Kopeshwar temple in Khidrapur: Poetry lost in architecture

Kopeshwar temple in the Khidrapur village in Maharashtra is a place that you must visit if you are a fan of ancient Indian architecture. This temple features some mind-blowing and stunning architectural features from the period of Shilharas.

The long-forgotten temple is from the 12th century. And it still stands tall, adjacent to the Krishna river on the Maharashtra Karnataka border. Kopeshwar literally translates to ‘the wrathful god’ or ‘the angry god’. There is an interesting story and legend behind this temple. Read the entire post to know the reason behind the strange name of the god Shiva at this temple.

The pictures of this temple do no justice at all. Because the Kopeshwar temple can never fit in a single picture. There are so many symbols and stories carved in the stones and pillars of this temple that you could be studying and understanding them not just for hours but perhaps for your entire lifetime.

This was the seventh day out of my 21 days solo trip across Maharashtra. I travelled 120+ km from Kolhapur to Khidrapur and back to Kolhapur in a single day, just to visit this temple. I had seen pictures of the beautifully carved Swarga mandapa at this temple. And that is the reason why I decided I must visit this temple. But upon reaching the temple I found that there is so much more to it than the Swarga mandapa. Every piece of stone here tells us a story.

Quick details of Kopeshwar temple in Khidrapur

• Kolhapur to Kopeshwar temple distance: 60 km or 1.5 hours
• Sangli to Kopeshwar temple distance: 40 km or 1 hour
• When to visit: Any time of the year, monsoon will be prettier.
• Where to stay: There are no hotels or resorts around the temple, as it is located inside a village. The nearest cities are Kolhapur, Ichalkaranji and Sangli.
• Where to eat: It is best to pack your own meal and snacks, as there are no proper hotels in the village. You may get homecooked Maharashtrian food on request to the villagers. Or you have to visit the nearest village of Kurandwad for food.
• Parking space and washrooms: Parking space is available in plenty. No washrooms, you may have to visit the homes of the locals.

Architecture and Grandeur of Kopeshwar temple

The moment I stepped inside this temple I forgot everything else in the world. Was it the centuries-old carved stones and architecture or some divine unexplainable energy? I don’t know. I was at the Kopeshwar temple for 4 hours, and I still don’t think I saw everything in the temple. The architecture at this temple is not just marvellous and stunning, but it also features several stories from ancient mythology. The Kopeshwar temple is like a huge book, and wherever you look, you will find a story. Additionally, the temple is built in such a way that it aligns with the sun, the moon and the 8 directions!

The Kopeshwar temple is divided into 4 parts in that order – Swarga mandapa, Sabha mandapa, Antaral Kaksha and Gabhara.

Swarga Mandapa at the Kopeshwar temple

The Swarga Mandapa is the outermost part of the Kopeshwar temple. This is also my favourite part and the most unique feature of the temple. The Swarga mandapa is featured in only 2 temples in Maharashtra. And of course, the most elaborate and beautiful one is at this temple in Khidrapur village.

A large round window is carved on the roof of the temple. There is something like a small round stage below this window. On the roof all around this window, there are 8 gods on their respective vehicles. They are placed in each of the 8 directions. This symbolizes the 8 guardians (dighpal) of the 8 directions.

The god Shiva has come with his wife Parvati and they are shown to be sitting on the Nandi. Likewise, every god is accompanied by his wife, who sits behind the gods, on their vehicles. But Kartikeya Swami who is a bachelor according to the Hindu mythology is alone on his vehicle – the peacock.

All around this window, just behind the large 8 idols, are several different small idols, who signify the numerous other gods from Hindu mythology. The whole setup looks as if the gods are looking down upon us from the skies. The Swarga mandapa has 48 pillars in total. And among them, the circular roof is supported by 12 pillars, that stand in a circle at the centre of the Swarga mandapa. They symbolize the 12 zodiac signs.

Every year on Tripurari Poornima (Kartik Purnima), the full moon comes in at the centre of this window, at exactly 12.03 am! Can you even imagine the kind of planning behind the architecture of this temple? Not only is the temple well aligned with 8 directions, but it also aligns well with the moon in the sky, and that too on the best full moon night of the country. Tripurari Purnima is a full moon night that falls in Diwali, which is a major festival in India and in Hindu mythology. Moreover, in the summers, from 4th May to 8th May the sunlight falls straight on the Shivalinga that is deep inside the temple!

Inside the Kopeshwar temple

As you enter inside the temple, you will find more and more stunning and thoughtfully carved pillars and sculptures. There are a total of 108 pillars inside the Kopeshwar Shiva temple. Among these 48 pillars are in the Swarga mandapa mentioned above.

Sabha Mandapa

As you enter inside the temple, the next room is the Sabha mandapa, which has the highest number of pillars – 60 pillars. Among these 4 pillars are Kirtimukhi, which means they are dedicated to the giant or asura called Kirtisur. One of the pillars here has a carved Ganesha at the bottom. This is said to be the place where the task of carving this temple started. It is also believed that in order to visit this temple properly, you must first seek the blessings of this Ganesha inside the pillar.

