Rock-cut Temples and Sculptures, Masrar

The Masrur Temples (also spelled Masrar) are an early 8th-century complex of rock-cut Hindu temples carved out of the Kangra Valley's sandstone, in the North Indian Nagara architectural style, dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, Devi and the Saura tradition. Unlike most rock-cut temples in India, which are carved below ground, the Masrur temples rise above the surface as monolithic structures, carved from a single rock outcrop as a group of roughly fifteen shrines. Archaeological study suggests the builders intended a far more ambitious complex than what survives, and the site remains incomplete. The 1905 Kangra earthquake caused extensive damage to the temples, though the Archaeological Survey of India has carried out restoration of many damaged portions. The temples have been nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status but remain on the Tentative List.