Malinithan

The Malinithan archaeological site is located at the base of the Siang mountains in the Likabali town and a sub-division of the Lower Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.[6][7] It is situated on a hill that rises to a height of 21 metres (69 ft), which affords a commanding view of the plains around it and of the Brahmaputra River.[8]

The site was discovered during British Raj times and since then mythology has been fabricated for the site. As per this mythology, it is said that when Krishna wanted to marry Rukmini, the daughter of King Bhishmaka of Vidarbha, he abducted her prior to her wedding with Shishupala. Krishna and Rukmini then travelled from Bhishmakanagar to Dwarka, stopping at Malinithan on the way over, where they were guests of Shiva and Durga, who were doing penance. Parvati, Shiva's consort, warmly welcoming her guests, presented them with garlands made of flowers plucked from her orchard.[6][8] Krishna was so enamoured by the beauty and the scent of the flowers that he addressed Parvati as Malini, meaning "the mistress of the garden", and since then the place is named as Malinithan. In another legend it is said that an image of a female without the head, which was unearthed during the excavations, represented Malini who was the lover of Shiva. The image of the goddess Durga found here is also known as "Pupane", an ancient name for the Divine Mother.

The archaeological finds at the site of sculptures of Durga, a Shiva linga and a bull, the mount of Shiva, relate to worship by people of the Shiva cult. Based on these, archaeologists have inferred that the Shakti cult was practised in the region. It was one of the three leading centers of Shaktism; the other two centers are stated to be Bhaghawati, the mother goddess at Gorehoga village in North Lakhimpur, and Harhithan in Dhakuakhana in the west end Tamresari in the east. The temple doesn't find any mention in the 10th-11th century Kalika Purana. From all archaeological evidences at the site, archaeologists have opined that the temple belonged to the 13th century. Stone mason marks found in Malini than[9] were also found in sites of Sadiya like Tamreswari temple, Bura-buri, Padum pukhuri as well as other places like Nakshaparbat and Buroi fort which indicate that all these structures were built by the same people during the same period, i.e. during the reign of Chutia kings.[10][11] It is interesting to note that the marks in the Tamreswari temple were found in the foundation of a brick wall which was built by the Chutia king Muktadharmanarayana in 1442 AD.[12]

The archaeological excavations revealed a very well designed and carved plinth of a temple, of 8 feet (2.4 m) height, sculptures of deities and animals, designs of flowers, damaged columns and panels. Four sculptures of lions on two elephants were found at the four corners of the ruins of the temple.

Among the sculptures found at Malinthan, five notable ones carved out of granite stone are of Indra riding his mount Airavata, Kartikeya riding a peacock, Surya (Sun) riding a chariot, and Ganesha mounted over a mouse, and a large Nandi bull.[8] On the basis of the erotic Maithuna sculptures found here in different postures it is believed that tantricism prevailed here as a fertility rite of the primitive tribal people who held the "mother principal as the procreative power of nature".

The temple is carved entirely out of stone, a type of temple known as Asmamayai. Iron dowels discovered in the ruins of the stone temple which resemble the ones found in the Tamreswari temple of Sadiya shows that it was built by the same people.[13]

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  Malinithan Mother goddess sculpture
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  Gaja-singha of Malinithan
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  Malinithan Shiva sculpture
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  Malinithan Kartika sculpture
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  Malinithan Apsara sculpture

• Sali, M. L. (1 January 1998). India-China Border Dispute: A Case Study of the Eastern Sector. APH Publishing. ISBN 978-81-7024-964-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)