Kalika Mata Temple, Chittorgarh Fort

Kalika Mata Temple is an 8th-century Hindu temple located within the Chittor Fort in the Chittorgarh municipality of Rajasthan state in India.

Quotes

• In the context of Chittor, for instance, we may take the case of KÁlikÁ MÁtÁ or Sun temple and Kumbha Shyam temple. The former temple was originally built in the 8th century as a Sun temple. It suffered heavy damage when the troops of Alauddin Khalji occupied Chittor for some time after 1303 A.D. The SabhÁ MaÆÕapa of the temple is ‚beautifully decorated with the figural works, medallions, lotus-scrolls‛. The figure of Rurya Narayan or Run God on the upper part of uttarÁÉgapaÔÔais ‚a unique piece‛ iconographically. The following description will give an idea of its sculptural richness.
  The uttarÁÉgapaÔÔa and the front part of the garbha-gréha have deeply cut figures of Sun God, seated on his chariot driven by seven horses, the figures of Shiva and Parvati seated on Nandi (bull), and VishÆu and Yakshmi on Uaruda‛. There are figures of GaÉgÁ and Jamuna on the door jamb, figures of Sun-God in the main niche of the pradakÒhiÆÁ path, GaÆapati and VinÁyaki are outside the main temple. Other figures are of Ashwani Kumar, Indra seated on elephant with lotus and vajra in his hands, Agni seated on mesha (male sheep), figures of Sun in the main niche, Yama seated on mahishÁ (buffalo), DikpÁl, VaruÆa seated on crocodile, VÁsu seated on a deer, Chandra seated on a horse, a crescent mark showing its identity, figure of ÌshÁn with three eyes and matted hair, the figures of Shiva and Parvati on the janghÁ of the temple, the churning of ocean scene on an independent slab, the pillars of the garbha-géiha, sabhÁ-maÆÕapa pradikshinÁpath etc. ‚have vase and foliage decorations with flowers and creepers, makÁrs and kÍrti-mukhascut deeply and attractively‛.
  • Protected Monuments, pp.151-53.,Bhatnagar V.S. quoted from in Bhatnagar, V. S. (2020). Emperor Aurangzeb and Destruction of Temples, Conversions and Jizya : (a study largely based on his court bulletins or akhbārāt darbār muʻalla). Shyamal Das, VÍr Vinod, Part II, Khand I, Delhi, 1986. Singh, Chandra Mani (ed.), Protected Monuments of Rajasthan, Jaipur, 2002.