[RedTerrano]

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!
Pretty straight forward heads up.
Ladies are volatile. Best not to get them worked up.
Many a men have learnt this lesson at their own peril, and have honored the BroCode™ by passing on this priceless knowledge to successive generations.

But what about men and their temper?
It turns out, that is arguably more dangerous.
This is the story of an angry husband who is remembered and even revered to this day. In fact His anger is so proverbial, that He has earned the moniker Kop(Anger)-Ishwar(Lord).
The Angry Lord.

Many many many monsoons ago there lived a King named Daksha Prajapati.
Daksha came from fine stock and could boast an illustrious lineage. Son of Lord Brahma Himself, brother of Dharma, Kamdev, Agni, Chitragupta and Narad muni. According to Vishnu Purana, Daksha married Queen Prasooti, who eventually gave birth to 24 daughters, including Revati, Rati and Sati. In fact this marriage is the first marriage in Hinduism.

Any sensible parents would like their daughters to settle down with a good groom. Many daughters over the centuries, have done exactly the opposite and this has led to predictable friction between the parents and their offspring.
All daughters of Daksha went on to find themselves suitable husbands of renown, fame and calibre. The parents naturally approved of their choices.
Except Sati.
She turned out to be a staunch believer in being a rebel.

One fine day, she announced, she had chosen Lord Shiva to be her groom.
Her mother was devastated, her father furious.

Daksha thundered, apoplectic with rage and frustration.

Are you serious?
Are you kidding me?
Of all the eligible bachelors, you chose Him?
I mean just look at him. Body smeared with ash, snake around his neck, animal skin round his waist, and I absolutely shudder seeing those flowing locks. And I hear he doesn't even have a proper house. He lives on some mountain! Did you hear me? A mountain!

Father, I don't care. He is the Lord of the universe, to whom even the Gods pay obeisance. All the material things don't matter to me. If I am happy, they shouldn't matter to you as well.

Enough!
I will have no daughter of mine tell me what I should be doing and feeling. Your mother and I have nothing but your best interest at heart.

Let me be the judge of what pleases my heart father!

Sati stood defiantly in front of him, eyes blazing, limbs akimbo.
Queen Prasooti was all tears. She sobbed uncontrollably, not saying a word. Lord Shiva, as always, had his eyes closed in silent mediation, his face peaceful and serene.
Daksha took in the sight. He realized this was one battle, he could never win.
Not the one to give up easily, he played his last card.

If you insist on marrying Lord Shiva, you will have to do it without your parents blessings.

Very well father. As you wish.

Lord Shiva opened his eyes and smiled at Sati.
Sati smiled back contentedly, took His hand and both left for Mt. Kailas.

Years passed.
Sati and Lord Shiva were quite happy together.

One day, Sati was busy tending her garden. Suddenly Nandi escorted Lord Indra inside.
Greetings Mother! I am on my way to your father's house and have dropped in to pay my respects to your husband.
To my father's place? Why? Has anything happened?
Not at all Mother. Your father has organized a Brihaspatistava Yagna and has invited all the Gods.
Very well, you can find My Lord inside, but I think he might be meditating. Please do go in and check for yourself.

Lord Indra went in, and Sati started thinking furiously. If all the Gods got invitation, how come we didn't? After all Lord Shiva is Maha-dev, the Lord of the Lords. Oh wait! Its my father. Of course we don't need an invitation! We are family!

Later on during the day, she broached this topic with her husband.

I don't agree my beloved. If your father wanted to invite us, he would have definitely sent us an invitation. I don't think it is a correct thing to go uninvited. Perhaps he is still angry with us?
I don't think so My Lord. It's been quite a lot of years. And like I said, we are family.
Very well then. If you wish, you can go alone. I will not come, but I will ask Nandi to accompany you.
As you wish My Lord.

And so, Sati, accompanied by Nandi, went to her father's.

It turned out to be a mistake.
Daksha had given his daughter a cold shoulder when she had arrived. Now seeing her chat happily with her mother as if nothing had happened, as the Yagna progressed, Daksha's temper continued to rise.
Suddenly he got up, and started berating his daughter in general, and her husband in particular.
Caustic remarks were passed regarding his son in law's appearance, lifestyle , lack of material wealth and affinity to wild animals.
All attendees were shocked into silence. The Yagna ground to a halt. There was pin drop silence. All eyes turned on Sati.
She stood there, all alone in a crowd, tears streaming down her cheeks, trembling with anger and humiliation.
Not only her father still carried the grudge after all these years, but he had also insulted her husband in front of the illustrious guests.
This was too much for her to handle.
Before anyone could realize what was happening, she ran froward and jumped into the Yagna. The pyre immediately engulfed her.
Within a few minutes, it was all over.
Sati had been consumed by the flames.

