Shiv Mandir, Ambarnath
— — black stone carved by hands a thousand years gone.
Not only on a wall.
“A small Shiva temple of black basalt in the town of Ambarnath, an hour east of Mumbai by the Central Railway. The walls hold carvings of dancers, elephants, and matted ascetics, cut more than nine hundred years ago and worn smooth by monsoons. The sanctum sits a few steps below the courtyard, dim and cool, and the lingam is washed each morning before the trains begin to run. — from the studio
Shiv Mandir, Ambarnath, on ceramic.
Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.
Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.
The place, in three passes.
The Ambreshwar Shiva Temple, locally called Shiv Mandir, sits on the south bank of the Vadavan creek in Ambarnath town, Thane district, Maharashtra. An inscription on its wall dates it to the Shaka year 982, corresponding to 1060 CE, and credits the Shilahara king Chhittaraja, with completion under his successor Mamvani. Ambarnath itself lies on the Central Railway line from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, about sixty kilometres east of Mumbai, and is served by suburban trains every few minutes. The site is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.
The temple is built in the Bhumija sub-style of Nagara architecture, executed in black basalt by Hemadpanthi craftsmen who fitted the stones without mortar. The plan is a stellate cross, and the shikhara above the sanctum carries miniature shrines stacked in tiers. Friezes around the outer walls show Shiva as Nataraja, Parvati, Ganesh, and Kartikeya, with elephants, lions, and yakshas between them. The garbhagriha, or sanctum, lies several steps below courtyard level and holds a stone lingam, which is the temple's only ritual object.
The temple is open in daylight hours and busiest on Mondays, the day of the week traditionally dedicated to Shiva, and during the Mahashivaratri festival in February or March, when local fairs fill the surrounding streets. From Mumbai, the journey takes about ninety minutes on a Central Railway local train to Ambarnath station, followed by a short auto-rickshaw ride. The cool dry months from November through February offer the easiest light for the carved walls. Modest dress is expected and shoes are left at the gate.