This is one of the several notable beautiful Hindu temples in Chhattisgarh. It is a 9th-century stone temple in Pali village of Korba district of Chhattisgarh, about 50 kilometers northeast of Bilaspur. 
<p>It is notable for several reasons:
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<ul><li>it is one of a few 1st millennium Hindu temples with octagonal mandapa, in contrast to the typical square plan and less common circular, apsidal and rectangular plan mukhamandapa</li>
<li>the mandapa has a dome-shaped ceiling with exquisite parallel rows of carvings</li>
<li>it includes artwork from Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Sauraism, and Shaktism traditions of Hinduism, as well as the secular themes such as about culture, festivals, artha, maithuna (kama, mithuna) and others; for example, a scene shows a woman putting sindoor (vermillion) above her forehead while looking in a mirror – a tradition that is found amongst modern era Hindus.</li>
<li>the artwork panels of this 9th century temple are some of the early pictorial records of the 9th-century cultural melieu in northern forested region of Chhattisgarh</li></ul><p>The Pali Mahadev temple faces east near an ancient manmade water reservoir. It is built of sandstone, has a saptaratha plan discussed in Hindu Sanskrit texts on architecture, and stands on a platform. Inside the mandapa is a Shiva linga. The lalitabimba of the doorframe lintel features Shiva. The temple's structure features jangha separated from the pada by a moulded vandhana.
</p><p>The Pali temple has an inscription that mentions Vikramaditya and other details which help date this monument to the 9th century. Other inscriptions suggest that the temple became very popular and was expanded with pilgrim infrastructure and awarded gifts in 11th and again in the 12th-century. 
</p><p>The temple stands on a jagati (platform), has a square sanctum, a Nagara-style sikhara, and intricate carvings both inside and outside the temple. The carvings are also found in concentric rows of the dome-shaped ceiling. The artwork of note include Saraswati, Brahma, Surya, Vishnu's several early avatar, Lakshmi, Krishna with his flute, Durga, Chamundi, Navagrahas, Nataraja, Kartikeya, Ganesha, Ganga, Yamuna, and others. 
</p><p>The temple and its artwork was badly damaged in Mughal era regional raids of expansion after the 15th-century. It was largely abandoned except for the devotion of yogis. British archaeologist rediscovered its significance and archival photographs of early 20th-century show a forest overtaking it. The temple has been restored, with the restored section preserving some panels found here. Other ruins and damaged excavated sections of likely lost structures are preserved in a museum near this temple.
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This temple is a popular site for Hindu pilgrims on Maha Shivaratri in modern era.
<a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Ms_Sarah_Welch" title="User:Ms Sarah Welch">Ms Sarah Welch</a>
2022-01-07 12:41:54
<span class="int-own-work" lang="en">Own work</span>