Special cover on Pataleshwar Temple issued during Mappex 2022
Pataleshwar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, Located in the Ancient temples of Kalachuri group, in Amarkantak, a pilgrimage town in Anuppur District in Madhya Pradesh State of India. The Temple Complex consists of six temples and a Kund. The Ancient Temples of Kalachuri were built hundreds of years ago by the Kalachuri Maharaja – Karnadeva. There are a number of temples in this complex, with the Pataleshwar Mahadev Temple being the most important one. The temple is maintained by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
This Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and consists of sanctum, vestibule and mandapa. It is said that Adi Sankaracharya installed Shiva Linga in this temple during his visit. However, the temple was built by King Lakshmikarna (1041–1073 CE) of Kalachuri Dynasty of Tripuri. The superstructure over the mandapa is of pyramidal shape. The vestibule has a superstructure called sukhanasi. It looks like a shorter extension of the main tower. The sanctum is pancharatha on plan. The floor of the sanctum is 1.4 meter below when compared to the floor of the mandapa. Hence, the temple came to be called as Pataleshwar Temple.
