KANER KI PUTLI

The ancient name of Bijolian was Vindhyavali. It is situated on the plateau of Uparmal. The group of temples at Bijolian comprises of the Mahakala temple, Hazaralinga temple and Undesvara Mahadeva temple in addition to a well designed kunda called the Mandakini Kund. The temples are of varying periods ranging between eleventh and thirteenth centuries A.D. with Mahakala temple probably being the oldest and conforming to the Gujarat style of architecture. It is a double-shrined temple consisting of two shrines, the main one facing east and the subsidiary one facing south, with a common sabhamandapa, a porch facing west and two small side chambers, one above the other.                      

The Hazaresvara Mahadeva or Hazaralinga temple is of a variant Bhumija style of architecture and consists of a shrine and a mandapa. The shrine contains a rather high linga, covered with hundreds of small lingas and hence called Sahasralinga. In the twelfth  century A.D., it was famous by the name of Svarnajalesvara. The inscription with the letters Achintyadhvaja Jogi in the mandapa indicates that this temple was associated with the Pasupata Saiva sect. The Undesvara Mahadeva temple is of the typicalBhumija style with a stellate shrine and sabhamandapa approached from the east, with porches on the south and the north. The sanctum is sunk about 2.4 m below the level of the sabhamandapa floor and water seeping from the Mandakini Kund keeps the linga immersed for most parts of the year.