Bijolia temples guide: Shiva shrines and the 1170 CE Chauhan inscription

Bijolia (also spelled Bijaulia or Bijoliya) is a small walled town on the Uparmal plateau in Bhilwara district, Rajasthan, in the southeast of the district near the Bundi border. It is known for a group of medieval Shaiva (Shiva) temples — Undeshwar, Mahakaleshwar (Mahakal) and Hazareshwar — built in the Chauhan (Chahamana) period, and for a famous Sanskrit rock inscription dated 1170 CE that is a key source for early Chahamana history. The temples and inscriptions are centrally protected monuments under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Jaipur Circle.

Bijolia is a Chauhan-era temple town in Bhilwara district, Rajasthan, on the Uparmal plateau near Bundi. Its three main Shiva temples (Undeshwar, Mahakal/Mahakaleshwar and Hazareshwar) sit around a stepped tank, the Mandakini Kund, and the site also holds a 1170 CE Chahamana rock inscription. It should not be confused with Menal, a separate temple-and-waterfall site in neighbouring Chittorgarh district.

What and where is Bijolia?

Bijolia — recorded in census records as Bijoliya Kalan or Beejoliya Kalan, and sometimes written Bijaulia — is a census town in Bhilwara district, Rajasthan, at about 512 m elevation. It lies in the southeast of Bhilwara district, close to the Bundi district border, on an upland plateau called the Uparmal. The old settlement is walled, with north and south gates, according to the Wikipedia entry on the town.

For travellers, Bijolia is essentially a heritage stop: a compact group of medieval Shiva temples set around a stone water tank, plus two historically important rock inscriptions. It sits on the Bundi–Chittorgarh road corridor, so most visitors arrive as part of a wider southeastern-Rajasthan route rather than making a dedicated trip. To be clear from the outset, this guide covers Bijolia in Bhilwara district; it is not the same place as Menal, which is explained in the next section.

Bijolia vs Menal: a quick disambiguation

Bijolia and Menal are frequently muddled in travel write-ups because they sit on the same road corridor and both have old Shiva temples. They are, however, two separate places:

• Bijolia is in Bhilwara district, on the Uparmal plateau, and is the subject of this guide (Undeshwar, Mahakal, Hazareshwar temples and the 1170 CE inscription).
• Menal (also written Mahanal) is in Chittorgarh district (Begun tehsil), about 19 km from Bijolia — tourism sources give figures ranging from roughly 15 to 21 km. It is a separate group of temples centred on the Mahanaleshwar Shiva temple, next to a gorge where the Menal stream forms a seasonal waterfall after the monsoon.

Many itineraries pair the two in a single day, which is sensible given how close they are — but when you read about carvings, dating or a waterfall, check which site the source means. The waterfall belongs to Menal, not to the Bijolia temple group itself.

The temples: what to see

The Bijolia group is a set of Shaiva (Shiva) temples built in the Chauhan period and clustered around the Mandakini Kund, a stepped holy water tank. The three names travellers will hear most often are Undeshwar, Mahakaleshwar (Mahakal) and Hazareshwar. Two of them are built in the Bhumija style, a North Indian temple form marked by a tall tower (shikhara) covered with rows of small subsidiary spirelets.

Undeshwar temple. This is the best-known structure, a Shiva temple whose inner sanctum sits noticeably below the floor level of the assembly hall — by about 2.4 m, according to the Jio Institute’s digital exhibit on the group — so that worshippers step down to the linga. That sunken plan is what gives the temple its name. It is described as a mature example of the Bhumija type. (A scholarly note, attributed to Peter Flügel in the Wikipedia entry, suggests the Undeshwar shrine may originally have been a Švētāmbara Jain temple; today it functions as a Shiva temple. Treat the original-dedication question as unsettled.)

Mahakaleshwar (Mahakal) temple. Per the Jio Institute exhibit, this is a twin-shrine temple: one sanctum is dedicated to Mahakal and the other to Baijnath, both housing Shiva lingas. The exhibit singles out jali (pierced stone lattice) work on one wall as unusual for North Indian temples of this kind.

