Name of Monument: Temples of Kafir Kot (North)
Location: Close to Chashma Barrage (Dera Ismail Khan)
Date of occupation: 7th -10th century
The site of Kafir Kot was fortified and measures 1000 feet from east to west and 550 feet from north to south. The bastions are of two types: oblong and square. The masonry work of bastions fortification walls on southwest and northwest faces were executed with carefully dressed slabs of moderate to large sizes set in regular courses to produce great stability. The wall near the entrance was finely executed creating bent entrance in the northwest face using finely cut white stone slabs laid in regular courses. It contained the remains of six temples. Temple A and B are most delicate and had vaulted fronting vestibules (Antaralas) which are evident from broken entries facing each side. Temple A has a square plan. It was founded on course of limestone blocks with battered blocks, cantoning corner pilasters, and battered central niches. The temple consists of rectilinear plinth, torus, fillet and recessed slope lip, a sequence common in Gandhara. The capitals of pilasters consist of two levels of three spade like forms that finished with plaster ornament, simulated acanthus leaves of Gandharan-Corinthian types, a broad thin bracket above the tiny volutes. The first story of superstructure on each side consists of four units of paired cornices ornamented with single candrasalas (‘moon window’ motif), rows of dentil below. At each Khanda unit is a flat plank, with saw tooth fringe below, on which amalaka rests. On each face of the cornice units, crowned by amalakas define corner bands for the superstructure. At the second level corner units are repeated; the narrowed central offset becomes a band of single cornices ornamented with single candrasalas flanked by half candrasalas. The third story is consolidated with central vertical band.
Temple B, located north of temple A was built over limestone masonry platform using small kanjur blocks. It is the smallest of all temples of Kafir Kot. The temple rests on a platform which accommodates a flight of steps flanked by small cells created with the height of the platform. Recently excavated temple C at Kafir Kot north and two temples at Bilot rest on platform with flight of steps leading to it. The temple has a square plan, battered wall, cantoning tower corner pilasters with small battered niches framed by fillets centered on each wall. Above the niche, four projecting brackets support a central offset in the superstructure. The temple preserves three levels defined as cornice storeys, ornamented with central candrasalas, constructed of small Kanjur blocks. The upper two cornice storeys have rows of dentil beneath. The superstructure anticipates latina banding, but the horizontal stories remains distinct.
The temple C, located at extreme south of the fort, is the largest of all temples located at Kafir Kot ,and contains all the elements of a Hindu temple. It square plan consists of cella, antarala and pillared portico on high jagati which is around 3m high from ground level. It has a stairway with praggriva wall in the middle of the eastern face projected beyond the Jagati. The front face of the Jagati was decorated with pilasters having pseudo capital which shows Gandharan influence. The temple is mostly ruined but the fragment of the surviving northern wall gives sufficient information about the superstructure above. The temple has a vedibandha, the wall of cella above which nagara style shikara. Pilasters having pseudo-Corinthian capitals divided the plain wall of a cella. In the middle of the two pilasters lies a niche. The niche has a frame of rucaka pillarets similar to the cella pillars but more elaborated at the top. A sculpture has also been identified in the recent excavations at Kafir Kot in clearing steps in front of the slightly earlier Temple B, north of Temple A, the team discovered a unique image, ca. 1 foot 9 inch high, broken in two pieces. The figure is that of a corpulent male seated on a broad-petaled lotus. He wears a short loincloth, sacred thread, and a double string of beads, and his upper left hand holds a lotus. Breaks in the stone suggest that he had three other arms. He has three heads, not just faces, each set on a sturdy neck. These are coifed with elegant, twisted strands of hair tied by pearl chains and a diadem. Abdur Rehman has identified the image as Siva Mahesvara. Temple B’s sanctum is only ca. 5 feet wide, and this freestanding image would have fit comfortably within it.
Naqoosh-e-Javidan 