At an
altitude of 8,00m and 15-kms to the south of Kangra, is the town
of Masrur. Here are 15 Shikhra Temples, cut out of solid rok and
built in the 10th century. Built in the Indo-Aryan monolith style,
these temples have got a great resemblance with the Ajanta-Ellora
temples.
The temples
of Masrur though slightly damaged, are very beautiful. The images,
however, are badly damaged. The images of Lord Rama, Lakshmana and
Goddess Sita are particularly striking. An artificial lake and a
well-maintained and sculpted lawn flank the temples. These richly
ornamented cave temples are the only rock shrines in the northern
part of India.
Only a few
of the original shikharas stand and some of the most beautifully
carved panels are now in the state museum, Shimla. The main shrine
dominates the centre. Although the remote location of these
temples protected them from the invading army of Mahmud Ghazni and
their stone construction prevented severe damage in the 1905
earthquake.
Since they
are situated on a ridge, their position on top commands a superb
view of the fertile verdant countryside.
EXCURSIONS
Nadaun:
48-kms from Kangra is Nadaun, which, it seems was designed by
nature for providing peace of mind. When Kangra was attacked by
Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the then Raja of Kangra moved his capital
to this place, overflowing with beauty. On the left bank of the
river Beas, he built a palace, which soon grew into a centre for
Kangra's culture, art and business. A temple dedicated to Lord
Shiva was also erected here so that the Raja could mediate there
in peace. An ideal place for a quite weekend, Nadaun also offers
fishing opportunities for enthusiasts in the river Beas.