Meanwhile on Mt. Kailas Lord Shiva sat in silent meditation. Suddenly He felt something was wrong with the universe. He focused his mind inward, seeking the source of the disturbance.
Having found it, he opened his eyes.
They blazed with anger.
His beloved Sati was no more.
Infinite fury gripped him. His eyes turned red.
And then, he opened his third eye!!

The Lord was angry. Very very angry.
He stood up, picked up his Damru and commenced the dreaded Tandav dance.
At every step, the universe shook.
Suddenly, He plucked two strands from his flowing locks and dashed them to the ground.
The locks turned into Veerbhadra and Bhadrakali, two fearsome incarnations of Lord Shiva Himself!
The Lord had made a decision and unleashed His fury.

As instructed by the Lord, both descended upon the Yagna and wrecked havoc. Bhrigu, who was officiating the Yagna tried to retaliate, but he was tied up to a pillar. Lord Vishnu Himself tried to intervene, having given a boon to Daksha to protect his life, but all in vain. Nobody was a match to Mahadev's fury.
Eventually Veebhadra took hold of Daksha, and with one stroke of his axe, decapitated him.

It was all over. Wreckage and carnage met the eye everywhere.

Lord Vishnu went and managed to calm Lord Shiva down. He even convinced Him to bring the dead back to life. Lord Shiva complied. With one exception. Daksha was brought back to life, with a goat's head replacing his original. Having learnt his lesson, he begged forgiveness and spent the rest of his life worshiping the Lord.

Such was the fury of the angry husband.

My niece had been listening to my narration with wide eyes.
Eventually, she quipped
You are kidding me right? None of this ever happened right?
Of course it did!
How do you know? Were you there? I don't believe you. Dad has told me about your habit of telling tall tales since you were a kid.
I wasn't there, but I can take you to a place, which has the same story set in stone. And it was built in the 11th century by the Shilahara King, Gandaraditya.
Really?
Absolutely!

And thus we decided to visit Khidrapur, to take darshan at Kopeshwar temple.

[RedTerrano]

Near Kolhapur, MH, the quaint village of Khidrapur lies on the banks of the river Krishna, which demarcates the administrative boundary between MH and KA.

Settled centuries ago, it is like the numerous villages one finds all over India. Quiet, serene, peaceful. The loudest sound one hears is probably the tinkling of the bells adoring the bullocks, as they drag the carts or till the fields.
Except one difference.
Khidrapur boasts of this.

Kopeshwar temple, dedicated to Lord Mahadev.

There are temples and there is Kopeshwar.
Kopeshwar is unique in three major aspects.

1. Unlike other Mahadev temples, there is no Nandi.
2. There is a hole in the roof.
3. There are not one, but two Shivlings in the garbha gruha

Starting from Pune, we followed the Pune - Satara - Kolhapur route. Just before Kolhapur, we took the left fork via Hatkanangale and eventually reached Khidrapur.
Caution: After Hatkanangale, the cell phone range deteriorated drastically and I lost signal. Some road diversion was in place due to repair works making the cached route meaningless. We eventually made it to the temple, stopping to ask for directions multiple times.

Crossing the Krishna, en route to the temple.
Yes. That is water hyacinth.


We knew we had arrived because we spotted this!
Har Har Mahadev!!


Paid parking outside the temple.


Main entrance to the temple


ASI regulated area.
Translates to Meh! We don't care, but you dare not touch anything, else we will take legal action. (Proof inside)
ASI has a budget of $170 million (2020-2021). But daily, all over the country, priceless heritage of our awesome ancestors continues to crumble and is lost forever.


Entering the temple premises, one has to pass through security (of course!)
Such areas are called Chavdi in Marathi and are a standard feature of almost all old architectures. Similar areas can be found on all the forts in Maharashtra


Soldiers on security duty would typically use the Chavdi as their rest area, store the personal belongings as well as weapons.