The rest of the pillars here feature everything from the stories of Panchtantra, Ramayana, Mahabharata and other stories from Hindu mythology. It also features several Hindu gods and goddesses. This part of the temple is dark, and not very well lit, so it might get hard to spot the symbolism inside these pillars. The Sabha mandapa has just 6 small and intricately carved windows, from which the light flows inside.

Antaral Kaksha

At the start of the Antral Kaksha, there were two huge idols of Jay and Vijay. Out of these, only the idol of the Vijay remains now. The Antral Kaksha leads straight to the main part of the temple – the Gabhara or the inner sanctum.

Gabhara – the inner sanctum

Inside the Gabhara you will spot the most unusual thing that goes against everything you know about Hindu mythology. There are 2 linga’s placed close to each other, inside the inner sanctum of the Kopeshwar temple. One linga represents Shiva and the other Linga represents the god Vishnu! This is the only temple in India and the world that has a Vishnu linga. To understand the reason behind this unique feature, it is important to know the legends and stories about the formation of this temple.

The legend of Kopeshwar temple

According to the legend, Shiva and his wife Sati are not invited to the Yagya performed by Sati’s father. Sati’s father does not approve of the fact that she married Shiva. Upon hearing about the Yagya, Sati takes the Nandi (Shiva’s vehicle) and goes to confront her father about the invitations. Upon seeing her, Sati’s father insults her and her husband Shiva in front of all the guests. Sati who is enraged and hurt by these insults jumps into the Yagya fire and dies. Upon knowing that his wife is dead, god Shiva is enraged. That explains the strange name Kopeshwar – the wrathful god. He kills Sati’s father and now proceeds to destroy everything. In order to stop him from destruction, God Vishnu comes to the scene to calm him down. He takes the form of a linga and sits beside the Shiva linga.

Nandi of the Kopeshwar Shiva temple

Every Shiva temple in the world features the Nandi outside the temple. But not this one. According to the above mythology, Sati takes the Nandi to her father’s house. And hence the Nandi is not present at Kopeshwar temple.

However, there is an isolated Nandi temple beyond the Krishna River in the village of Yedur, Karnataka. It is within a 10 km radius of the Kopeshwar temple and it is 25 km away by road. This Nandi is believed to belong with the Shiva at the Kopeshwar temple.

Outside the Kopeshwar temple

The outside of the temple is a completely different story. At the bottom close to the ground, there are elephants all around the temple. This is called the Gajapatta or the Elephants belt. There are 96 elephants in total all around the temple. Several gods and goddesses sit in a state of deep meditation on each of these temples. On top of the Gajapatta, there are more figurines, idols, and stories carved in the stone. These carvings go as high as the roof, and it is difficult to spot the figures at the top.

One of the notable figures to spot here is the Harihar roopa of Shiva. This idol is a combination of two gods – the Shiva and the Vishnu. The idol is close to the ground, yet cannot be easily spotted. The sculptors have carved the details so impressively, that one eye of this idol shows the expression of anger – depicting Shiva and the other eye shows the expression of love – depicting Vishnu!

Mutilation of the temple by stupid Mughal rulers

At the Kopeshwar temple, only 4 out of the 96 elephants in the Gajapatta have trunks. The trunks of all other 92 elephants are broken. Inside the temple, in the Gabhara, several beautiful figurines are mutilated. The idols of Jay and Vijay that are inside the Sabha mandapa, are also broken. Now only the idol of Vijay remains inside, while the broken idol of Jay is kept outside the temple. As you walk around this temple, you cannot help but painfully notice the broken parts of the Kopeshwar temple. Most of the large broken parts of the temple are lying all around the temple. It is clearly a shame to see such a beautiful work of art mutilated. And it is my dream to see all these sculptures restored and resurrected.

The Kopeshwar temple was targeted during the Deccan campaign by the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, just like several other temples of Maharashtra. The Mughals have broken and mutilated several beautiful parts of the temple, but they were unsuccessful in destroying it completely. It was the normal style of these Mughal rulers, to break the most beautiful parts of the temples, which are an important part of the culture and history of the region. Apart from these stupid fights, this 12th-century temple has stood the test of time.

Guides at Kopeshwar temple in Khirdrapur

Basic knowledge of Hinduism and Hindu gods is important in order to get a better understanding of this temple. In any case, you will find some guides inside the temple. They will explain and show you everything mentioned in this post and more. These guides are essentially farmers from the Khidrapur village, who have lived near this temple for years. They know the several stories, history and meanings of the temple very well. The temple is in fact a gift to us from the previous generations. The symbolism at the temple is passed down generation after generation like folklore. So it is important to seek the help and insight of a guide here. The guides speak Marathi, Kannada and Hindi very well. It will be difficult to find a guide speaking in English, but not impossible.

Check other places to visit in Kolhapur here.