Shyam and Mirabai

There is a temple called Khumba Shyam temple in Chittorgarh fort. Several aspects of the temple were different for me.

This was originally an 8th century temple for Varaha (avatar of Vishnu) but after the Mughal invasion the temple and its idol had been destroyed. So Rana Khumba, a Rajput King rebuilt it when Chittorgarh was released from the Mughals. He installed a Krishna idiol there. So it’s called Kumbha Shyam temple.

When there are stone carvings on temple walls and pillars, the images jut out of the stone. However in this temple, the carvings were inside the stone. They were not jutting out and were at the same level as stone. It’s something I have not noticed anywhere else.

It also feels like the carvings have a good border. It’s usually not the case in carvings in temples. They don’t have borders like photos or paintings. But these had.

Inside the same temple complex there is also a Mirabai temple. It is said that she got married to a King (Bhoj Raj) who ruled from Chittorgarh. She did not assume the king as her husband and he instead became a good friend of her approving her love for Krishna. Pretty progressive guy.

Her husband passed away in a battle but she didn’t consider herself as a widow either as she as married to Krishna in her head. I don’t think she even believed she lived on earth. She was on a different plane altogether.

It is said that she prayed in this particular temple everyday after her husband’s death. All the incidents of poison turning into nectar or Amrit and snakes turning into garland of flowers apparently happened here in this temple. (If you don’t know the stories, read them up). While I have heard the stories as a child, seeing an actual place to where they happened was a nice feeling.