of sustenance, LIFE, was very stark for me at Bhoramdeo.

I thought of making this a photo essay and downloaded as many photos I could, but somehow the text itself has become longer than what I anticipated. Nevertheless, I have added all the photos here.