Bhojpur Temple, Bhimbetka - Timings, History, Best Time to Visit
#8 of 9 Places to Visit in Bhimbetka
Distance (From Bhimbetka): 34 Kms
Trip Duration (Including Travel): 1 Hour
Place Location: At Bhojpur
Transportation Options: Bus / Cab
Travel Tips: None
At a distance of 30 km from Bhopal Junction, and 34 km from Bhimbetka, Bhojpur Temple is an ancient Hindu temple located at Bhojpur in Madhya Pradesh. Also known as Bhojeshwar Temple, it is one of the beautiful shrines located near Bhimbetka and among the popular places to visit as part of Bhopal Tour Packages.
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Bhojeshwar Temple is an incomplete Hindu temple believed to have started in the 11th century CE, during the reign of the Paramara king Bhoja. The Jain writer Merutunga, in his Prabandha-Chintamani, states that Bhoja constructed 104 temples in his capital city of Dhara alone. However, the Bhojpur temple is the only surviving shrine that can be attributed to Bhoja with some certainty. The construction was abandoned for unknown reasons, with the architectural plans engraved on the surrounding rocks. The temple has been protected and maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Bhojpur Mandir is a simple square with an outside portion of 66 feet. Although the temple is incomplete, it has a magnificent soaring strength of line and is supported by four pillars. The doorway is richly carved and, has two exquisitely sculpted figures on either side. The other three sides are balconies each supported by massive brackets and four intricately carved pillars.
Also known as the 'Somnath of North India', the Bhojpur Temple houses a 7.5 feet (2.3 m) high Shivalingam, carved out of a single rock. Set upon a massive platform of 21 feet, the architectural harmony of lingam and platform creates a superb synthesis of solidity and lightness. The temple walls are engraved with numerous Shiva images. The unfinished materials abandoned at the site, the architectural drawings carved on the rocks, and the mason's marks have helped scholars understand the temple construction techniques of 11th-century India. This temple to this date attracts devotees of Lord Shiva in huge numbers during the Shivaratri festivities.
Timings: 6 AM - 7 PM
Entry: Free
