Stories in stone: Amrit Bolaria’s ‘The Temples of Mandi’

‘In Indian architecture, even in the more limited context of the Hindu temple architecture of the northern Nagara type, Mandi has little to offer. No movement seems to have started here. There is not even an interesting innovation in the temple types one associates with either the state or the town of Mandi,” Amrit Bolaria states in her book, ‘The Temples of Mandi’, and which the late Prof BN Goswamy highlights in his foreword. Why then did she choose to document the temples of this Himachal town? The answer lies in her beautifully illustrated volume.

As its name suggests, Mandi was a centre of trade — “on the nodal point of an ancient and important trade route… constantly exposed to outside influences”. The town connected the Punjab plains with Ladakh and beyond. As a royal seat of the erstwhile princely state of Mandi, it attracted the finest talent — the Gurjara-Pratiharas bringing their influences and the Pala kings their own. Time and a general lack of historical understanding took their toll. Today, these monuments stand as witnesses to remarkable craftsmanship and a once-vibrant openness to the assimilation of cultures. Bolaria’s book thus becomes an important document chronicling the region’s art and architecture.

Having moved to Chandigarh from Delhi after her marriage into a business family, Bolaria enrolled in the Department of Art History and Visual Arts at Panjab University. Once through with that, her teacher, the eminent art historian Prof Goswamy, asked her if she would like to go in for a doctorate and suggested she studied the temples of Mandi.

“There were enough people working on painting and he could see that I had leanings towards architecture and design.” The temples, with their so many elements, beckoned.

She submitted her thesis in 1983, drawing praise from art scholar Dr Karl Khandalavala, her internal examiner. The University of Bonn (Germany), her external examiners, recommended to PU to publish the work at its own expense.

However, life took a different course. Bolaria got involved with her family business, and publication of the book was delayed for decades. About two years ago, prompted once again by Prof Goswamy — shortly before he passed away in 2023 — she returned to her research. Revisiting the temples, she refined her earlier work, and the research has now been published by Niyogi Books.

“Mandi is not at any extreme point of temple activity. A major hub of trade, it had many influences coming and going. Naturally, these found expression in its architecture and sculpture, which, as I’ve shown in my book, reflect a fascinating blend of styles. The kings interacted closely with neighbouring states, bringing further diversity. This created a rich architectural mix as also religious — they called themselves a Shaiva state, yet their state deity was Vaishnava. It’s details like these that make Mandi’s temples so compelling to study,” she says.

Most of the temples in Mandi were built under royal patronage. The oldest, Triloknatha temple, dates back to the 8th century. This period, as the author notes, extends roughly till the 12th to 13th centuries. The second stage extends from the 15th to 17th centuries, and the third from the 18th century to later. Like almost all other temples in the town, the Triloknatha temple is made of locally sourced grey sandstone, and is inspired from the Pratihara style — low socle, a simple spire, a wall decorated with a single band of sculptural niches...

When pursuing her PhD, Bolaria last visited Mandi in 1981. She recalls the temples being a picture of beauty, with the banks of the Beas adding to the charm. But much has changed today — some of the most beautiful sculptures have either vanished or are covered over with layers of vermilion. “At one temple, there were fairy lights all over. When I asked the pujari, he said it was to attract the young.”

The magnificent Triloknatha temple is surrounded by newer constructions. Bolaria says these temples were traditionally not important from the religious point of view and were thus not frequented by visitors, but there were worshippers this time around. The increasing externalisation of religion perhaps explains this change.

Mandi, however, still remains syncretic in character. At least for now. While tribalism throbs in temples such as those dedicated to Prasher Rishi and Shikari Devi, Rewalsar is an important centre for Buddhism; a gurdwara houses Guru Gobind Singh’s relics and Shivratri remains the biggest cultural and religious festival.

These temples are thus to be seen in continuity of centuries of influences. Even as the sandstone gives in, even as the sculptural beauty of the gods carved in structures lies hidden beneath layers of fine clothing, every temple will tell a story as long as there is someone like Amrit Bolaria to listen to it.