ADILABAD: Hidden in a forest, barely a kilometre from Sadalpur village in Bela mandal, the Bhairamdev temple offers a glimpse into nearly a thousand years of history. Believed to date back to the 10th or 11th century, the temple reflects Chalukya-era craftsmanship, with intricate stone carvings and shrines that have withstood the passage of time despite parts of the complex lying in ruins.
The presiding deity, Bhairava, is depicted with four arms holding a trishul, a damaru, a sword and a vessel for blood. A guru initiating devotees and another devotee are carved on the same pedestal. A banalinga stands in front of the deity, while an image of Lord Hanuman subduing Shani with his left hand adorns the exterior.
To the left of the Bhairava shrine stands a trikootalaya, or temple with three shrines, whose roof has collapsed. Its east-facing mandapa rests on 16 pillars and leads to an antarala or vestibule. The main sanctum, supported by four pillars, houses a linga on a panavattam. Above it, the intricately carved Vesara-style shikhara remains a striking feature.
The complex also houses the remains of another shrine to the right of the main sanctum, containing a Ganesha idol and a linga in the Chalukya style. The star-shaped trikooteshwara temple is particularly notable for its black-stone shikhara, which rises up to the amalaka, or crowning element, and remains remarkably intact.
Historical researcher Karipe Raj Kumar describes the Bhumija-style temple as resembling a tarajuvva (skyrocket) soaring towards the heavens, a reference to its distinctive architectural form.
Beyond its architectural value, the temple remains an important place of worship for local communities, primarily from Adivasi backgrounds. Devotees continue to offer goats as part of indigenous traditions. During Pushya month, thousands of worshippers from Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh visit the shrine to offer prayers.
Though no epigraphic evidence has been found within the premises, Raj Kumar stresses the need to preserve the temple as an important example of indigenous heritage and a testament to nearly a thousand years of history.
