Type: Monument - Temple
Province: Azad Jammu and Kashmir
District: Kotli
Period: Historic
Relative Chronology: 1799-1849 CE
Description: The temple is located on north-west of main city into the foot of hills and facing towards southeast. It had a staircase which is now missing. It represents Nagara style architecture. Shikara appeared as roughly built up in fluted design. Each exterior side has three rectangular and pointed arches, slightly upraised. Each interior side has one arch. Temple is built of kanjur stone with lime pilaster on interior and exterior of the walls. Kanjur stone is available just near the site. Finial is missing. The temple is badly treated by the visitors as the interior and exterior is engraved and full of graffiti. The walls have developed cracks and most of the plaster is chipped off. On the right of the temple, there is rectangular chamber, built up with modern baked bricks, white washed and iron door with the Holy scriptures of Islam, which suggests that it is presently used as Chillah gah (meditation cell). There is also a water fall just slightly right on the Chillah gah. The temple is surrounded by dense vegetation. The site is in very bad state of preservation and it needs an immediate conservation and protection. Different measurements are including platform: 3.3 x 3.3 m; main sanctum: 2.60 x 2.60m; inner height of sanctum: 4.65; entrance: h:2.30, w:1m, width at turning: 0.95m, thick:0.75m; Arch 1-3:h:1.93m, w:0.80m, thick:0.30 m; height up to dome: 12m; 2.5 cm thick pilaster; meditation cell: 4.8/1.8 m. It is probably associated to Dogra period of Kashmir.
Latitude: 33.353722222
Longitude: 74.056638889
Ownership: Private
Legal Status: Not Protected
Title of Publication: Threat to the Cultural Heritage of Pakistan Survey and Documentation of Tangible and Intangible Heritage of Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan
Published In: Taxila Institute of Asian Civilizations, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 2020
Year of Publication: 2020
Bibliography/Reference: Khan, Ashraf, Ghani-ur-Rahman
