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Ossian Temples, Jodhpur
 Ossian
is located at the edge of the Thar Desert, 65 kms north west of
Jodhpur. Though Ossian does not figure in the regular tourist guides
of India, yet this once prosperous city, boasts of more than 100
Hindu and Jain temples dating back to the Medieval age. Legend has
it that the town was founded by Utpaladeva, a Rajput prince of the
Pratihara Dynasty. It was then known as Ukesha or Upkeshapur.
The temples here are among the earliest of all medieval temples of
Rajasthan. Ruins of several temples dot the present day Ossian. The
earlier temples are almost like miniature shrines, some only eight
feet in height. Among these intricately carved red sandstone
edifices, three are dedicated to Harihara- or the union of Vishnu
and Shiva. Profusely carved from their raising plinths, pillars and
right upto the very pinnacle of the spires, these temples are
considered architectural masterpieces even by foreign scholars such
as Percy Brown, James Burgess and Herman Goetz.
Among the oldest group of temples stands the Sun Temple, which was
built in 10th century. They are often compared to the carvings of
the Sun Temple of Konark. According to records , right in the middle
of the town stood another magnificent Sun temple. This, and a score
other beautiful shrines were subsequently destroyed during the
Turkish and Afghan invasions of India. Out of the more than 100
temples this town once had, barely 16 stand today. Even these have
been ravaged by time.
Although majority of the temples at Ossian have decayed with time
and have even lost images of their deities- the one temple that
remains vibrant is the shrine of Sachiyamata on a nearby hillock.
Built in 1234 AD, this temple was dedicated to Durga or Mahisasura
Mardini. Today it has become a very important shrine for Jain |
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