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Such an architectural style is unique to the northern part of India
while there are many places in western and southern India where such
rock-cut structures exist at number of locations. There is a lake or
pond called Masroor Lake in front of this edifice which shows partial
reflection of the temples.
A legend attributes its construction to the Pandavas of Mahabharata
fame who resided here during their "incognito" exile from their kingdom.
The Temple Complex is on a rocky ridge over which an array of monolithic
(made of a single block of stone) temples have been carved which
resemble the Monolithic Temples of Mahabalipuram, Ellora and Dhamnar
Caves. The central temple of this complex, called the Thakurdwara, has
extensive well crafted carvings. This shrine facing east has idols of
Ram, Lakshman and Sita (made of black-stone).
Getting There
The Masroor Rock Cut Temple is located 40 kilometers from the town of
Masroor on
the outskirts of the town of Kangra. It is close to Dharmashala, which
is about 35 kilometres (22 mi) away. The Temple Complex is approachable
now from a new 2-kilometre (1.2 mi) road built from Pir Bindli near Lunj.
Being a city and a municipal
council in Kangra district, Kangra is well connecting by road to the rest of
the Himachal Pradesh. There is a broad gauge railhead
located in Pathankot near Kangra at a distance of around 90 km. Taxis are
available from railway station to the city.
Reaching Kangra by airways can be
through the
Gaggal Airport, which is connecting the airport to Delhi and Chandigarh
by Air India, JetSpice and Jagson Airlines. This Airport is situated at a distance of nearly
12 kilometers from Kangra. Taxi services from the
Gaggal Airport to Kangra.
For local transport, the
commuters have the options of city bus and auto-rickshaw. Auto rickshaws
are the popular mode of local commuting.
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