Ter

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Osmanabad district map

Ter (तेर) is an ancient historical village in Osmanabad district of Maharashtra state, India. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea mentions a trading centre called Tagara, which has been identified with modern Ter.

Variants

• Tera (तेर) (जिला उस्मानाबाद, महा.) (AS, p.410)
• Tagarnagar (तगरनगर)
• Satyapuri (सत्यपुरी)
• Terna / Terna River
• Thair

Location

It is located 17 kms away from district headquarter Osmanabad, 50 kms from Latur. Ter, settled along both the banks of the Terna is an historically important village in Osmanabad district lying some 32.19 km from the tahsils headquarters.

History

Tagara, whose ruins still remain unexplored in the town of Thair (Ter), was famous during the Andhra period as Tagara muslin and Paithan onyx were two of the commodities exported to Imperial Rome.

Ter: The village, situated about three miles from the railway station of that name and about 12 miles north-east of Osmanabad, on the Kurdwadi-Latur branch line, is believed by some to have occupied the site of Tagara of Ptolemy. It is even now noteworthy on account of the apsidal temple which it contains. The temple is an interesting replica of the rock-cut Buddhist chaityas of western India and the Pagodas of Mamallapuram as well as the basilicas of the Mediterranean zone. The building is a brick structure consisting of an apsidal shrine covered over with a barrel-shaped ridge-like vault and faced with a square flat-roofed mandapa. The large size of the bricks used in its construction indicates the antiquity of the building, but a modern wooden door fitted in the fore-wall of the mandapa, and some recent images of Vishnu in the shrine, mark the present dedication. Tagara muslin used to be fabricated here.

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Its antiquity can be traced as far back as the Puranas wherein it is referred to as Satyapuri and in the ancient period of our history as Tagarnagar. It has been mentioned in the Periplus of the Erythream Sea as one of the two pre-eminent centres, the other being Pratisthana, modern Paithan in Aurangabad district. The Periplus states that all kinds of mercantile goods throughout Deccan were brought to Tagara and from there Conveyed in carts to Broach. It traded with the outside world especially Greece and Rome and some Roman coins recently discovered here lend testimony to this fact. It reached the height of its commercial prosperity during the Satavahana period. Ter was the capital of one of the branches of the Silaharas, many of whose seals and coins depicting an elephant giving bath to Mahalaksmi, the family deity of the silaharas, have been unearthed here. In the same way objects like potsherds, beads, garlands, combs, dolls, conch shells, old bricks and many ivory objects uncovered in the excavations undertaken at Ter and its environs throw valuable light not only on the history of the village but also on the cultural, architectural and various other aspects and accomplishments of the people who inhabited the region in ancient times.

Deeper excavations are being carried in the hills around Ter, which are yielding valuable material. The remains discovered so far, point out to a rich cultural heritage. Dr. Hiralal Jain in his Karandakacaritra, a Jain book, refers to caves near Osmanabad as Ter caves, as they are nearer to this village. In the mediaeval period the village shot into prominence as a centre of religious propagation. The well-known saint of Maharastra, Gora Kumbhar, a contemporary of Saint Jnyanesvar was a resident of this village and in his days it was frequently the scene of gatherings of saintly personages. Scholars of Saint literature are of the opinion that Ter had its own share in the propagation of Bhagvat dharma.

Temples

Ter has many temples, a description of few of which is given below :

Saint Goroba Kaka Temple:- Saint Goroba was born in Ter (Dhoki) in the year 1267. Hence the village is popular & known as Goroba Ter. The temple of Saint Goroba is also one of the attraction for Tourist & pilgrimage visiting to Osmanabad district. The temple was built in 13th century after the death of Saint Goroba in 1317. This square shaped temple is constructed fully with stone & is one of the best model in architecture. They have also constructed one Sabha Mandap to perform religious & cultural activities. Mostly the pilgrimage those are from rural area & are often visiting to Pandharpur and Tulajapur visit here on their return journey.

Trivikrama Temple:- We have still at Ter some Buddhist remains that go back to the age of the Satavahanas. The most noteworthy of these is the ancient Buddhist Caitya built of brick, which has since been turned into a Vaisnava temple dedicated to Trivikrama. In form it is just the structural counterpart of rock cut Caityas with a barrel or wagon vaulted roof and an apsidal back. This is one of the few structural Caityas discovered in South India. Trivikrama temple is important because it is said that Saint Namdev had delivered a kirtan in this temple. In the outer mandap of this shrine, supported on four wooden pillars, a place has been conserved and pointed out to be the one where the Saint had stood. Daily offerings of flowers are made on this spot. An idol of Kartik Svami shown as sitting on a peacock is installed to the left in the middle chamber. Beyond this is the semi-circula, darkish vestibule wherein is the main idol. It is the Vamana incarnation of Visnu delineated in the act of placing his foot on the head of Bali, when the latter asked him to do so. By the side are figures of Bali's wife and Sukracarya, the sage. There is also it much broken and defaced idol. The most attractive object of all in this shrine is the excellently carved and ornamented crown worn by the main idol. From the state of the temple and its architectural style it appears to be nearly 1,500 years old.

