My trip to Kalinger, UP

Kalinger Fort & Neel Kanth Mandir:

09.04.2015
Ajaigarh is a smallest Taheseel (areawise) of Panna city of MP.It is 35 km from Panna.The nature has bestowed it with the natural beauty of forests and ponds. It is surrounded by narrow hills from three sides and the fourth side is connecting with the Panna Khajurao highway and on its way at Singhpur village the road takes a turn for UP boarder from Dharampur  Chouraha. If we want to visit  the historical place Kalinger, we have to take this road. On the way the main villages are Hardi, Tikuriya,Naya Gaon,Bhondu ki Chakki,Dharampur Gaon and after it the border of MP ends at the border village of  Ramnagar (which is half in MP and half in UP) and UP Starts.After crossing the river Roojh the boundary  of Kalinger starts.



                                                                  (View of Kalinger Fort)

                                                    ( Way to river Roojh, Ramnagar)
                                  

I reached the hill top by car and reached the entrance of the Kalinger Fort. From 1^st April 2015 the entrance ticket of Rs.5/- per head is being charged. Earlier there was no ticket. Now the security guards are also present. Earlier this place was risky. On the top of the hill there is a huge Pathar (open land) where the  beauty of palaces ,temples and ponds is unparallel. The fort’s boundary wall and Neel kanth temple appears of ancient period and rest of the buildings period appears up to the end of 18^th century AD  viz. Coubey Mahel,Rani Mahel,Venkat Vihari Mandir etc.

There is lots of difference in the material used as well as designing and art of architecture in the buildings of both the periods. In the old structures mostly the stone was used and the marvelous art of Scriptures of idols (Murtys) and decoration of the walls with Murtys viz. Neel Kanth Temple. In the medieval periods buildings the attractive geometrical art and beautiful flowers and leaves were designed on the plasters of walls and pillars. The curved wooden logs were used to support the slabs of stones of the roof which are mostly broken and are in dilapidated form.

 (The view of the entterance of the Kalinger Fort. The staircase on the left is the passage towards Chaubey Mahel .)

(Inside of the Chaubey mahel)

                                                   ( Pir Baba ki Mazar at Chaubey Mahel)

 (Rani Mahel)

                                           (Inside view of the Rani Mahel )

                                                        (Venkat Bihari Mandir)

                                                                       (Moti Mahel)

(Entrance of Neel Kanth Hill)

                                                     ( Entrance of Neel Kanth Temple)
However, the roof of the old structures were supported by the stone pillars , ducks and stone slabs with beautiful sculpture drawn on them and wood had not been used anywhere.
On the rocks of the staircase and the walls of the Neel kanth temple the the statues of the god and goddesses had been sculptured.

( Inscription on the rock few yards before the main entrance of the temple)

                               (Sculptures on the walls of the rocks  on the way to the temple)

                                                     (Geometrical  carving on the walls and pillars)

In the Garbhgrah ( the place of main worship) the the Shivalinga is not cylindrical as usual are seen but it has shape of Shiva on the Shivalinga of hight about one meter,of blue colour stone justifying its name (Neel >blue colour. The Murtis of Shiva's family are also there.

                                                (Neel Kanth Mahadev built of Blue Stone)

(Devi Parvati)

 Just below this temple of Shiva there is a kund of size about 30'X20' with a narrow entrance.

The depth of water at the other end is about 30'It is really amazing. Just below it there is another form of Shiva the Natraj sculptured on the wall rock and just above  it there is a small dark cave of Bhairon temple.

Natraj

                                                             
                                                            ( Cave of   Bhairon temple)

                                                                                                                            Vijay Nath Sondhi