Field guides / Punjab / Two Ancient Temples, Nandana
Field guide · Heritage
Two Ancient Temples, Nandana
Two ruined Hindu temples inside the hill fort of Nandana above Baghanwala in the Salt Range, Jhelum, built in the Kashmiri style of about the 9th century.
On a hilltop just north of Baghanwala village in the Salt Range stood the fort known as Nandana. Only two half-round bastions of the fort survive, and inside it everything is gone except two temples: a large one and a smaller one to its north-east. Both were dedicated to Brahmanical deities and are built in a semi-Kashmiri style.
Why go
- ✦Two temples inside the Hindu Shahi fort of Nandana
- ✦Kashmiri-style architecture of about the 9th century
- ✦A spiral stair inside the thickness of the walls
- ✦Wide views over the Salt Range
History
No inscription dates the temples, but their architecture matches Kashmiri temples of the 9th century CE. Nandana itself was a fortified settlement of the Hindu Shahi dynasty (822–1026). The larger temple had three storeys, reached by a spiral stair built into the thickness of its walls. It faces west, where most of the front wall has fallen. The surviving walls have corbelled niches on each storey that once held images. Of the smaller temple, only the base and the south wall remain.
How to Reach
Above Baghanwala village in Jhelum district, about 18 km from Haranpur railway station. The last part is a walk up the hill; wear good shoes.
Planning tip
Best Time to Visit, October to March, when the Punjab plains are cool; summer afternoons are very hot.
Getting there, Above Baghanwala village in Jhelum district, about 18 km from Haranpur railway station. The last part is a walk up the hill; wear good shoes.
Allow, Two to three hours including the climb.
What to Do
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