"Unveiling the Mysteries of Lonar: A Closer Look at its History, Mythology, and Natural Phenomena"
- Shabbir Baldiwala
- Mar 2, 2024
- 4 min read
Lonar is a small village at 130 km from Aurangabad. It takes 2.5 hrs via Samruddhi
Expressway and an hour more via non-toll road.
Lonar, famous for its crater and rich historical background, is a hidden gem of the country not yet popularised by tourists. It doesn’t have many stay options. MTDC resorts
are generally reliable and didn’t prove us wrong. Vikrant Hotel is another option.
There are 2 ways to see this crater:
A drive around its circumference from the top. There are 3-4 watch towers to get the entire view of the crater.
Trek to the lake to watch it up and close- 5km (3hr) to and fro. On the way, visit a few temples and learn about our heritage.
It is very advisable to engage a tour guide. A strong recommendation goes for Amol Sardar 9975447088 to unravel the Mysteries of Lonar.
There is a possibility of doing the trek and returning back the same day but that would be hectic and rules out the option of trekking during the early morning hours when the weather is comfortable and bird sightings are best.
An outline of the itinerary is given below:
Day 1 Early morning | Aurangabad to Lonar |
Day 1: 4pm | Drive around Lonar lake by car (Autos and 2 Wheelers not allowed) |
Day 2: 7am | Trek to Lonar lake crater |
Day 2 Afternon | Lonar to Aurangabad |
"A need to tell stories is essential to the species Homo sapiens" -Reynolds Price
GEOLOGICAL STORY
From the large number of meteorites that have fallen on earth…
millions of years ago, during the ice age, one managed to create the Earth’s largest and only hyper-velocity impact crater in basaltic rock - on the Deccan plateau…
The Lonar crater is the best preserved impact crater formed in basalt rock.
This crater is filled with water from streams and rain over the years forming a lake.
The water of the lake is both saline and alkaline in nature, which makes it one-of-its-kind not only in India, but also in the world.
For many years, the Lonar Crater was thought to be volcanic in origin, due to its location in a basalt field made from volcanic rock dating back 65 million years. However, the presence of maskelynite, a glass that is only formed from high velocity impact, points towards its extraterrestrial origin.
MYTHOLOGICAL STORIES
Lonar Lake was formed when Lonasura, a mythical demon, who used to harass and trouble local people so much so that Lord Vishnu descended to earth to vanquish him, was pushed back into the netherworld with tremendous force by Vishnu. This created the crater and hence the name ‘Lonar’.
It has a reference as Panchapsar in the Valmiki Ramayan. This lake is visited by lord Rama, during his journey through the Dandaka forest.
As for the historical name Panchapsar, it was derived from the fact that there are as many as five different streams which feed the lake.
The Lonar Crater also finds a suitable mention in the Ain-e-Akbari which was authored by Abul Fazl during emperor Akbar’s rule. Supposedly, soap made in Lonar had medicinal properties and hence was used for beauty and healing skin ailments.
Another story about the name of the lake-
Some of the rocks found in the crater have a resemblance to rocks found on the moon hence Lunar which colloquially became ‘Lonar’
TEMPLES AROUND THE CRATER
Numerous temples surround the lake, most of which stand in ruins today, adding to the Mysteries of Lonar.
Temple of Daitya Sudan
It is at the centre of Lonar town. It was built in honour of Vishnu's victory over the giant Lonasur.
It is a fine example of early Hindu architecture of the Hemadpanti style- ( most of the ancient temples of Maharashtra are Hemadpanti-named so after the architect)......
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Daitya Sudan Temple dates to the Chalukya dynasty which ruled Central and Southern India between the 6th and 12th centuries. It is built in the form of an irregular star. It features carvings similar to those seen at Khajuraho temples.
Our guide asked us, “Why are there erotic sculptures in a holy place like a temple?”
And then gave us the explanation…
In olden days this was a form of sex education for the people.
Also, these carvings always adorn the outer walls (never in the inner sanctum where the idol of god is placed), thus telling the worshippers to leave all worldly desires and concentrate only on prayers once inside the temple.
