Lakulisha Temple, Pavagadh

The Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site is a vast one, encompassing the hill of Pavagadh, which has the Kalika Mata temple, believed to be one of the Shakti Peethas, as well as the fortified city on the plains – Champaner, which thrived between the 8^th and 15^th centuries. Every structure here is interesting, be it the mosques or the step wells. However, just one structure stood out for me – the Lakulisha Temple on Pavagadh hill.

The village of Champaner, with its gorgeous Islamic monuments, lies at the foot of Pavagadh hill. The city has its roots in the 8^th century, when it was ruled by the Bhil king Champa Bhil, under the patronage of the Chawda rulers of Patan. Their rule was followed by that of Solankis and Chauhans, till the 15^th century, when it came under the rule of Sultan Mahmud Begada. In the 16^th century, it came under the Mughals, and was looted, ignored, and forgotten. Most of the structures standing today, are from the period of Sultan Mahmud Begada. However, Champaner also has a rich Jain history, dating from the 3^rd century BCE. Very few of these monuments survive today.

The hill of Pavagadh is also covered with fortifications, dating to different periods, but the highlight, and the main attraction on the hill is the temple of Kalika Mata, which is believed to be one of the Shakti Peethas. This is supposed to be site where the goddess Sati’s toe fell. The hill also has a number of Jain temples. There is a ropeway to conduct pilgrims to the top of the hill, though one has to climb further to reach the Kalika Mata Temple.

The oldest standing temple on Pavagadh hill is the Lakulisha temple. From the style of the sculptures, this temple can be dated to the 10^th or 11^th centuries. This would have been during the Solanki period, when the Chalukya dynasty ruled from Patan. (For those who are confused, the Solankis and the Chalukyas are the same. Solanki is the vernacular name for the Chalukyas.)

Before we get to the temple, let me give a brief introduction to Lakulisha. Lakulisha is the founder of the Pasupata sect, the oldest sect of Shaivism. He is sometimes considered an avatar of Lord Shiva. He gets his name from the club (Lagu) that he is always shown carrying. It is sometimes believed that he was the 28^th and last avatar of Lord Shiva, and a contemporary of Lord Krishna. He is said to have lived, at least for part of his life, at Kayavarohan in present day Gujarat. He had 4 disciples who propagated his teachings, and in sculptures, he is most often shown with them. Sculptures of Lakulisha also most often depict him as ithyphallic (with an erect penis), representing the concept of urdhva-retas – the conservation of vital energy, and the ability to transform it into spiritual energy.

Textual evidence puts Lakulisha somewhere in the 2^nd century CE, and the Pasupata sect is mentioned in the Mahabharata. It is also known that they were active in South India from the 7^th to the 14^th centuries. Their presence, through temple rituals and traditions, is known till even the 18^th century.

All temples related in any way to the Pasupata sect depict sculptures of Lakulisha. I have written earlier about Lakulisha when I have seen him at temples in Bhubaneshwar, the Elephanta caves, temples near Gwalior, Mahakuta in Karnataka, and Jageshwar.

Pavagadh is about 80 Km from Kayavarohan, which is believed to be the birth place of Lakulisha. There is a Lakulisha temple at Kayavarohan which I have yet to visit, but while that temple has undergone recent renovations, this one at Pavagadh, though in ruins, is evidence of the popularity of the sect in this region.

As mentioned earlier, the temple dates back to the 10^th or 11^th century – the Solanki period. Evidently, the sect was still active then. Interestingly, the Pithanirnaya, a tantric text listing the 51 Shakti Peethas, identifies Kalika Mata of Pavagadh as the one with Lakulisha (or Nakulisha, which is another name for him), as the Bhairava associated with the goddess. This text is quite a late one, dating to either the 17^th or 18^th century, but it tells us that while the temple itself might have fallen into disrepair, it might have lost patronage due to Islamic rule in the region, but it was not forgotten.

The temple is a simple structure – there is only the main shrine. Only the jangha – the main portion of the temple, essentially the walls – remains. However, every inch of the jangha is exquisitely carved. Most of the temple seems to have fallen down, and painstakingly put together, at some point, and probably not everything was put back in its right place, but there is still much to see, admire and learn.

Giving a context to this temple has taken enough time. if I show you every sculpture here, the post will be never ending. So, let me show you around the temple, through some of the most interesting sculptures.

Before I get into the details of iconography in this temple, let me begin with Lord Ganesha – the remover of obstacles. Here, he is seen dancing, and is particularly beautiful.

The most fascinating piece of work in this temple is this panel.

On the right is Brahma, identified by the manuscript he holds in his hand. On the left is Vishnu, more about him very soon. But it is the figure in the centre who draws all attention.

