Shamlaji Temple, Aravalli District, Gujarat.

Shamlaji is a major Hindu pilgrimage center in Aravalli district of Gujarat state of India. It is located on the bank of the Meshvo river in the valley surrounded by well wooded hills. 

It is also referred as Dholi Dhajawala due to white silk flag fluttering on top of the temple. The present temple dedicated to Shamlaji, a form of Vishnu or a name of Krishna, is built probably in 11th century in Chaulukya style and renovated at least 500 years ago. The temple was claimed by Jains in the past. Years ago, the Idar State rulers gave the fiefdom of Shamlaji temple to the Modhari Rao Saheb with other villages like Revdar, Devdar, Napada, Khalsa, Sunsar, Modhari, etc.

Built of white sandstone and brick it is surrounded by a wall with a gateway. It is of two stories, supported on pillars, and a canopy with arches on each side. The lower courses of richly carved stone are of great age. Above them runs a frieze with an unintelligible pattern, and, above this, running right round the building, a fringe of elephants' heads and forequarters carved in stone. Above this is a very ranch worn frieze full of figures in bass-relief, men on horseback with bows, and animals. The elephant is a very frequent emblem. Besides the fringe frieze above mentioned, there are, on the outer wall, between every two angles, larger figures of semi-rampant elephants standing out in relief, and, in front of the entrance, stands on either side of the doorway a gigantic cement elephant. Above the shrine, a pyramid-based tower rises into a spire like a high-shouldered cone with flattened sides. The forepart of the roof consists of several small domes springing from a flat roof, or rather of a flat trabeate roof, with domes here and there, the largest being in the center. Outside at all the angles of the roof are figures of animals and the gargoyles. On walls, there are some scenes from the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana.

Of the two inscriptions, one is to the left in the upper story and bears date 94 AD and 102 AD. This writing, cut in stone, is not very archaic and could not be of the date it professes to record. It may be a transcript of an older inscription or the record of an ancient tradition. The other, on copper at the entrance of the temple, records repairs executed in 1762 AD by the then Thakur of Tintoi. From these two inscriptions, name of the deity seems to be Gadadharji, the holder of the club, a well-known title of Vishnu, Krishna, or Shamlaji. The cow idols are also worshiped depicting childhood of Krishna as cowherd. It is one of the 154 important pilgrimage sites of Vaishnavism.

Several ruins of temples, scattered idols and old brick-works surrounding the place establishes antiquity of the place. Photography inside the temple is strictly prohibited.

Picture Credit: Parth Vaghela