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One of the strangest, loveliest and least known places in India
is Lonar, in Maharashtra state. It is about 170 kms from the town of Aurangabad which is the famous
jumping-off spot for the World Heritage Sites of Ajanta and Ellora. But Lonar is, if that is possible, at least
as interesting as these famous temple sites. In some ways it is more so, because the central feature
of Lonar is a massive crater lake formed by a meteorite impact over 50,000 years ago! This crater is
the third largest in the world and the only one of its kind in India.
The Lonar crater and lake form not only a spectacular sight but over the centuries they have evolved an
ecosystem that is not replicated anywhere else in the state. The surface diameter of the crater is 1.80
kms while the crater itself is nearly 132 meters deep. The waters are a unique, shifting combination of
azure and turquoise and parrot green when seen from the view point. This has something to do with the
fact that the meteorite is still dissolving itself into the water, and also contributes to its enormous
ph factor of 10.7.
Going down into the crater from the surface is an energetic business as there are no
handrails or elevators. There is a local belief that the crater itself is the body of the genius
loci, the goddess Lonar Devi and she does not take kindly to construction on her sides. All previous
attempts at making a sturdier staircase have been washed away in the rains, and given the intensity
of local feeling about it, the authorities have been content with the traditional carved rock path.
This is quite steep and is much more difficult to go down than climb up, but the danger is more in
overactive imaginations than in anything else.
Once down, almost the first sight that greets you is a ruined temple set into a dense forest. This
was supposed to be a Rama temple but only the basic structure in stone is left now. There are many
temples set round the edge of the lake, all of them constructed in the 12th-13th century in stone
but the condition of all of them is not encouraging. What is amazing is the fact that people
transported the stone down that steep face and then began to carve and build exactly as they were doing upon
the surface at the time. It is an astonishing testament to the energy that would flame forth whenever the
cause was a spiritual one. The Vishnu temple and Devi temple are in better condition than the rest but
unless you are very determined you will find a full circuit around the lake a tiring business. It can
easily take up to three hours, and the temples are scattered all around the rim. It is best to make an
early descent as climbing back up under the midday sun is not the best option. Fortunately, the
Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation has built a tourist complex where all facilities are
available. The sensible option is to drive down from Aurangabad the previous evening and make the
descent bright and early the next day. That would give you adequate time to see all the temples,
observe the detailed carving and architectural styles, as well as fully soak in the forest atmosphere
of the crater.
For, the crater is host to many species of aquatic birds like flamingos, moorhen, coots, and dabchick
and so on. Peacocks are to be seen making spectacular glides from tree to tree. Unlike the rest of the
country they do not even need to forage upon the ground; so plentiful is the insect and small prey
population in the vegetation. The trees grow to be rather tall and they form a canopy that filters
out most of the heat. It does tend to get a bit muggy with the unusual levels of humidity. You
can even see dung beetles the size of your palm busily rolling their balls, right in your path.
There is no danger of snakes but geckos abound. One feature that has a potential to be a nuisance is
the monkey population. They are immensely territorial and throw fruits and twigs at your heads if you have
ventured near the trees they stake out. If this is close to running water, as the crater has many
little streams with cold water, they become agitated and one monkey actually peed upon me.
This was a pretty remarkable achievement as it was up a tree branch at least 50-60 feet off the ground.
It is also not a good idea to openly display food as they will learn soon enough that tourists are easy prey.
But, the crater is not the only spot worth seeing in Lonar. A piece of the meteorite had broken off
and smashed into the ground about a kilometer away, forming the Ambar Lake. It is a pleasant enough
spot but entry is regulated by odd timings so just a look will suffice. Oddly enough the water in
this lake is nothing like the main crater. Close by to the Ambar Lake is a nondescript little
temple dedicated to Hanuman, the Hindu god of strength and intelligence. What is interesting
is that the image of the god is an actual piece of the crater and for long its magnetic properties
had fascinated the people who built a temple to house it. The god is supposed to be recumbent,
resting after his mighty labors, well known in Indian myth. The meteorite chunk is brightly painted
in the orange color that is preferred in this part of the world. The temple itself is a quiet, quaint
little spot but it has to be reached through a bedlam of a market place. Once you break through, the
landscape is the most flat and open space you will encounter for a while and the temple is set in the
middle of this nowhere. The temple is open all day and there is no fuss about taking photographs.
It is also mostly deserted all day which makes it an unlikely area of silence in India. There is a well
adjacent to the temple, but the cool water is of dicey quality, so do not let thirst overcome discretion.
One
the way back to, or coming from, Aurangabad, you have to pass Lonar town which is about 2-3 kms
from the crater. 'Town' is not quite the right word, it looks like something out of a Western, being
dignified with township because it is a terminal for state bus routes. The place is a chaotic, noisy,
dusty mish-mash of grey cement structures and multipurpose shops selling an assortment of useful
products, mostly in garish plastic, but the town also houses an incongruous miracle of sorts.
You take a turn off the main road into the road leading to the Jain temple, which is next to the
mosque. (This is India, such things are not only possible, they are normal.) You twist past the mosque
on a road which is really nothing more than an alley, make a right turn and suddenly the dense crowded
chaos gives way to a vast stone courtyard, fenced in but open to the sky, and in the middle sits a
little black pearl of a temple built in the 10th century! Only in India are such astonishing cultural
treasures tucked away in such overwhelming obscurity.
This is the Daityasudan temple, dedicated to Vishnu, and in spite of all the obvious ravages of time
– it has no pinnacle for one – still in active daily use. This is not a fossil but a living temple,
and the locals are not only unaware of its antiquity (the normal guess hazarded is 10,000 years!),
they are bemused that anybody would want to come there for cultural reasons instead of for worship.
The walls and pillars of the temple are full of elaborate and detailed carvings of significant
passages from Indian myth as well as of the other gods who were in vogue in the 10th century. It
is very similar in overall structural concepts and construction to the famous Ambarnath Shiva temple
near Bombay city which is an exactly contemporary structure. Ask for "The old stone temple" if
you want accurate directions as nobody is aware of its official name. An interesting point about
the sculptures is that some of them manifest erotic features but these are usually partially
concealed in the niches and corners of the temple. That is easy to do as the temple is one of
multiple infoldments, built on the three tier philosophy of earth, sky and heavenly levels of
representation. Walking around the temple or merely taking up a strategic position upon the
platform and observing the sculpture in detail is well worth the effort.
For
those who are determined to squeeze out the maximum from such a trip, 22 kms away is the town of
Mehkar with an ancient temple too but the roads are not of an encouraging variety. In any case the
temples of Lonar are certain to take up most of your day. Not only is it rewarding in itself, it also
makes for a break from the standard tourist circuit. However, the place is growing in popularity and
in another decade the now welcome absence of any tourist trap trash or touts may soon become a dream.
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