Hayagriva Temple Entrance - Assam India
Manikoota or Hajo near Guwahati in Assam is home to the Hayagriva Madhaba Temple, an ancient shrine which represents Vishnu in the form of a human being with a horse's head. Manikoota Parbat is a famous hillock on which this temple is located is a popular worship center for the Hindus and Buddhists as well. While the Hindus regard the deity as Vishnu or Narasimha, the Buddhists consider it to be Buddha. King Raghudeva Narayana of the 16th century originally built this temple in 1583 which was however destroyed by Kala Pahar along with the Kamakhya. Declared as a monument of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), this entire region is thronged by numerous ancient monuments with sacramental artifacts. This small town Hajo, of cultural and religious importance in Assam is also home to 'Powa Mecca', a revered mosque visited by the Muslims of this region.
The stone built structure of the Hayagriva Madhaba Temple consisting of a 'Shikhara', the spire and interesting moulds depicting rows of elephants were reconstructed by King Nara Narayana. With life sized sculptures of the 10 avatars of Vishnu, conservation and preservation works are presently being carried out here on a large scale. According to legend, the Hayagriva avatar of Vishnu precedes the Matsya avatar, wherein he recovers the stolen Vedas from the demons. Located on the northern bank of Brahmaputra at a distance of 32 kilometers from Guwahati, this pre-historic place according to mythology is where the Pandavas had taken shelter during their 'Agyatvas', or the period of hiding.
