Achaleshwar Mahadev Temple, Achalgarh

Achaleshwar Mahadev Temple stands just outside Achalgarh Fort in Sirohi district. It is believed to have been built by the Paramara dynasty in the 9th century. Local legend holds that the temple was raised around a toe print of Shiva, and the linga worshipped here is a natural stone formation.

The temple sits in an enclosure on the south side of the Agnikund. A highlight is a four-tonne Nandi cast in panchadhatu, an alloy of five metals, with an inscription dated 1407 CE; legend says it once drove off invaders by releasing swarms of bees. Beside it is a brass figure of Dursaji Arha, a 16th-century Charan poet and warrior. Inside are idols carved from sphatik quartz and a pit that locals regard as a gateway to the netherworld, and a nearby pond has three stone buffaloes linked to a legend of demons. A thick coat of lime once hid the marble carving, until restoration began in 1979 under the crown prince of Sirohi.