Even drab locations like security posts were beautified by carvings on the thick stone pillars.


Inside temple premises, looking outside


Once you clear security, you are greeted by this!
Pillars pillars and more pillars. A total of 108 pillars, all of them intricately carved!!


Notice the protrusions on the top right? As per the local guide, these were originally designed to accommodate oil lamps, as well as act as water spouts during the rainy season.
The elephant motif runs all round the plinth of the temple. A total of 92 elephants "hold up" the temple on their strong shoulders.

Also note the photography prohibited board, prominently put up.


Another view of the beautiful mighty pillars.
Imagine the awesome sight during the olden days.
New moon night.
Pitch black.
And hundreds of oil lamps sparkling like diamonds, studding the exterior, lighting up the temple with their soft glow. As they waver slightly in the soft breeze, they bring he 3D carved figurines to life!!
Oh what a sight it must have been!


We discarded our footwear and climbed the steps to enter the temple, and were greeted by this magnificent Swargamandap, which took our breath away! Various explanations are offered for this unique structure, ranging from observatory to provision for smoke from the Yagna to disperse. Whatever the reason, it is absolutely fantabulous !



Note the circle on which the lady is standing. This is the traditional place, where you would find a Nandi in a temple devoted to Lord Shiva. But here there is no Nandi. As per tradition, having failed to protect his beloved Sati, Lord Mahadev banished Nandi from the premises.
Interestingly enough, around 12 KM as the crow flies in the southwest direction, in a village named Yadur, KA, stands a temple...with a lone Nandi facing the West. (Kopeshwar temple faces the East)
Coincidence?
Or proof of the legend?
Or the vestiges of destruction caused by foreign invaders?


Moving forward through the Sabhamandap and Antaralkaksha, we were finally in the presence of the Lords.
Kopeshwar (Lord Mahadev) and Dhopeshwar (Lord Vishnu).
Lord Vishnu probably decided to keep Lord Mahadev company, you know, just in case he lost his temper one more time!



Note: All internal pics are sourced from the internet, honoring the photography prohibited instructions.
Fortunately, photography is prohibited only inside the temple. We took darshan, admired the intricately carved pillars one more time and stepped out for a pradakshina.
A local dude latched on, offering to act as a guide. (More on him later)
We accepted, drew out our phones and set off on the our circumambulation.

An all too familiar sight. Everyone's favorite deity. Bappa!


Another familiar sight.
The art of lounging with your best buddies.
Apparently some things never change!


A plot twist in the tale.
Jain influence on a Mahadev temple?


A mystery for all amateur detectives.
Observe this image carefully. Notice the folds of skin on the eyes, strongly indicating a gentleman of the oriental persuasion. Our local guide insisted it was a Chinese visitor.
Could it be the fabled Hiuen Tsang? Probably not. His detailed travelogues find no mention of Kopeshwar. Considering it's unique features (no Nandi, Swargamandap and Mahadev+Vishnu in the same temple), I think he would have definitely mentioned it, if he had visited.


Royal emblem and motif of the creators of the temple. The Shilahara dynasty.



What sorcery is this!
This is a niche! How did the artist even gain access? Or were the carvings done on a slab, and the whole slab fitted inside? There are no visible marks of any fixtures.


Lattice window carved in stone.
Notice almost all the floral patterns are unique. This is an anomaly for an otherwise balanced and symmetric structure. Were the artists trying to see which design would look best?


Star shaped kund
Notice the spout emptying the contents from the garbha gruha into the kund

---------------------------------

Pic limit reached. Continued in new post.

[RedTerrano]

Poetry in stone.
Note the row of elephants "holding up" the temple.
What love and dedication drives humans to create such intricate beauty?
And when you are done, do you feel proud of being the creator, or do you set aside your hammer and chisel, and offer some flowers in worship to the Lord? Does the creator become the devotee?





Every niche, a beautiful moorti.



Check out the polish. Definitely better than 3M!!!!
Perhaps a different stone? Looks more smoother and darker than the others.


Graffiti or maker's record?
Even though the 1st pic is devnagri script, it is frustratingly difficult to decipher.
Only thing I could crack: 1st character is ॐ
Telugu in the other pics?
If anyone can recognize, please do share.





Some styles never go out of fashion.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, a mangalsutra from the 11th century!

