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History
of Osian
In the
medieval period, Osian was a large and bustling town and
caravans from Arabia, Persia, Afghanistan and central Asia
arrived here for trade. Osian was also the capital of the
Gurjara Pratihara dynasty from the 8th to 12th century. Osian
was an important centre of pilgrimage between the 8th and 9th
centuries. This can be known from the surviving Hindu temples
of the Vaishnava, Surya (Sun) and Shakti (mother goddess)
sects. The Brahminical influence was very strong in Osian
during that period and later, Jainism also flourished in the
place through the Gurjara Pratihara dynasty. But still,
various Hindu devotees visit the Osian temple dedicated to the
goddess Sachiyamata. In ancient times, Osian was known as
Ukeshpur.
Tourist Attractions in Osian
The major tourist attraction in Osian are the 15 Brahmanical
Hindu temples and shrines and Jain temples. These temples were
built during the rule of the Gurjara Pratihara dynasty between
8th and the 12th century. These temples are very small and
beautifully built and richly sculpted. The main feature of
these temples is is that no two temples are alike in any
manner and each temple has its own unique design, planning and
layout. The stone from which these temples were built was
extracted from local quarries, and has managed to withstand
the vagaries of nature for various centuries.
The main temple of Osian is set on a terrace whose walls are
decorated with mouldings and miniatures. The temple is called
a panchavatan temple as the central shrine is surrounded by
four small shrines. The walls of the temple have central
projections with carved panels and above these rise the curved
towers topped by an amalaka and pot finial. The doorways are
usually decorated with river goddesses, serpents and
scrollwork. A group of 11 temples belong to the 8th-9th
centuries and lies within and on the outskirts of the Osian
village. The other group of temples that belong to the 11th
and 12th centuries are located on a hill overlooking the
village. The temples are grouped in several groups like the
North group, West group and South group. The South group
includes three Harihara Hindu temples. The architecture of the
interiors of this temple is very impressive and is known for
the beautifully decorated walls. The West group contains a
mixture of Hindu (Surya, Vishnu and Pippala Devi) temples, an
8th century tank and an 11th century Jain (Mahavira) temple.
The South group includes the Surya temple (early 8th century)
and the Sachiya Mata Temple (11th - 12th century). The Jain
Mahavira temple is unique among the various Osian temples,
with the vaulted design of its hall-ceiling. The main Sachiya
Mata temple appears to be made in 1178 AD and has a shikhar
clustered by two rows of turrets, an ambulatory and a large
assembly hall with an elaborate ceiling. The Sun temple is the
oldest temple of the group. Its doorway is regarded as one of
the finest temple doorways in India. |
