Kiradu temples, Barmer: History, Timings & Visitor Guide

Kiradu temples is open every day, usually from early morning to late evening with a break in the afternoon. Darshan and aarti timings change with the season and on festival days.

• MorningOpens early morning (around 5 to 6 AM)
• AfternoonShort break around midday at many temples
• EveningEvening aarti around sunset, closes by about 8 to 9 PM

Ask the temple office on arrival for the day's aarti schedule.

Dress Code & Temple Rules

• DressModest, traditional clothes covering shoulders and knees
• FootwearRemove before entering; use the shoe stand
• PhotographyNot allowed inside the sanctum
• Not AllowedLeather items, tobacco, alcohol, non-veg food
• QueueFollow queue lines and staff instructions on festival days

Inscriptions dated 1153-1178 CE have been found at Kiradu. Based on this, Indian historian Gaurishankar Ojha assigned the temples to the 12th century CE. Art historians Ratna Chandra Agrawala and Stella Kramrisch have also dated the Someshvara temple to the 12th century. However, art historians Madhusudan Dhaky and Percy Brown dated the temple to the 11th century CE. More recently, Michell dates the Someshvara temple precisely to 1020, and the Vishnu temple to the early 10th century.

Kiradu was originally known as Kiratakupa. During the 12th century, it was controlled by several small dynasties, which ruled as vassals of the Chaulukyas. Someshvara, who belonged to a Paramara branch, rose to prominence in the 1140s CE after gaining favour of the Chaulukya rulers Jayasimha Siddharaja and Kumarapala.

In the 1150s, the Naddula Chahamana ruler Alhana (also a Chaulukya vassal) seems to have been appointed as a governor of Kiradu, as attested by an 1152 CE inscription. The area was restored to Someshvara by the 1160s. Sometime later, the Chaulukyas transferred the control of Kiradu to Madanabrahma, who came from a Chahamana family. Madanabrahma's successor was probably Asala, who was defeated by Alhana's son Kirtipala.