The Masrur Temples are a group of rock-cut Hindu temples in the Kangra Vall

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The Masrur Temples are a group of rock-cut Hindu temples in the Kangra Valley of the Beas River in Himachal Pradesh, India. They are also known as the Masroor Temples or the Rock-cut Temples at Masrur. They were constructed in the early eighth century. The temples are oriented toward the Himalayan Dhauladhar range in the northeast. The surviving iconography of this North Indian Nagara architecture style, which is devoted to the Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, and Saura lineages of Hinduism, was probably influenced by a henotheistic framework. The rock-cut temples at Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, the Elephanta Caves in Mumbai, and Angkor Wat in Cambodia are all comparable to the Hindu temples in Masrur. There are caves and ruins in the vicinity of the temple complex, indicating that there was formerly a sizable human habitation in the Masrur area. Archaeological research indicates that the artists and architects had a much more ambitious concept, and the building is still unfinished even though it is a significant temple complex in its surviving form. The temple characteristics also suggest the impact of Gupta classicism. The sculptures and reliefs found in the Masrur-temple have mostly disappeared. They were also severely ruined probably as a result of earthquakes. As advised by Hindu texts on temple design, the temples were carved out of monolithic rock with a shikhara and had a sacred pool of water. Three entrances — two of which are unfinished — can be found on the northeast, southeast and northwest sides of the temple. Evidence points to a fourth entrance that was planned, begun, and mostly left unfinished. Early 20th-century colonial archaeology teams understood this, but chose to disregard it, which resulted in incorrect identification and reports. The main temple is encircled by lesser temples in a mandala pattern, and the entire complex is symmetrically arranged on a square grid. The mandapa, minor shrines, and the main sanctum of the temple complex are all square in shape. Major Vedic and Puranic gods and goddesses are shown in relief within the temple complex, and Hindu scripture tales are told through its friezes. The temple complex was initially documented by Henry Shuttleworth in 1913 bringing it to the attention of archaeologists. Harold Hargreaves of the Archaeological Survey of India conducted an independent survey of them in 1915. The Masrur temples are a surviving example of temple mountain-style Hindu architecture that reflects the surrounding earth and mountains, claims Michael Meister, an art historian and lecturer who specializes in Indian temple architecture. #History #Architecture

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