Sahastrabahu temple

Foremost among the significant tourist attractions of Udaipur is the Sahastrabahu Temples or the Saas Bahu Temple. For its gracious architectural beauty, it must be in your UDAIPUR TOURISM PACKAGE.

History of Saas-Bahu Temples

King Mahipala of the Kachchhwaha Dynasty built this temple somewhere between the 10th and 11th century A.D. Wife of King Mahipala was a pious follower of Lord Vishnu. The king constructed this temple honouring his beloved wife's devotion.
Later, his son married a princess who was a devotee of Lord Shiva. So, the generous king built another temple for his daughter-in-law. This temple is the second one where Lord Shiva is the worshipped deity.

In Hindu mythology, Lord Vishnu is known as 'Sahastrabahu.' Hence, the first temple is called the 'Sahastrabahu Temple. 'Sahastrabahu' in English means "one having a thousand arms."

However, as time passed, the name of "Sahastrabahu' became archaic. Subsequently, people fondly started calling it the 'Saas-Bahu' temple- a gentle reminder of its reason for construction. Now, it is among one of the top Places to visit in udaipur.

Sahastrabahu Temples

Sahastrabahu Temple is a constellation of near about ten sanctums of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. The temple of Vishnu has three entrances in three separate directions. Although there is a fourth one, that door is not accessible by tourists. The statues of Goddess Saraswati, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Brahma seem to oversee the temple from the entrances.

The architectural similarities between these two temples are very prominent. Granite stones mark the walls of both temples. Furthermore, both the temples consist of a shrine and a mandapa. Moreover, exquisite 10th-century engravings adorn the temple walls. An octagonal plafond embellished with intricately engraved female figurines fills one with awe.

Nevertheless, the 'Bahu' temple is relatively smaller than the 'Saas' one. Therefore, the 'Saas' temple draws a lot of crowd around it. Besides the worshipped deities- Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva- you'll find other deities like Rama, Balarama, and Parashurama.

Surviving the wrath of time, these two temples stand as the emblem of medieval Indian architects' craftsmanship. Their graceful architecture and calm atmosphere imbue one with tranquillity. In addition to that, The Sahastrabahu Temples are recognised as Heritage Monuments by the Archaeological Survey of India.