Malot Temple
| Malot Temple | |
|---|---|
A view of Malot Temple | |
Interactive map of the Malot Temple area | |
General information | |
| Location | Chakwal District, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Coordinates | 32°41′0″N 72°48′0″E / 32.68333°N 72.80000°E |
| Completed | 10th century CE |
Malot (Urdu: ملوٹ; Tibetan: malakoṭa, maloṭṭa)[1] is a temple located in the Salt Range of Punjab, Pakistan. It was constructed in Gandhara Nagara style by the Odi Shahi dynasty in the 10th century CE.[2]: 57
Location
Malot is located in the Kallar Kahar Tehsil of Chakwal District,[3][4][5] seven miles away from the Katas Raj Temples.[6]: 57
Architecture
Malot temple was constructed with the red sandstone from Salt Range, as were other temples in the region. It consists of a central shrine. On each side large fluted pillars are topped by āmalaka and block capitals, supported by a large trefoil vault. The smaller fluted columns besides the inner chambers support a kind of head-house, above a multi-lobed toraṇa and crowning kīrttimukha which adores the central vault of the trefoil entrance. Michael W. Meister suggests that the temple was once capped by a pyramidal roof with peaked dormers, now largely replaced by a watchtower.[2]: 58 The location and scale of the temple makes it a dominant feature of the surroundings.[2]: 58
Over the course of a millennium, the hill on which Malot resides has experienced geological alterations, resulting in the formation of narrow fissures.[7] The temple shows visible influences from the Kashmiri architecture, suggesting close relations of the Odi Shahis with the rulers of Kashmir.[2]: 58
In 2021, it was reported that the Punjab Government had initiated restoration of Malot and other archaeological sites in the province at a cost of Rs. 12 million.[4]
References
- ^ Tucci, Giuseppe (1940). Travels Of Tibetan Pilgrims In The Swat Valley. Calcutta: The Greater India Society. pp. 34–36.
- ^ a b c d Meister, Michael W. (2010). Temples of the Indus: Studies in the Hindu architecture of Ancient Pakistan. Brill's Indological Library. Leiden Boston: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-19011-5.
- ^ "سالٹ رینج میں واقع قدیم ملوٹ قلعہ". jang.com.pk.
- ^ a b "سالٹ رینج میں واقع ملوٹ قلعہ اورمندروں کی بحالی - ایکسپریس اردو".
- ^ "Roznama Dunya: اسپیشل فیچرز :- قلعہ ملوٹ توڑ پھوڑکا شکار". Roznama Dunya: اسپیشل فیچرز :-.
- ^ Meister, Michael W. (2010). Temples of the Indus: Studies in the Hindu architecture of Ancient Pakistan. Brill's Indological Library. Leiden Boston: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-19011-5.
- ^ "Preserving Malot fort". Dawn. April 18, 2010.