Bijolia
| Bijolia बीजोलिया कलन |
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 India
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| State : | Rajasthan | ||
| District : | Bhilwara | ||
| Sub-district : | Bijolia | ||
| Location : | 25 ° 10 ′ N , 75 ° 19 ′ E | ||
| Height : | 520 m | ||
| Area : | 13.6 km² | ||
| Residents : | 14,140 (2011) | ||
| Population density : | 1040 inhabitants / km² | ||
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Bijolia or Beejoliya Kalan ( Hindi : बीजोलिया कलन) is a 15.000 inhabitants small town in the district Bhilwara in the southeast of the Indian state of Rajasthan . She is known for two, the god Shiva consecrated Hindu temple in the 12th century.
Location and climate
The small town of Bijolia is located about 100 km (driving distance) northeast of Chittorgarh or about 73 km southwest of Kota at an altitude of about 520 m . The important temple complex of Menal is located approx. 20 km southwest. The climate is quite rainy for Indian conditions, with most of the annual rainfall (approx. 810 mm / year) in the monsoon months , i. H. from late June to mid-September, falls.
Population development
| year | 1991 | 2001 | 2011 |
| Residents | 9.419 | 12,389 | 14,140 |
Approx. 82.5% of the population are Hindus , approx. 9% are Muslims and approx. 8% are Jains ; the rest is attributable to other religious groups such as Sikhs , Christians and Buddhists . The male share of the population exceeds the female population by almost 5%.
economy
The inhabitants of the place mostly live directly or indirectly from agriculture; Small traders, craftsmen and service providers of all kinds have also settled here. In the Middle Ages, numerous pilgrims came and visited the temple complex. In the last decades of the 20th century, tourism was added as a source of income.
history
The old name of the city was Vindhyavali . In the Middle Ages the place belonged to the Chauhan Empire . Islamic attacks resulted in the 12./13. Century to severe destruction, of which the two main temples were largely spared. Between 1900 and 1941 there were repeated peasant revolts due to tax increases by the local landlord , which reached their climax in 1916.
Attractions
- The 12th century Undeshwar Temple (also Mahadev temple ) is dedicated to the god Shiva. It impresses with its distinctive wall structure, the figure decorations (gods, dancers, musicians, etc.), a cantilevered dome over the vestibule ( mandapa ) and a Shikhara tower divided by numerous accompanying turrets ( urushringas ) above the cella ( garbhagriha ) , in the middle of which is a Shiva- Lingam stands. The vestibule was supplemented in the 16th or 17th century by attached pavilions ( chhatris ) .
- The neighboring temple pond ( Mandakini Kund ), which is filled with rainwater during the monsoon season, can be reached by four flights of stairs; In earlier times it was used to cleanse the body before visiting the temple.
- The Mahakal Temple, also dedicated to Shiva, is a short distance away. The Shikhara tower ends as usual in an amalaka ring stone with a kalasha jug on top.
- The Jain temples in the former fortress area about 1.5 km to the south-east date from the 12th century. The most important of them is dedicated to the serpent- crowned Tirthankara Parshvanata and was donated by a certain Mahajan Lala under the Chahamana ruler Someshwar.
- Two rock inscriptions from 1170 are barely legible. At the end of the 19th century, they led to a successful attempt to date the reigns of the Chauhan dynasty more precisely.
Web links
- Bijolia - Photos + Info (English)