Dhumnath Temple, Sargaon

Dhumnath Temple, whose other names include Dhoomnath and Dhumesvari, is a Shiva temple in Sargaon village, Chhattisgarh, built while the Kalachuris of Ratanpur ruled the region. It is a state protected monument. The temple stands in the middle of the village, and houses have spread over its hall and ante-chamber on the east, with the sanctum's eastern wall now serving as a courtyard wall for one of them.

The temple is of the Bhumija type, with a curving Nagara-style shikhara whose crowning amalaka is now lost. Bands divide the outer walls into two rows of reliefs: on the right are Brahma, Chamunda, Mahishasuramardini and scenes of dance and music, and on the left Shiva and Parvati, Ganesha and Kartikeya, while erotic figures also appear among the carvings. The entrance sits about 1.5 m above the ground, reached by three steps, while the sanctum lies below ground level, six steps down. Shiva appears on the lintel of its doorway, with Brahma to his left, and the shrine holds a lingam.