Uttaresvar Temple:- The Uttaresvar temple is in utter ruins except for the vestibule housing the linga and the wooden door-frame of the outer entrance which has now been taken possession of by the Archaeological Department of the Government of India. With its unrivalled creeper patterns, animal and human figures, the door frame is a rare specimen of a high degree of craftsmanship and wood-work. While on the right side entrance musicians are depicted as playing on musical instruments, the left represents devotees at worship. Some swan figures decorate its lower part. Historians opine that it is an excellent specimen of the skill in wood-work in the entire Marathvada region. Outside there is an idol of Suryanarayan. In a ruined temple in the vicinity is an idol of a goddess.

Siddhesvar Temple:- The Siddhesvar shrine is to the south-west of the village and has a vestibule; a middle chamber and an outer mandap. Supported on four pillars, the mandap with its exquisitely ornamented entrance door is 6.10 x 6.10 metres (20' x 2O’). Adorned by a small dome-like sikhar, the vestibule houses a linga symbol. Outside the temple a nandi statue has been installed.

Kalesvar and Gora Kumbhar Temple:- On the banks of the Terna, across which a dam has now been constructed to harness its waters for irrigation, are situated in a 24.39 x 24.39 metres (80' x 80') enclosed compound, temples of Kalesvar and Gora Kumbhar the famous poet saint. Entered through a lofty gate surmounted by a nagarkhana or the music gallery, the visitor first comes across a samadhi of some saintly personage beyond which is the Kalesvar temple. More or less Hemadpanti in style its outer mandap has four open pillars and a few more embedded in the side walls forming some lovely arches in between. Beyond the mandap are two gabharas arranged one behind the other, the last one containing the phallus symbol of Kalesvar. It is crowned by a small sikhar. To the right of this is the temple of Vitthal Rakhumai housing the samadhi of Gora Kumbhar. That part of the temple which houses the samadhi and the idol is reported to have been built some one and a half centuries back by the disciples of Gora Kumbhar; but the outer mandap hall of 12.19 x 10.36 metres (40' x 34') dimensions, supported on two rows of pillars and having three arch formations in the front is of recent construction. A few corridors have been provided in the courtyard. From CaitraVadya Ekadasi to Amavasya a large fair is held in honour of Gora Kumbhar. Another object of interest is the house of Gora Kumbhar in front of which under the shade of a neem tree he used to prepare clay for the manufacture of earthen vessels. Though the tree has died its trunk can still be seen. There is also a fine little Jain shrine containing a 1.828 x 1.219 metres idol of Mahavira in a sitting posture.

There is an ancient miraculous idol of 24th tirthankar of Jains lord Mahavir known as bhagwan Mahavir digamber Jain atishay kshetra which is more than 800 years old and temple has unearthed inscriptions which says samavsharan of lord Mahavir had come to this place.

A mention must also be made of a collection made by Sri Ramlingappa Lambture, a resident of Ter. Important among his collections are objects of ivory, dolls, bangles, coins and such Other articles which throw valuable light on the reconstruction of the history of the region. Attention is particularly attracted by an excellent idol in his possession, the coiffure, dress and other general features of which bear the impress of Greco-Roman art and which indicates that the Greeks and Romans had some intercourse with Ter.

तेर

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ...तेर (AS, p.410) महाराष्ट्र में उसमानाबाद ज़िला से 12 मील उत्तर-पूर्व की ओर तथा तेर नामक स्टेशन से प्राय: 3 मील दूर स्थित एक ग्राम है। इस स्थान पर प्राचीन मंदिर के अवशेष मिले हैं। यह मंदिर रूपरेखा से पश्चिम भारत के शैलकृत बौद्ध चैत्यों तथा मम्मलपुर के रथों [p.411]: के अनुरूप है। यहाँ का मंदिर ईटों का बना हुआ है, जिसके देवगृह के ऊपर नालाकार महराब वाली छतें हैं। इसके सामने वर्गाकार तथा सपाट छत का मंडप है। मंदिर की ईटें बहुत बड़ी हैं और उसकी प्राचीनता की सूचक हैं।

कुछ विद्वानों का मत है कि टॉल्मी ने पैठान के साथ ही दक्षिण भारत के जिस प्रसिद्ध व्यापारिक नगर तगारा का उल्लेख किया है, वह इसी स्थान पर बसा होगा। प्राचीन समय में 'तगारा' की बनी हुई मलमल बहुत प्रसिद्ध थी। तेर विठोबा भगवान के भक्त, संत गोरा खंभर कुम्हार के संबंध के कारण भी प्रसिद्ध है। संत गोरा खंभर महाराष्ट्र के प्रख्यात संत नामदेव के समकालीन थे। इनके बारे में माना जाता है कि एक बार भक्ति में इतने तल्लीन हो गए कि उन्हें सामने ही अपने शिशु के, बर्तन बनाने की मिट्टी के गढ्ढे में डूब जाने की खबर तक नहीं हुई।