The layout of the Gokarneshwara Mahadeva shrine was drawn by A.C.L. Carlleyle. He describes the shrine as ‘…a cave temple, or rather a cave, in which temples or shrines have been built, within a two-storied screen or facing of masonry in the face of the rock, in the side of the mountain at the entrance to the pass, immediately opposite to the town of Visalpur… But apart from the bases of some of the pillars (which appear to be older than the rest), the whole of the structures in the cave appear to be modern…’
The shikhara (superstructure) is divided into nine storeys, marked by eight bhumi-amalakas (a segmented or notched stone disk, usually with ridges on the rim) positioned at each of the four corners. Above this truncated top of the shikhara, standard elements such as amalaka, kalasha (pitcher), etc., are present.
The plan of Bisaldeo Temple consists of a garbhagriha, an antarala, a mahamandapa with lateral transepts and an ardhamandapa. It is a nirandhara prasada. The sanctum is pancharatha in plan and the walls of the sanctum are plain.
The Bisaldeo Temple is referred to as the shrine of Gokarna Deva in its inscriptions. An inscription on a left-hand pillar in the vestibule of the temple, dated 1187 CE (1244 VS), during the reign of Prithviraj Chauhan, refers to the hall of this temple as Shri Gokarna mandapa. Carlleyle had highlighted two more short inscriptions from 1174 CE and 1187 CE (1231 VS and 1244 VS, respectively) on the same pillar and on the left side of the entrance of the temple, which also refers to Shri Gokarna.
Image courtesy: Report of a Tour in Eastern Rajputana in 1871-72 and 1872-73, by A.C.L. Carlleyle
The layout of Gokarneshwara Mahadeva shrine as drawn by A.C.L. Carlleyle, and he described the shrine as ‘…a cave temple, or rather a cave, in which temples or shrines have been built, within a two-storied screen or facing of masonry in the face of the rock, in the side of the mountain at the entrance to the pass, immediately opposite to the town of Visalpur… But apart from the bases of some of the pillars (which appear to be older than the rest), the whole of the structures in the cave appear to be modern…’
Image courtesy: Report of a Tour in Eastern Rajputana in 1871-72 and 1872-73, by A.C.L. Carlleyle
This Shaiva figure was possibly part of a devakostha or sculptural niche placed on the walls of a now-lost Shaiva shrine. It is now housed in the Government Museum, Sikar. The four-armed seated figure holds a trident and a staff in the upper two hands, while the lower two hands are considerably damaged. The figure is ithyphallic, symbolizing the Urdhvareta aspect of Shiva, indicating mastery over the vital energies through ascetic vigour. It is plausible that this image represents Lakulisha, the preceptor of the Pashupata tradition.
Image courtesy: The Government Museum, Sikar