Bija Mandal, Vidisha temple — Attraction in Vidisha

Bijamandal, which is popularly known as Vijayamandira Temple, is located in Vidisha, the headquarters of the Vidisha District. Constructed in the 11th century, this temple was destroyed in the year 1682.

After its demolition, Aurangzeb, the Mughal emperor, constructed a mosque called Alamgiri Masjid, at the site. The material of the destroyed temple was used in the construction of this mosque.

Out of all the ruins that can be seen at the site, one of the pillars bears an inscription which suggests that the original temple was dedicated to Goddess Charchika. The same inscription also bears the name of King Naravarman and Goddess Vijaya, after whom the temple is believed to be named.

A large temple of the late Paramara period, it is believed to have been constructed in the second half of the 11th century. The mosque made using pillars and dating from the 8th and 9th centuries is located on top of the temple plinth.

One pillar of the temple has a devotional inscription of King Naravarman. Many sculptures collected in the neighbourhood are housed in a storehouse located nearby. The premises of the temple also contain a 7th century step-well along with two tall pillars adorned with Krishna scenes.

In Bija Mandal there are no restaurants so tourist may have drinking water and snacks to enjoy the visit. It is a protected monument under Archaeological Survey Of India. Many graves can also be seen here. Public transportation is available to reach here. It's a place of worship.

Two Hours are required to explore this place completely. There is no entry fees. Cameras are allowed. Wearing shoes/footwear is allowed. Washrooms are available. Day time is the best time to...

The town of Vidisha is critical to the story of Sanchi because it was here that Emperor Ashoka met his wife Devi who would not follow him to the capital, leading to his construction of the Great Stupa nearby. While Vidisha was a wealthy trading town that embraced Buddhism, it’s actually the Hindu temple of Bijamandal that is one of its most important sites these days.

Bijamandal (or Bija Mandal) was built in the 11th century and would once have been an enormous temple, towering much higher than you can see today. What remains on the site would just have been the base for a much larger structure full of columns and ornately-carved statues. Many of these carved artworks are on display at the site. Beejamandal is a ruined temple in Jatkara village near Khajuraho, that has not yet been fully excavated and explored It has a length of 34.60 meters and is thus longer than the largest temple of Khajuraho namely Kandariya which measures about 30 metres. In all there are supposed to be 85 temples in Khajuraho, however only 22 of them have been unearthed. Beejamandal is one of the many which are yet to be discovered. According to the local villagers this structure was under a huge mound of earth which was marked on the apex by a white stone. The villagers regularly lit the holy oil-lamp each night on this mound since...

The museum inside the Bijamandal complex is very well maintained with iconographic details of every murti explained in a card above it. The museum has a pretty good collection of murtis found from the ruins of the ransacked Bija mandal temple. However the staff were very unprofessional. When intimated that the museum closes at 5 pm, I had agreed that I will step out at 5 pm for sure. However, for the last 10 minutes, I was constantly nudged to leave immediately, despite the closing time being 5 pm. My repeated requests that I had come all the way from Pune and that I will step out at 5 pm for sure, fell on deaf ears. The lights were switched off in the gallery when I was viewing the murtis. Despite saying that I was not shooting a video, but only clicking pics, I was constantly interrupted. The behavior of the staff in District museum of Vidisha, at Heliodorus pillar, at Udayagiri, at Jain group of temples in Badoh-Pathani were in complete contrast to this - the staff in all these places were very courteous, helpful and welcoming. Request the concerned officer of ASI or State Archaeology Department to take the relevant action and ensure a pleasant experience for visitors in Bija Mandal museum.

I could not bring myself to give 1 star here, because the museum was very well-maintained. Hence...