Malhar, Chhattisgarh
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/6th_7th_century_Bhima_Kichak_Temple%2C_Malhar_Chhattisgarh_India_-_2.jpg/220px-6th_7th_century_Bhima_Kichak_Temple%2C_Malhar_Chhattisgarh_India_-_2.jpg)
Malhar is a small town situated in
Oldest Vishnu
The oldest known sculpture of Vishnu with four-arm figure holding shankha, chakra and gada dated to c. 200 BCE was found in Malhar, Chhattisgarh.[1]
Legends
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/12th_century_Pataleshvara_Temple%2C_Malhar_Chhattisgarh_India_-_3.jpg/220px-12th_century_Pataleshvara_Temple%2C_Malhar_Chhattisgarh_India_-_3.jpg)
In ancient Indian literature as well as the epic
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/Ruins_of_Tirthankara%2C_head_restored%2C_Malhar_Chhattisgarh_India_-_20.jpg/220px-Ruins_of_Tirthankara%2C_head_restored%2C_Malhar_Chhattisgarh_India_-_20.jpg)
As part of his military campaigns, Sahadeva targeted the kingdoms in the regions south of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Vanquishing the invincible Bhismaka, Sahadeva then defeated the king of Kosala in battle and the ruler of the territories lying on the banks of the Venwa, as well as the Kantarakas and the kings of the eastern Kosalas.[2][page needed]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/6th_7th_century_Bhima_Kichak_Temple%2C_Malhar_Chhattisgarh_India_-_31.jpg/220px-6th_7th_century_Bhima_Kichak_Temple%2C_Malhar_Chhattisgarh_India_-_31.jpg)
Archaeological Sites
In Malhar, many ancient temples have been found, such as the Pataleshwar temple, the Devri temple & the Dindeshwari temple. Ancient deposits and
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/Temple_Carvings_in_Malhar_Bilaspur_Chhattisgarh_2009.jpg/220px-Temple_Carvings_in_Malhar_Bilaspur_Chhattisgarh_2009.jpg)
The excavation at Malhar found past history of many kingdoms of South Kosala:[3]
- Period 1 - Protohistoric (c 1000 BCE to 350 BCE)
- Period 2 - Satavahana(c 350 BCE to 300 CE)
- Period 3 - Sharabhapuriya and Somvavamshi (c 300 to 650 CE)
- Period 4 - Later Somavamshi (c 650 to 900 CE)
- Period 5 - Kalachuri (c 900 to 1300 CE)
Malhar is in the list of "Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains of National Importance" maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Ruins_of_Hindu%2C_Jain_and_Buddhist_monuments_inside_village_museum%2C_Malhar_Chhattisgarh_India_-_17.jpg/220px-Ruins_of_Hindu%2C_Jain_and_Buddhist_monuments_inside_village_museum%2C_Malhar_Chhattisgarh_India_-_17.jpg)
References
- ISBN 978-0-14-306762-7.
- ^ Mahabharata, Book 2, Chapter 30
- ^ Om Prakash Misra (2003). Archaeological Excavations in Central India: Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Mittal Publications. pp. 134–135.