Abandoned Places: Rajim Temples

The poetry of forgotten places 

I knew there are many villages, farms and just lonely houses all around the world but when thousands of people leave, leaving the whole city dead that’s a real tragedy. There are mainly two reasons why people suddenly or little by little leave the place where they used to live for years or even generations: that’s the danger and economic factors. And things become more critical when we find rich cultural heritage of thousand years old, just left behind, obviously for no reasons ?

Ride back in time 

In any case, that’s the history we should know about, so let's get started. 

You'll learn about bustling sea ports, prosperous centres of trade, beautiful houses of worship and powerhouse capital cities of great empires. Although these cities eventually fell to war or natural disaster, their legacies live on in majestic temples preserved as World Heritage Sites or transformed into museums and galleries, sophisticated art pieces and modern day reliance on the knowledge and age-old techniques developed by the citizens of ancient cities in agriculture, bead-making and metallurgy. So............hop on and enjoy the ride back in time.

Rajim

The holy confluence of three rivers Mahanadi (Chitrotpala), Pairi and Sondur, called Triveni Sangam is at Rajim. Rajim is also known as the "Prayag" of the Chhattisgarh.

 A holy pilgrimage centre, Rajim, is situated on the southern bank of Mahanadi river where Pairi and Sondhur rivers meet with Mahanadi. Rajim is also addressed as "Prayag Raj of Chhattisgarh". The ancient name of this place was Kamal-Kshetra or Padmapur. Lord Vishnu is being worshipped here in Rajiv Lochan temple. Rajeshwar, Daneshwar and Ram Chandra temple are important temples in the group. Kuleshwar Mahadeo Temple, situated at the confluence (संगम स्थल) is built on a raised platform. It faces the east direction and belongs to 9^th cent. AD. The temple consists of sanctum, anti-chamber and mandapa. A stone inscription of Kalchuri Jagpal or Jagat Deo is fixed on the wall of Mandapa. This is a fine example of regional art and architecture. 

Location of Rajim in Chhattisgarh and India
Coordinates	20°57′54″N 81°52′54″ECoordinates: 20°57′54″N 81°52′54″E
Country	India
State	Chhattisgarh
District(s)	Raipur
Nearest city	Raipur
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	• 281 metres (922 ft)

Rajivlocan Temple
More than a thousand years old, Rajim's Rajiv Lochan Temple has its origins in mythology...

One fine day, Lord Vishnu made a tricky demand - he asked Lord Vishwakarma to find a place on earth where nobody was ever cremated within a five-mile radius. lord Vishnu wanted a temple built there. It was an arduous task, and Lord Vishwakarma failed to find the fabled land. An exasperated Lord Vishnu then picked up a lotus and proclaimed that his temple would be built wherever the lotus fell. the drops of nectar fell in Rajim, exactly where the famous Rajiv Locahn temple stands, while the five petals became part of what is known as Panchkoshi Dham - Kuleshwar, Fingeshwar, Kopeshwar, Patneshwar and Pateshwar.

When you walk the mud spattered lanes of this sleepy town. it seems incredible that once upon a time Rajum was the most important urban centre of the Mahakoshal region. You would perhaps grant Rajjim its religious statue more willingly and happily. All you have to do is walk by the Mahanandi and watch its expanse mingling with Pairi and Sondhu. It is this confluence that gives Rajim the sobriquet of Chhattisgarh's Prayag. The town has been names after Rajim Telin. Mythology has it that Lord Vishnu, pleased with her devotion, promised that her temple would be the first in Rajim.

Built almost 1,300 years ago, the Rajiv Lochan Temple has 12 pillars, each carved intricately with just one figure; for generation it is the Kshatriyas who have been the temple's priests; it has a rare idol of a barefoot Lord Vishnu made of black granite; no mantras are recited during the shringar puja and the idol is dressed up like a child in morning, as youth in afternoon and as old man in the evening; for generations the same family has been weaving the pagri that adorns the deity. If you can believe this, the walls of the temple are made of bricks that have been held together with a mixture of limestone, urad dal and the entrails of the wood apple. And not one brick has moved or cracked in these 1,300 years!

None of this hearsay, though. In his report, Sir Alexander Cunningham, the first director general of the Archaeological Survey of India, mentions Rajim as a complex of ancient temples. It is during the Rajiv Locahn Festival, held between February 16 and March 1, that Rajim is at its holiest. Thousands of people throng this sleepy village to take a dip in the Triveni Sangam, offer their prayers at the Rajiv Lochan Temple and carry back the hope of salvation.