Bagnath Temple, Bageshwar

According to the Bageshwar district administration, the temple was built by the Kumaon king Laxmi Chand around 1450 AD. The district adds that the site has a Sanskrit inscription of a much earlier date. The Tribune describes Bagnath as a 7th-century temple, and Incredible India, the Union tourism ministry's site, likewise traces the site's origins to the 7th century, with sculptures ranging from the 7th to the 16th century. The district's history page records that the area, once known as Danpur, was ruled by the Katyuris from the 7th century and was annexed to the Chand kingdom of Kumaon in 1565.

In 1996 the archaeology department took charge of the temple, Hindustan reported in 2017. Sculptures and inscribed slabs from the 8th to the 10th century were then placed behind an iron grille. They include images of Shiva (including four-faced, three-faced and five-faced forms), Ganesha, Vishnu, Mahishasuramardini, Kartikeya, a sahasra (thousand) Shivalinga, a Panchadeva panel and the Navagraha. The report noted that the priests and visitors wanted the grille opened. The department said a staff member had been posted at the temple and told to open it.

In 2016 The Tribune reported local concern that the temple area had been encroached upon and that plans for beautification and gardening had been pending for decades. The same year a water police post was opened at the temple premises to patrol the rivers, according to Wikipedia, citing The Times of India.

Architecture and sacred features

The district administration describes Bagnath as a large temple with a conical tower, built in the Nagara style according to Incredible India and Wikipedia. The complex holds a cluster of smaller shrines. The district lists among them temples of Bhairav, Dattatreya, Ganga Mai, Hanuman, Durga, Kalika and Vaneshwar.