File:12th Century Pataleshvara Temple, Malhar Chhattisgarh India - 3.jpg
The Pataleshwar Mahadev Temple is a 12th century Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva found in Malhar (Mallar, Mallala) village of Masturi tehsil, Bilaspur district of Chhaattisgarh state. It survives partially, much of it in a restored form. Located outside of pre-12th century fort ruins, it is next to a village museum containing hundreds of ruined parts of this and many other Hindu, Jain and Buddhist temples that once existed in Kalachuri dynasty.
Malhar was an ancient capital and later became the second largest city when the Hindu kingdom's capital shifted to Sripura (now Sirpur) next to the Mahanadi river. Both cities were destroyed after the 14th-century, reducing to villages leaving many mounds and fort-parts in and between the two cities (some excavated). Kalachuri supported Hindu, Buddhist and Jain religions in their kingdom, and many of the temples found in this region through Sirpur show synthesis and fusion of Buddhist-Shaiva religious themes.
The temple and its ruins contain inscriptions, one of which suggests that it was built by a Brahmin named Somraj about 1167 CE and dedicated to Kedara (another name for Shiva). The sanctum of the Pataleshwar temple – also spelled Pataleshvar or Pataleshwara – was excavated by the temple's architect and artists, and continues to exist at a lower level (underground). Stairs go down into the sanctum. This feature gives it the name Pataleshwar (the lord of the netherworld). The temple borrows ideas from older temples such as large statues of Ganga and Yamuna goddesses at the entrance of the sanctum, playful presentation of deities such as Ganesha with his consort, as well as common people on the jambs and outside, and marching elephants supporting the upper layers of the temple. Most parts show uniform erosion and the effects of weathering.
The temple is an ASI protected monument, managed from ASI Raipur circle.
