Thursday, August 6, 2009

Hatkeshwari Temple and Shiva Temple - Jubbal, Himachal Pradesh

The Hatkeshwari Temple is not one of those five-by-five bathroom-titled rooms that are passed off as "ancient" temples in tourist brochures. Locals believe the Pandavas first built this temple during their exile. However, experts date it to between 800 and 1000 AD. It was originally built in the Shikhara Style, but was later restyled by a ruler of the erstwhile Jubbal princely state in the late-19th century. It now looks like a two-story pagoda in slate and deodar wood. However, the sanctum sanctorum and the idol remain unchanged.