---------------------------------------------------

The Archaeological Survey of India was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham. Post Independence, it came under the Ministry of Culture, Govt of India. ASI was charged with the discovery, upkeep, restoration, preservation and maintenance of our heritage.
The yearly budget of India, has a substantial allocation for the said task. The current budget provisions a whopping $700 million. Yup! That's in USD.
Besides this, ASI regularly raises funds by charging entry tickets.
Despite all these funds, this is what they do.

Our heritage lies abandoned under the open sky, at the mercy of the elements.



Our heritage lies broken and defaced. Absolutely ZERO efforts to restore or preserve.




This makes me absolutely livid with anger.
This pic is from the top of the chavdi.
Notice that leaf like structure? It is actually a cobra.
Some blithering idiot has cut (hopefully not hacked) a piece and stuck it there. Upside down!!!!
If I had my way I would have that person flogged for this unpardonable transgression and affront.


And it is not only at Kopeshwar. Suffered it at Raigad. Suffered it at Hampi. Suffered it at numerous other places.

And as if all this pain was not enough, the pièce de résistance, the final nail in the coffin.
Remember the local dude who had latched on, offering to act as a guide?
This is him.

Guess what. He was drunk. You could smell him from a few feet.
Drunk to high heaven.
Inside a temple.

----------------------------

My niece was uncharacteristically quiet on our way back.
Anything wrong or are you just tired?
Nope. I was just thinking.
About what?
I feel sad Sati died.

Sigh!
This younger generation, expects a happy ending in all the stories.
Fortunately, this story had one. So I gave it to her.

Thanks to a boon by Lord Vishnu, Sati, also known as Dākṣāyaṇī, was reincarnated as Parvati. Lord Shiva eventually married Parvati, and they lived happily ever after.

~The End

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[rajarams]

Beautifully written ..such stories are what make visits worthwhile!

[ValarMorghulis]

Wow. Such a nice write up to the travelogue. Kudos.
As someone really interested in traditional Hindu culture this was a heartening read.

[srishiva]

Beautiful thread. Hadnt known about this temple. The architecture of the temple is really good. There are similarities to those found in Karnataka. The structure with the opening on top, was it really constructed like that? If you see earlier pics, it looks like the place just ahead of the deity would be. Most temples have this including the bulge on the floor.

The Shilahara's were feudal to Rashtrakutas and the language in inscription could be Kannada.

[Quinn]

Awesome Travelogue and superb clicks Red Terrano. Some of the pics instantly transported me to that time period! Nandi not being in the temple but being some distance away made me remember the line from the Ghost Rider movie. The thing about legends is, sometime they are true.

Thanks a lot.

[Dieseltuned]

Khidrapur is one of the many temple architectures lost in the sand of time. But they still stand as a glorious reminder of the higher civilization with superior skills that existed during that time period. Khidrapur is also very short drive away from Kolhapur and anybody visiting or going by should definitely visit once and marvel at the beauty in stone.

@redterrano, on the right side of the temple inside the premise a family lives there in a small house and they have as I have been told very detailed book/pamphlets on the history of Khidrapur. Unfortunately the place was locked when I had visited.

Regards
Ritesh

[saisailendra]

Wonderful post.

It's really a shame. We have such extraordinarily created structures, which are known to be architectural wonders with a strong flavor of art ! Yet people don't have time to look at these or appreciate these things.

The budget you mentioned for maintenance of these structures, I'm sure has gone to several personal bank accounts or turned up as jewellery for some women. And nothing can be done about it.

Keeping religious views aside, several temples in our country are equally wonderful., But not popularised. And the "Great" British had also destroyed several structures, I dare say, because of their foolish Jealousy.

Sri Kalahasti temple in AP is also a greatly built structure. Have a visit after the pandemic situation settles.

And the scriptures do look a bit like Telugu, but it's not really like that. Maybe Kannada ? I read in a book which had speeches by Vivekananda, that these scriptures are not currently day language but they're some very old form of scriptures which are readable by very few (in the 1900s itself).

There is another temple in AP known as " Sri Srikakula Andhra Maha Vishnu" temple, (Srikakulam Andhra Maha Vishnu Temple on Google maps). It's a very small temple. And it's boundary walls are about 7-10 ft high. The legend says that, during the cyclone which killed few thousands of people of the nearby villages, only the very few people who took shelter in that small temple survived without injuries. and nobody knows how. PS : This temple is is Krishna District and not in Srikakulam district.