Motha Maruti Temple
The temple is unique owing to the fact that Lord Hanuman is seen in a reclining position.
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The idol of Lord Hanuman is carved out of a magnetic rock. It is said for years the Hanuman idol was covered with a lot of sindhoor that his true form was not clear. After removing a large quantity of sindhoor smeared on Lord Hanuman's idol, the real form could be seen clearly.
Since Shanidev (Planet Saturn) is held captive by Lord Hanuman in his tail, the worshippers are freed from the malefic planetary effects of Shanidev and other planets as well.
Gomukh Temple
The Gomukh temple complex is situated on the rim of the Lonar crater lake. There is a perennial stream that flows into the kund of the temple.
Ram Gaya temple
This temple is unique because there is only one idol of Lord Ram unlike many other Ram temples where idols of Ram, Sita and Laxman are always together.
Temple architecture
The temple architecture is fascinating.
Each figurine, each carving, even the structure has a story to tell and takes us back in time…
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Generally, the doorway to the sanctum always has an image of Ganesha on the centre of its lintel. As the God of beginnings, he is honoured at the start of rites and ceremonies.
An elephant and a lion on either side of the Ganesha signifies wealth and bravery respectively, the qualities a ruler must have.
In many of the temples no lime (cement) is used. They are made by interlocking stones and can be easily shifted to a different location.
In the Ram Gaya temple, there are 3 doorways placed such that light enters from 3 directions on the inner sanctum forming 3 shadows of the person standing in front the idol.
Kirtimukha translating to "glorious face" is the name of a swallowing fierce monster
face with huge fangs, and gaping mouth, very common in the iconography of Hindu temple architecture.
This carving is usually found as an embellishment on the frames and steps to the entrance of temples signifying the reabsorption of all negativity of the worshippers before they enter the temple.
The Story of Kirtimukha
Shiva created a ravenous monster from his third eye (who is always hungry) to destroy Rahu who wanted to marry Parvati. Rahu begged Shiva for mercy. Shiva, displaying his benevolence, agreed to spare Rahu. But the monster created by Shiva was still hungry so Shiva ordered him to eat its own flesh, starting with its tail and limbs. Obedient to Shiva’s directive, the monster began devouring its own body until only its face remained. Impressed by its compliance and determination, Shiva named it the Kirtimukha, and ordained that it should forever guard the entrances of his temples. Thus, it is believed that Kirtimukhas eat all the ego, greed and lust before the worshiper enters the temple.
Surya Bhagwan
The Sun God is always depicted wearing shoes or boots because his bare feet can burn whatever they touch.
THE STORY OF OUR TREK
Once you descend the steep and numerous stairs of the Gomukh temple, the trek along the crater rim begins…
You hear:
The flowing stream
The hoopoe, peacock, parakeet, doves, babblers.
You see:
Doves, Hornbills, monkeys
Neem trees, Eucalyptus trees
Spider webs, Ant hills
Butterflies and honeycombs
You feel:
The cool clean forest air which enhances the nature of the Mysteries of Lonar.
On reaching the lake you see lots of migratory birds doing their own thing oblivious of your presence.
The lake is high in salinity and alkalinity, as the lack of an outflow leads to a concentration of minerals as the lake water evaporates. Specialized micro-organisms such as anaerobes, cyanobacteria and phytoplankton survive in this harsh chemical environment. Outside the lake, there is considerable diversity of plant and animal life, as springs which help feed the lake provide a source of fresh water.
In July 2020 the colour of the Lake turned pink which was due to Haloarchaea bacteria culture that creates pink pigment and exists in saline water.
The soil in the Lonar crater has a very high iron content…
Even the stone used to build the temples is highly magnetic.
While returning we were daunted by the steep narrow stairs of the Gomukh temple but our guide showed us a technique to climb up- it is easier to climb such steps in a diagonal manner going from left to right.
Lonar is a repository of lores, legends, knowledge and beauty - nestled fairly unexplored remotely in Maharashtra.
References:
As told by our guide
Wikipedia
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