Balag village
Tower temple
Located on a hill, Balag is home to a beautiful traditional tower temple. After making way through narrow winding streets, the tower suddenly bursts into view, looming large against the farmland behind it. Like a bolt of power, it thrusts up clad in local rocks and wood built in traditional katth-khuni style of construction. |
Shikhara-style stone temples
Very close to the tower temple is located what must be an even older temple seat. Located inside an open courtyard are shikhara-style stone temples, one of which has been added on one side with a traditional roof. The temple courtyard opens out to what is now a covered space around a majestic pipal tree edged by surrounding houses and streets. |
Sainj village
A valley opens up at Sainj providing beautiful views of distant mountains along the riverbank. Strategically located along a gentle bend of the river in the middle of this landscape is the imposing durbargarh of the rajah of Theog. Built in the traditional katth-khuni style, the building rises up on a rocky base with steps leading up to a platform that is ringed overhead with sacrificial horns. An interior courtyard reveals a very porous interior spatial fabric. The rough and rocky materials on the outside are replaced by fine woodwork inside. The lower level is ringed with small rooms that doubled as defense posts and detention rooms. Two more floors of residential quarters are ringed around the courtyard with one more floor above them dedicated for religious spaces and rituals.
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Ghodna village
Sweeping around a hill-side road, a small climb brings into view a sprawling compound of Ghodna’s durbargarh with an adjoining stretch of temple grounds. What remains of the panels and frames along the main wooden door entrance shows an amazing level of wood carving. The temple structures are constructed in the traditional style and carry that mysterious and ritualistic air typical of the Himachali hills. The durbargarh, on the other hand, is a curious hybrid of traditional and colonial motifs and materials.
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