Hazareshwar temple. Its name comes from the main linga, which is surrounded by hundreds of tiny lingas — hence “Hazareshwar” (from hazaar, “thousand”) or “Sahasralinga”. The ASI notes its architecture as resembling the Bhumija style, according to material cited in the Jio Institute exhibit.

Mandakini Kund. Behind and among the temples lies the Mandakini Kund, a stone tank that is part of the protected complex. Water tanks of this kind were both practical (water supply) and ritual (bathing and offerings), and the kund is a natural centre of gravity for a walk around the site.

Allow roughly one to two hours to walk the temple group and the kund at an easy pace, longer if you want to study the carving. Exact construction dates for the individual shrines are not firmly documented in the sources we could verify; they are generally placed in the Chauhan era, broadly the 11th–12th centuries CE. Where a single travel blog offers a precise year (for example, 1157 CE for Undeshwar), treat it as unconfirmed rather than established fact.

The 1170 CE Chauhan rock inscription

Bijolia’s second claim to fame is epigraphic. The Bijolia rock inscription is a Sanskrit record dated Vikram Samvat 1226, equivalent to about 1170 CE, issued during the reign of the Chahamana (Chauhan) king Someshvara. It is engraved on rock associated with the Parshvanatha Jain temple at Bijolia.

According to the Wikipedia entry on the town, the inscription runs to thirty lines and ninety verses. It opens with salutations to Jain Tirthankaras, including Parshvanatha and Mahavira, and sets out a genealogy of the Chahamana dynasty. Among its historical details, it refers to the destruction of some Chaulukya towns by Someshvara’s predecessor Vigraharaja IV, and (per the Wikipedia article on Someshvara) it records that Someshvara assumed the title “Pratapalankeshvara”. Historians value the record because, as the Bijolia entry puts it, it “throws a new light on the early history of the Chahamana dynasty.”

A note on dating: most popular sources, following the Vikram Samvat–CE conversion, give the inscription as 1170 CE; a strict conversion of V.S. 1226 can also be read as 1169 CE. Either way it belongs to Someshvara’s reign (see below). The Bijolia inscriptions are listed by the ASI among the centrally protected Monuments of National Importance: “Rock Inscriptions (12th century)” (ASI ref N-RJ-26) and the inscription within the Parshvanatha temple compound (N-RJ-27).

History: the Chahamanas and Someshvara

The ruler named in the inscription, Someshvara, was a king of the Chahamanas of Shakambhari — the Chauhan line that ruled from Ajmer over the Sapadalaksha country in what is now Rajasthan. Per the Wikipedia article on Someshvara, his reign is placed at about 1169–1177 CE. He had been raised at the Chaulukya court in Gujarat and was recalled to Ajmer by Chahamana ministers after the death of his nephew Prithviraja II.

Someshvara was a half-brother of Vigraharaja IV (one of the dynasty’s notable rulers) and the father of Prithviraja III — the king remembered in folk tradition as Prithviraj Chauhan — who succeeded him around 1177 CE. That places Bijolia’s inscription in the generation just before Prithviraj Chauhan, which is part of why it matters to historians reconstructing the dynasty’s family tree and chronology. Beyond this epigraphic and dynastic history, we have kept to facts that official and reputable secondary sources support; where a popular account adds colour we could not verify, we have left it out.

Best time to visit

As with most of Rajasthan, the comfortable season for Bijolia is the cooler winter window of roughly October to March, when daytime sightseeing is pleasant and skies are usually clear. Summer (April to June) is hot on the open plateau, so start early and carry water. The monsoon (roughly July to September) greens the countryside and is the time when the nearby waterfalls at Menal and Bhimlat actually flow, though rural roads can be slower.

These seasonal notes are general Rajasthan guidance rather than a Bijolia-specific official calendar, which we could not source; plan around them but check the local forecast before you travel. If seeing a waterfall in spate is part of your plan, remember that it is Menal (and Bhimlat), not the Bijolia temple group, that delivers the cascade, and only after good rain.

