Bhojpur
is a town of historical and religious importance in Raisen
District of Madhya Pradesh, India. The Bhojpur
Shiva Temple,
or Bhojeshwar Temple,
also known as Somanath of the East is an unfinished temple located at Bhojpur
Village near Bhopal,
Madhya Pradesh. The Bhojeshwar Temple
located near the Betwa
River was founded by the
legendary Parmar King of Dhar Raja Bhoj (1010-1055).
A massive Shiva lingam rising to a height of 22 feet and made of a single block
of polished stone is the main attraction in this ornate temple. The linga is
one of the tallest in India.
The temple which has
earned the nomenclature of the Somnath of the east, the Bhojeshwar Temple. The
temple was never completed and the earthen ramp used to raise it to dome-level
still stands. Had it been completed, it would have had very few rivals. As it
is, even with the ravages of time, it remains one of the best examples of
temple architecture of the 11th - 13th centuries.
