Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Vidisha district has two temples named as Bija Mandal. One is located near the famous Sanchi stupa while the other has been found in Udaypur village in Basoda tehsil located about 104 kilometres from Bhopal. Three years ago, a team from Bhopal chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) found the 11th-century temple in Udaipur.

The place was used to store fodder for cattle. The temple, locally known as Bija Mandal, was excellently preserved as it was fully covered by earth for almost 1,000 years. It stands right across Neelkantheshwar Temple, an ASI-protected monument, in Udaipur.

“We have done extensive documentation of the monument and also published a book on it. Now, we are initiating the process for its conservation,” convener of the Bhopal chapter of INTACH Madan Mohan Upadhyay told Free Press. He also said that they were trying to create awareness in the local community about the precious heritage in their village and the need to protect and preserve it.

Like the well-known Bija Mandal temple near Sanchi and Bhojpur Shiva temple in Raisen district, the Udaypur Bija Mandal was also left unfinished for some reason. An inscription installed on the inner wall of mandap in the structure has eight-lines of text in Sanskrit written in Devanagari script. The inscription is in praise of Sun god and is incomplete with its lower part blank. The columns are shaped square at the base, octagonal in the middle and circular at the top.

The most striking feature - the threshold of the entrance to inner chambers - is centred on the opposite wall with two plaque stones on either side. The plaque on the left is inscribed partially while the one on the right remains blank, again indicating that the construction of the temple could not be completed. The structure, presently under the ownership of state government, needs to be preserved, Upadhyay said, adding that the entire Udaypur village should be declared a heritage site as it has more than 60 historical monuments and inscriptions.

In 2024, India will celebrate World Heritage Week from November 19 to November 25, as declared by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), under the theme, Discover and Experience Diversity. It invites travellers across the globe to explore the diverse cultural and historical sites.