How to reach Bijolia

Bijolia sits on the road between Bundi and Chittorgarh and is reached by road. Per the Wikipedia entry, it is about 50 km from Bundi, about 70 km from Kota (on NH 27) and about 85 km from Bhilwara town. The nearest airport is Udaipur, roughly 214 km away. The same source names a small station, Uparmal (Upermal), about 8 km from the town, but for practical rail travel most visitors use a larger railhead such as Bundi, Kota or Chittorgarh and continue by road. Direct bus services are listed from Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Kota, Indore and Neemuch.

Because Bijolia is a modest town, the most reliable way to visit is a hired taxi or self-drive as part of a Bundi–Chittorgarh day route, with Menal usually added on. Road distances and transport details below are planning estimates — reconfirm before you travel.

A suggested day plan

Bijolia works best as a half-day stop folded into a longer southeastern-Rajasthan drive rather than a standalone destination. A workable plan:

• Morning: Reach Bijolia and walk the temple group — Undeshwar, Mahakal and Hazareshwar — around the Mandakini Kund, in soft early light.
• Late morning: See the Parshvanatha Jain temple and the rock inscription nearby; read the signage on the Chahamana record.
• Midday: Drive about 19 km to Menal for the Mahanaleshwar temple (and the waterfall, if the monsoon has filled it).
• Afternoon: Continue on the Bundi–Chittorgarh corridor, or return to your base town for the night.

If you are threading Bijolia into a broader Rajasthan trip and plan to carry on to the Thar cities afterwards, our Jodhpur travel guide is a useful companion for the next leg.

Where to stay

Bijolia itself has only basic accommodation, so most travellers base in a larger town nearby — Bundi and Chittorgarh are the usual choices, both with a spread of budget and mid-range hotels and heritage guesthouses, and Kota is another option. Treat Bijolia as a daytime visit from one of these bases rather than an overnight stop.

Because published, verifiable room tariffs specific to Bijolia are limited, the bands below are indicative planning estimates for the surrounding towns only — reconfirm current rates when booking:

• Budget: roughly ₹800–₹2,000 a night for simple hotels and guesthouses in Bundi, Kota or Chittorgarh (indicative — reconfirm).
• Mid-range: roughly ₹2,000–₹5,000 a night for better-equipped town hotels and some heritage stays (indicative — reconfirm).
• Heritage/premium: Bundi in particular has restored haveli hotels; rates vary widely by property and season.

Food to try

There is no distinct “Bijolia cuisine”; expect standard Rajasthani fare in local eateries, and carry water and snacks for the temple walk itself, as options in the town are basic. In the larger base towns you will find a fuller range of restaurants.

• Dal bati churma (baked wheat dough balls with lentils and a sweet crumble) — Rajasthan’s signature plate.
• Ker sangri (a dry preparation of wild desert berries and khejri beans) — a classic Rajasthani side.
• Gatte ki sabzi (gram-flour dumplings in a spiced yoghurt gravy) — a common vegetarian staple.

Specific restaurant recommendations for Bijolia circulate on travel blogs but were not something we could verify, so ask locally.

Budget breakdown

A visit to Bijolia is inexpensive, because the sights are open-air heritage places rather than ticketed attractions. The table below is a planning estimate for one person on a day visit built around a hired vehicle on the Bundi–Chittorgarh route; your real cost depends mainly on transport.

Fees, permits and rules

No special permit is needed to visit Bijolia; this is not a restricted or inner-line area. The temple group and inscriptions are centrally protected ASI monuments rather than ticketed museums, and we could not find a published ASI entry charge for the Bijolia group — so treat it as free to visit, but reconfirm with the ASI if a fee matters to your planning. Fees and rules can change.

As protected monuments, the usual ASI conduct rules apply: do not touch, climb or chalk the carvings or the inscription, do not remove anything from the site, and keep the area clean. The Shiva temples are living places of worship as well as monuments, so dress modestly and behave respectfully, and follow any instructions at the shrines. Photography norms can vary; drone use over protected monuments is tightly controlled in India, so check current ASI and local rules before flying one.

