Jayanti Devi Temple
The Jayanti Devi Temple, located in the Shivalik ranges, showcases a unique blend of architectural styles, resembling a fort due to its construction on a hillock.
Key Architectural Features:
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- Fort-like Structure: The temple’s construction on a hillock gives it a fort-like appearance.
- Platform and Bastions: The temple is built on a 6.10-meter high platform supported by four octagonal bastions at the corners, each measuring 3 meters across. Additionally, there is an oval-shaped bastion on the southwest and southeast sides of the platform.
- Stairs and Entrance: An archway leads to approximately 380 stairs that ascend to the temple building. The main entrance to the shrine faces southwest.
- Shrine Dimensions and Layout: The central shrine is a small, cubical chamber, measuring about 9×9 feet, with two cusped arch doors—one on the northwest and another on the southwest sides. The northeast and southeast walls inside have similar blind doors.
- Idols and Decoration: The iconic and aniconic forms of the Goddess are enshrined in a niche inside the shrine. The idol, carved from white marble, is draped in red cloth and adorned with gold ornaments and a mukut (crown). Three pindees (aniconic forms) are placed in front of the idol, also decorated with necklaces and tall mukuts. Silver and gold chhatras are suspended above the idols.
- Niche and Wall Cladding: The niche is faced with white marble, and the jamb is clad in ceramic tiles displaying images of Saibaba, Ganpati, Shiva and Parvati, Hanuman, Kali, and Durga. The shrine’s floor is clad in white marble, while the walls and ceiling feature off-white ceramic tiles.
- Exterior Niches: The outside walls of the shrine have blind cusped arched doors. Apart from the central blind doors on the southeast and northeast walls, the other eight have niches containing idols of different deities. These include Bhairon and Hanuman on the southwest side, Shiva Parivar and Sundri Bala on the northwest side, Lakshmi and Lokda on the northeast side, and Kali and Ganesha on the southeast side. The idols in the niches are made of cement and painted.
- Facade and Eaves: The shrine’s facade is covered with tiles in a checkered pattern. Each side of the cubical shrine has a projecting eave with a low parapet.
- Domical Superstructure: The temple features a domical superstructure crowned with an inverted lotus, kalash, and finial. The four corners of the roof have burjis (pillars) with a small domical superstructure shaped like a Kalash surmounted by a finial.
- Space for Circumambulation: There is ample space around the shrine for pradakshina (circumambulation).
- Other Features: While ascending the stairs, there are two langar halls. Near the temple, shops sell prasad (consecrated food) and small gifts. The temple also includes rooms for the priest’s residence.
The architectural style of the Jayanti Devi Temple’s superstructure is influenced by Mughal architecture, which may have been a common style when the temple was built1. The Mansa Devi Temple and Chandi Mandir in the area share similar features1.