Even in Sri Kanchipuram temple of Goddess Kamakshi, there seems to be a secret pillar or wall with a little hole, through which one can feel something soft with their finger. I heard it's believed to be the navel of the Goddess and only people who are very close to the priests get the chance of experiencing that pillar.

[abhi_tjet]

Wonderful travelogue RedTerrano. Beautiful pictures and descriptions.
During the repeat telecast of telly shows in early COVID days, I watched this episode of Sati-atmadah.

I have never heard of this temple and would love to visit. When did you visited this temple?. I suppose it won’t be open now as per COVID restrictions. How are the road conditions once we leave highway.

[swarnava.ch]

Originally Posted by RedTerrano

This younger generation, expects a happy ending in all the stories.
Fortunately, this story had one. So I gave it to her.

~The End

Thanks for this brilliant storytelling and write-off.
I loved it, I am a sucker for such stories and to be honest without these stories, we are left with all but stones. The stories help us visualize the stones and relate.

I share your angst with ASI, we have such beautiful monuments in our country which need care so that the newer generations can also enjoy the same.

Also I agree to your Niece, without a happy ending, this story would not have been complete.

Hopefully can add this to our list of places to visit someday.

[raje022]

As your niece said, you sure tell tales!!. Wonderful narrative, with appropriate words selected the narrative becomes rivetting.

What did this invoke, a desire to visit and see in person.

Thanks, RT. Har Har Mahadev

[RedTerrano]

Originally Posted by rajarams

Beautifully written ..such stories are what make visits worthwhile!

Thank you!

Originally Posted by ValarMorghulis

Wow. Such a nice write up to the travelogue. Kudos.
As someone really interested in traditional Hindu culture this was a heartening read.

Thank you!

Originally Posted by srishiva

Beautiful thread…
The Shilahara's were feudal to Rashtrakutas and the language in inscription could be Kannada.

Thank you!
Any chance you can make sense of what’s written?

Originally Posted by Quinn

Awesome Travelogue and superb clicks Red Terrano… The thing about legends is, sometime they are true.

Thank you!
Indeed! I have always thought if some story has survived all these centuries, and people have spent tremendous money and efforts to set it in stone, there must be some grain of truth somewhere in the story.

Originally Posted by Dieseltuned

@redterrano, on the right side of the temple inside the premise a family lives there in a small house and they have as I have been told very detailed book/pamphlets on the history of Khidrapur. Unfortunately the place was locked when I had visited.

This is news to me. During my visit, nobody mentioned it. Perhaps the next time I visit, I can try to trace this family.

Originally Posted by saisailendra

Wonderful post.
Sri Kalahasti temple in AP is also a greatly built structure. Have a visit after the pandemic situation settles. ....

Thank you!
Definitely.
For months I have been thinking of making my own “temple run”. Unfortunately real life, and now Chinese virus, keeps on spoiling the plans.
Bappa willing, some day soon.

Originally Posted by abhi_tjet

Wonderful travelogue RedTerrano. Beautiful pictures and descriptions.
I have never heard of this temple and would love to visit. When did you visited this temple?. I suppose it won’t be open now as per COVID restrictions. How are the road conditions once we leave highway.

Thank you!
I did it with my brother and niece two years ago, but somehow forgot to pen it down. Thanks to the enforced home stay, I finally got around rectifying the situation.
Road condition back then was good even after leaving the highway. Some repair works were going on, which caused the diversion. In fact I ended up driving into a one way. But the traffic cop on duty was understanding and very helpful. Almost everyone knows Kopeshwar and he put us on the right track without any hassle.

Originally Posted by swarnava.ch

Thanks for this brilliant storytelling and write-off.

Thank you!

[Arindam_Nayek]

Originally Posted by RedTerrano

Poetry in stone.

Sigh!
This younger generation, expects a happy ending in all the stories.
Fortunately, this story had one. So I gave it to her.

Thanks to a boon by Lord Vishnu, Sati, also known as Dākṣāyaṇī, was reincarnated as Parvati. Lord Shiva eventually married Parvati, and they lived happily ever after.

~The End

Thanks for the beautiful write up.
Everyday I visit Team-Bhp we learn something new or it brings back some very fond old nostalgic memories of childhood. The last part is more elaborated here.

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