Practical tips

Treat Bijolia as a rural heritage stop and sort the logistics before you arrive:

• Timings: Open-air ASI temple sites of this kind are generally accessible in daylight; fixed, verified hours were not available to us, so visit in the morning to be safe.
• Combine with Menal: The two sites are about 19 km apart; doing both in one morning-to-midday run is the most efficient plan.
• Cash and connectivity: Carry cash, as card/UPI acceptance in a small town cannot be assumed, and download offline maps, since the mobile network can be patchy on the plateau.
• Transport: Fix a return taxi or confirm bus timings in advance; onward options thin out later in the day.
• Footwear and sun: You will walk on uneven stone around the temples and kund; wear sturdy shoes, and carry a hat and water in the warmer months.
• Respect worship: Remove footwear where required at the shrines and keep noise down during any ongoing puja.

Nearby places

Bijolia pairs naturally with the other heritage and natural sights along the Bundi–Chittorgarh corridor.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Bijolia and which district is it in?

Bijolia (also spelled Bijaulia or Bijoliya) is a town in Bhilwara district, Rajasthan, on the Uparmal plateau in the southeast of the district, near the Bundi border. Per Wikipedia’s entry, it is roughly 50 km from Bundi, about 70 km from Kota and about 85 km from Bhilwara town. It sits on the Bundi–Chittorgarh road corridor.

What are the main temples at Bijolia?

The Bijolia group is made up of Chauhan-era Shiva temples around the Mandakini Kund tank. The three best known are Undeshwar (whose sanctum sits well below the hall floor), Mahakaleshwar or Mahakal (a twin-shrine temple with a second sanctum to Baijnath), and Hazareshwar (named for a linga surrounded by many small lingas). Two are built in the Bhumija architectural style.

What is the Bijolia inscription and why is it important?

It is a Sanskrit rock inscription dated V.S. 1226, about 1170 CE, from the reign of the Chahamana (Chauhan) king Someshvara, and associated with the Parshvanatha Jain temple at Bijolia. In thirty lines and ninety verses it salutes Jain Tirthankaras and sets out the Chahamana genealogy, which is why historians treat it as an important source for the early history of the dynasty. It is an ASI-protected Monument of National Importance.

Is Bijolia the same as Menal?

No. Bijolia is in Bhilwara district; Menal (Mahanal) is a separate temple-and-waterfall site about 19 km away in Chittorgarh district (Begun tehsil), centred on the Mahanaleshwar Shiva temple. They are close and often visited together, but they are distinct places, and the waterfall belongs to Menal, not to the Bijolia temples.

How do I reach Bijolia?

Bijolia is reached by road on the Bundi–Chittorgarh route. The nearest airport is Udaipur (about 214 km), and most travellers use a railhead such as Bundi, Kota or Chittorgarh and continue by road. Direct buses are listed from Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Kota, Indore and Neemuch, and a hired taxi is the most reliable option for combining Bijolia with Menal.

Is there an entry fee for the Bijolia temples, and when should I visit?

The temples and inscriptions are open-air ASI-protected monuments, and we could not find a published entry fee for the Bijolia group, so treat it as free to visit but reconfirm with the ASI if that matters. The comfortable season is the cooler winter months, roughly October to March; the monsoon (July–September) is when the nearby Menal and Bhimlat waterfalls flow.

Last updated and sources

Visit Bijolia if you are travelling the Bundi–Chittorgarh corridor and want quiet, carved Chauhan-era temples and a genuinely important medieval inscription, ideally pairing it with Menal in a single half-day; the winter months are the easiest time to go.

Last updated: 2 November 2026. Fees, timings and transport details change — reconfirm with official sources before you travel.

Sources: Wikipedia — Bijolia; Wikipedia — Someshvara (Chahamana dynasty); Jio Institute digital exhibit — Bijolia group of temples; List of Monuments of National Importance in Rajasthan (ASI references N-RJ-25 to N-RJ-27); Wikipedia — Bijolia Parshvanath temple. Accessed November 2026.