Malot Temple

Malot Temple
A view of Malot Temple
General information
LocationChakwal District, Punjab, Pakistan
Coordinates32°41′0″N 72°48′0″E / 32.68333°N 72.80000°E / 32.68333; 72.80000
Completed
10th century CE

Malot (Urdu: ملوٹ; Tibetan[disambiguation needed]: malakoṭa, maloṭṭa) is a temple located in the Salt Range of Punjab, Pakistan. It was constructed in Gandhara Nagara style by the Odi Shahi dynasty in the 10th century CE.: 57 

Location

Malot is located in the Kallar Kahar Tehsil of Chakwal District, seven miles away from the Katas Raj Temples.: 57 

Architecture

Ruins of the temple at Malot

Malot temple was constructed with the red sandstone from Salt Range, as were other temples in the region. It consists of a central shrine. On each side large fluted pillars are topped by āmalaka and block capitals, supported by a large trefoil vault. The smaller fluted columns besides the inner chambers support a kind of head-house, above a multi-lobed toraṇa and crowning kīrttimukha which adores the central vault of the trefoil entrance. Michael W. Meister suggests that the temple was once capped by a pyramidal roof with peaked dormers, now largely replaced by a watchtower.: 58  The location and scale of the temple makes it a dominant feature of the surroundings.: 58 

The temple at Malot in 1897

Over the course of a millennium, the hill on which Malot resides has experienced geological alterations, resulting in the formation of narrow fissures. The temple shows visible influences from the Kashmiri architecture, suggesting close relations of the Odi Shahis with the rulers of Kashmir.: 58 

The temple at Malot in 1897

In 2021, it was reported that the Punjab Government had initiated restoration of Malot and other archaeological sites in the province at a cost of Rs. 12 million.

References

  1. ↑ Tucci, Giuseppe (1940). Travels Of Tibetan Pilgrims In The Swat Valley. Calcutta: The Greater India Society. pp. 34–36.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Meister, Michael W. (2010). Temples of the Indus: Studies in the Hindu architecture of Ancient Pakistan. Brill's Indological Library. Leiden Boston: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-19011-5.
  3. ↑ "سالٹ رینج میں واقع قدیم ملوٹ قلعہ". jang.com.pk.
  4. 1 2 "سالٹ رینج میں واقع ملوٹ قلعہ اورمندروں کی بحالی - ایکسپریس اردو".
  5. ↑ "Roznama Dunya: اسپیشل فیچرز :- قلعہ ملوٹ توڑ پھوڑکا شکار". Roznama Dunya: اسپیشل فیچرز :-.
  6. ↑ Meister, Michael W. (2010). Temples of the Indus: Studies in the Hindu architecture of Ancient Pakistan. Brill's Indological Library. Leiden Boston: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-19011-5.
  7. ↑ "Preserving Malot fort". Dawn. April 18, 2010.