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| Sahasralinga Talav |
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History
Showcasing superb architectural skills, a remarkable water management sense and an innate sanctity of water in the Hindu religion, Sahasralinga Talav is a must-visit attraction in Patan. Built under the patronage of Siddharaj Jaisinh (1093-1143AD) the Chalukyan ruler of Gujarat, Sahasralinga Talav received water from a canal of the Saraswati River and was spread on an area of about five kilometres with masonry embankments.
It is believed that there were more than thousand shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva especially the Lingum, however today only few of those beautiful thousand shrines remain, which have been carved out from the rock beds of River Saraswati. From the remaining few shrines and statues, the huge and striking statue of Nandi – the bull is worth mentioning.
Today the talav is dried up and all one can see is the earthwork and few remaining shrines, however the excavation carried out at the site revealed an opening of the entry channel, silting chamber, some remaining part of the masonry embankment and a bridge leading into the talav. According to the folklore, the reason for the dryness of Talav is attributed to the curse of one of the digger woman – Jasma Odan.
The lake is pentagonal in shape and is marked by a series of mounds showing its shape and one can imagine the grandeur of this ancient tank by just looking at the ancient ruins of this tank.
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Best time to visit
The best time to visit Sahasralinga Talav is between October and March when the weather is pleasant enough to explore this historic artificial reservoir or a tank.
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Trivia
Sahasralinga Talav derives its name from the word sahasralinga, which means thousand lingas in Sanskrit and local language.
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Timing
There are no particular timings to visit Sahasralinga Talav, however it is better not to visit during the afternoon as the sun can get really harsh during that time.
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Travel Tools
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