Guj: સિધ્ધપુર sidhdhapura
‘Siddhraj’s City’ [Sristhal] -Town, Gujarat
From Siddhraj and Skt: pura, ‘fort’, ‘city’.
Siddhpur was historically known as Sristhal [from Skt: sri, ‘holy’, ‘sacred’; and Skt: sthala, ‘mound’].
The Rudra Mahalaya complex of temples was completed in 1140 CE (the building started in 943) and the town became the capital of the Chalukya dynasty. Jayasimha Siddharaja changed its name to Siddhpur [‘Siddhraj’s town’] in the 12thC. It was destroyed in the 13thC by Muslim invaders. Rudra Mahalaya was historically a 3-storey complex with Shiva temples, intricate stone carving, 1,600 pillars and 340m gateways. All that remains today are two porches, four columns and a gateway.
Rudra Mahalaya Nizil Shah
