The Frog Temple

Another day of discovery....isnt that what life is all about.....
Driving through the countryside, not far from Lucknow, on way to Lakhimpur Kheri, chanced upon this very strange but beautiful temple..... the more than 200 year old frog temple of Oel, also referred to as the Narmadeshwar Shiv temple. A narrow village road off the highway, takes one to this unique temple. A small gate in the wall, a few steps up and one walks into a large courtyard with a garden....in the middle of which stands a giant stone frog and lo and behold, it carries a temple !

A big frog indeed,  and on it stands the temple, at a height, on a large platform. The two back legs of the frog can be seen on the sides of the platform, with the rear behind it. So the entire temple seems to be carried by the frog. And the frog itself rests on a crocodile !!!


The marvels do not end here... Since one reached mid day on a hot summer afternoon, with the sun bearing down strong, it was a hop..scotch...jump over the burning stone steps which took us to the top of the high platform. Bending, entering through a tiny doorway, we stood  in the garbh griha with the beautiful shivlinga before us. One marvel was that the shivlinga is said to change colours, the other.... this is one temple where Nandi is standing and not sitting as is usual, and the third is the narrow but deep well emanating from the top of the high platform, just outside the garbh griha, going all the way through the stone, deep into the ground below.


The story goes that the then king of Oel, Raja Bakhat Singh, was blessed by a divine frog which brought luck and prosperity to him, and he built this unique temple in its honour, sometime in the 19th century. The frog temple or the 'Manduk temple' follows the tantric cult. The garbh griha stands on a platform which is said to be a 'Yantra'- an octagonal lotus, which is part of Tantric vidya. The paintings, etchings and carvings on the wall too depict tantra god and goddesses The entire ambience is mystical, awe inspiring.
As one left the temple, down the road one spotted another striking old structure... an old haveli. The stone on the gate announced 'Raja Oel'. It was the family home of the Rajas who built the temple.
Getting the car stopped immediately, notwithstanding an exasperated husband, I found myself walking into the gate !! The old house beckoned.


The very gracious present Raja of Oel received us. He recounted how the house had fallen into disrepair and of his efforts to restore the heritage of his ancestors. It was a remarkable restoration indeed, and that too through local craftsmen. The paintings...murals on the walls and ceiling, have been redone in the original colours, the smallest of details given due attention to revive the house to its original character.

As one drove out of the place, one wonders how many such treasures are strewn across countrysides in this fascinating country of ours ... unknown ... hidden ... waiting to be chanced upon.

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