On the way to Nathdwara 23km NW of Udaipur stands Nagda - a sleepy little town nestled on the banks of Bagela Lake. The town is said to have founded by Nagaditya, the 4th Mewar King and hence the name. It was the initial capital of Mewar. The places is adorned with many temples, the main attraction being the 'Sas-Bahu' temple.
The temple dates back to the 10th century. Though named 'Sas-Bahu', the temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. There are two structures of the temple and legends say that one was made by a mother-in-law and another, by a daughter-in-law. However Sas-Bahu seems to be a corruption of Sahastrabahu. The main entrance has carved lintels and a multi-lobed arch in the centre. The layout of both the structures is more or less the same with the temple of Sas being comparatively larger than that of the Bahu.
The temple dates back to the 10th century. Though named 'Sas-Bahu', the temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. There are two structures of the temple and legends say that one was made by a mother-in-law and another, by a daughter-in-law. However Sas-Bahu seems to be a corruption of Sahastrabahu. The main entrance has carved lintels and a multi-lobed arch in the centre. The layout of both the structures is more or less the same with the temple of Sas being comparatively larger than that of the Bahu.
Delicate carvings found on the temples are acknowledged to be imbibed from the incidents of Ramayana. The walls of the shrine are usually plain and not engrossed with much work, but the projection is simply mind blowing with its exquisite sculptures. The sculptures are made in two steps, one encircling the other. On the first step, images of Lord Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu are carved and on the other, there are images of Rama, Balarama and Parashurama.
Another temple that captures attention is Jain temple. Dedicated to the Jain Saint Shanti Nath, the temple is said to have been built during the rule of Rana Kumbha. The temple has a strange idol and that how the temple got its name ('Adbhut' means strange). This strange idol of 9 feet in height is an attraction for people. These temples were destroyed by the foreign invaders to a large extent, still they boast of their exceptional artistic architecture. People usually visit these ancient temples of Nagda to get the blessings from the Lord.
Another temple that captures attention is Jain temple. Dedicated to the Jain Saint Shanti Nath, the temple is said to have been built during the rule of Rana Kumbha. The temple has a strange idol and that how the temple got its name ('Adbhut' means strange). This strange idol of 9 feet in height is an attraction for people. These temples were destroyed by the foreign invaders to a large extent, still they boast of their exceptional artistic architecture. People usually visit these ancient temples of Nagda to get the blessings from the Lord.
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