The central figure is seated on a platform. Below him is another single figure, and a number of seated figures. All around him are also seated figures, arranged in 4 concentric circles around him. He is 4-armed, and holds a manuscript and an aksamala or rosary in two of them. One arm is completely broken, but the 4^th arm holds what appears to be a club. This is what identifies him as Lakulisha. While he is usually shown with his 4 disciples, here, he is shown with 4 concentric circles of disciples, radiating outwards, depicting the spread of Pasupata Shaivism. Placed as he is, between Brahma and Vishnu, he is not simply Lakulisha, the founder of the sect, but Lakulisha, the form of Shiva as the teacher, the preceptor.

Let us now take a closer look at Vishnu. He is sadly in a terrible shape, most of his attributes are gone, but he is still identifiable. How? Note the sculptures around him, depicting the ten avatars. Matsya and Kurma are right at the top, partly broken. Varaha is on the left top, Narasimha on the right top, Vamana is on the right, in the centre, the other avatars aren’t clearly visible any more, but Kalki can be seen on the left centre. He is also accompanied by attendants and Ayudha Purushas.

Here is another such panel with 3 figures – all three are seated, and the one in the centre has 3 faces. The one on the right has a manuscript in one of his arms. While very little of this panel is identifiable, the central figure appears to be Sadashiva, the ultimate form of Lord Shiva as per Pasupata philosophy. He is seated on a throne supported by elephants and lions, and below the throne is Lakulisha once again.

Another very interesting figure is this composite one. He holds two lotus flowers, like Surya, but he also holds a manuscript and has a bird below him, like Brahma. He holds a trishul and a snake, like Shiva. Vishnu’s attributes are less clear, but he could very well be Hari-Hara-Pitamaha-Arka. Interestingly, there is a horse below him, which is something I have not seen before. He is also accompanied by female attendants, which is also new.

This one depicts a story which is not often seen in sculptures – Gajendra Moksham, where Lord Vishnu appears to save the elephant king Gajendra from a crocodile. This one is an especially beautiful and compact sculpture.

This panel depicts the marriage of Lord Shiva and Parvati – Kalyana Sundara Murti. Can you see Lord Brahma squeezed between the bride and groom, performing the ceremony?

This sculpture shows Kartikeya or Skanda, with all his 6 heads, seated on his peacock.

There are more forms of Shiva – Nataraja, with multiple arms, dancing.

Shiva with Nandi – Rishabha Vahana Shiva

Shiva with his skull-topped staff or khatvanga and trishul, also carrying a veena – Veenadhara Shiva

Shiva as the wandering ascetic, Kankala murti or Bhikshatana murti.

There are also various forms of the goddess depicted on these walls – Durga, seated on a lion, surrounded by female figures, which I think, are the Matrikas.

Then there is Ambika, seated under a mango tree. See the monkey on the tree? Amazing detailing. I wonder if her presence here has something to do with the preponderance of Jain temples nearby.

There are many more, but this panel is something not to be missed.

At first glance, they appear to be male. But a closer look reveals that it isn’t so simple. See the central figure? It is too damaged for me to be certain, but I think it is Ardhanareeshwara, with Shiva to our left, holding a trishul, and Parvati to our right holding a mirror. Both have attendants on each side. On the right panel is a gorgeous Chamunda and the panel on the left shows Vaishnavi.

Yet another panel with 3 figures – all female this time, shows Vaishnavi at the centre, seated on Garuda, flanked by Brahmani on the left and Maheshwari on the right.

In one corner is Varahi, probably holding a child…

And Indrani, with an elephant and Vajra, also appearing to hold a child.

I wonder if the entire panel of Saptamatrikas existed here at one time.

There are a few random sculptures that one should not miss, like this one, which is most probably Chandra, the moon. We can see the crescent moon behind him, and he holds one lotus.

At one time, this temple must have also had the Ashta Dikpalas, the guardians of the eight directions. Look at this sculpture, which shows a figure with an elephant, with something like a bag slung over his shoulders. This appears to be Kubera.

Then, there are the ascetics. They are everywhere, on every corner, with their typical headdress, in various poses.

There are rows and rows of standing figures, with four arms, on the top levels. All of them hold a khatvanga and a trishul, and have a devotee kneeling at their feet. The central figure stands straight while the others are curved on either side. I have no idea who they are, but I do know that no sculpture in a temple belonging to this period is done just for decoration. There has to be a meaning associated with them.

I visited Champaner- Pavagadh in 2023, and since then, I haven’t been able to get this temple out of my head. Every few months, I find myself going back to my photos, trying to identify some sculpture, understand its placement, and imagine the temple when it was built. I visited this temple on a trip with my closest friends and our children, and I spent way more time at this temple, enamoured of its sculptures. So much so, that my friends and our kids got bored, and left me alone to commune with the temple in peace. Yet, the desire to go back hasn’t abated, despite the passing of time. There are elements of the temple which fascinate me, especially related to the iconography and the placement of the sculptures. My understanding of this temple so far, is rudimentary at best. Someday, I hope to go back, fill in the many missing blanks, and gain a better understanding of this beautiful temple and its stunning sculptures.