An architectural wonder of the Balochistan Sphinx

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-02 02:33

Hidden in the abandoned rocky landscape of the Makrana coastline in southern Baluchistan, Pakistan, it is an architectural gem that has deliberately gone unnoticed and unexplored for centuries.

The “Baluchistani Sphinx”, as it is popularly called, was only talked about after the Makrana coastal highway opened in 2004, linking Karachi with the port city of Gwadar on the Makrana coast. ¹… A four-hour, 240-kilometer drive through winding mountain passes and arid valleys from Karachi, takes hikers to Khingol National Park, home to the Balochistan Sphinx.

It is a four-hour drive from Karachi to Khingol National Park along the Makrana Coastal Highway. The Balochistan Sphinx is located inside the Hingol National Park.

Makrana Coastal Highway.

Balochistan Sphinx

The Balochistan Sphinx is constantly described by journalists as a natural formation, although for some reason archaeological research was not carried out at this site.²If we investigate the features of the structure, as well as its surrounding complex, then it is very difficult to accept the often repeated opinion that it was formed under the influence of natural forces. Rather, it looks like a giant, carved, architectural complex.

Even a quick glance at the impressive sculpture reveals that the Sphinx has a well-defined cheekbone line and clearly distinguishable facial features such as eyes, nose and mouth, which are positioned in perfect proportion to each other.

Balochistani Sphinx in Hingol National Park, © Bilal Mirza CC BY 2.0.

The face of the Great Sphinx of Giza, © Hamerani CC BY-SA 4.0. A striking similarity can be seen between his face and that of the Balochistan Sphinx.

The Sphinx appears to be adorned with a headdress that is very similar to the headdress of the Egyptian pharaohs, Nemes (nemesh). The Nemes headdress was a headdress made of cloth, usually striped, woven into a knot at the back and with two long side folds cut in a semicircle and descending to the shoulders. This headdress can also be seen on the Balochistan Sphinx.

You can also easily make out the contours of the lying front paws of the Sphinx. It is difficult to understand how nature could carve a statue that resembles a famous mythical animal with such amazing precision.

The Balochistan Sphinx resembles the Egyptian Sphinx in many ways.

Sphinx Temple

There is another important structure in the immediate vicinity of the Balochistan Sphinx. From a distance it looks like a Hindu temple (eg in South India), with Mandapa and Viman. The upper part of the Wyman seems to be missing. The Sphinx lies in front of the temple, acting as the protector of the sacred site.

The Balochistan Sphinx reclines in front of the temple as a guard

In ancient, sacred architecture, the sphinx performed a protective function and was usually placed in pairs on either side of the entrance to temples, tombs and sacred monuments. In ancient Egypt, the sphinx had the body of a lion, but its head could be a man, a ram, or a falcon.³The Great Sphinx of Giza, for example, acts as the guardian of the Pyramid Complex.

In Greece, the sphinx had the head of a woman, the wings of an eagle, the body of a lioness, and, according to some, the tail of a serpent.⁴The colossal statue of the Sphinx on the island of Naxos acted as the protector of the sacred site.

In Indian art and sculpture, the sphinx is known as the purusha-mriga ("man-beast" in Sanskrit), and its main position was at the entrance to the temple, acting as the guardian of the sanctuary.⁵However, sphinxes could also be found in all areas of the temple, including the entrance gate (gopuram), halls (mandapa) and near the central shrine (garba-grha). Raja Dekshithar identified 3 main forms of the Indian Sphinx:

• A squatting sphinx with a human face, but with certain lion characteristics such as a mane and elongated ears;
• A walking or jumping sphinx with a fully human face;
• A half-erect or fully erect sphinx, sometimes with a mustache and long beards, often in the act of worshiping the Shiva Linga.⁶

Sphinxes are also featured in Buddhist architecture in Southeast Asia. In Myanmar they are called Manusiha (from the Sanskrit manu-sima, which means "lion-man"). They are depicted as sitting cats at the feet of the Buddha. They wear a tapered crown and decorative earplugs, and have bird wings attached to their forelimbs.⁷

So, in the ancient world, the sphinx acted as the protector of sacred places. Perhaps not coincidentally, the Balochistan Sphinx also appears to guard the temple-like structure adjacent to it. This suggests that the entire complex was built in accordance with the principles of sacred architecture.

A closer look at the Temple of the Balochistan Sphinx reveals clear evidence of pillars carved into the wall. The entrance to the temple is visible behind a large accumulation of sediments. The sublime sculptural structure to the left of the entrance could be a subsidiary temple. In general, there can be no doubt that this is a massive, artificial monument of deep antiquity carved into the rock.

It is interesting that on the facade of this Temple, right above the entrance, on both sides, two monumental sculptures are carved.

They are highly blurred, which makes it difficult to identify them; but it looks like the figure on the left could be Kartikeya (Skanda / Murugan) holding a spear (Val); and the figure on the right, the striding Ganesha. By the way, both Kartikeya and Ganesha are the sons of Shiva, which means that the temple complex could be dedicated to Shiva.

Although identification at this stage is difficult, the presence of sculptural figures on the façade lends more weight to being considered an artificial structure.

The façade carvings on the Balochistan Sphinx Temple may have consisted of two figures, Kartikeya and Ganesha.

The structure of the Temple suggests that in fact it could be Gopuram, that is, the Entrance Tower of the Temple. Like the Sphinx Temple, Gopuram is usually flat-topped. Gopuram has a series of decorative kalasas (stone or metal pots) positioned on top. A close examination of the flat top of the Sphinx Temple reveals a series of "thorns" on top, which may be near kalas, covered with sedimentary or termite mounds.

Gopuram is adjacent to the border of the temple wall, while the Sphinx Temple appears to be adjacent to the outer border. Gopuram also has giant sculptural figures of dvarapalas, that is, the Guardians of the doors; and, as we have noted, the Temple of the Sphinx has two monumental figures carved into its façade, just above the entrance, which serve as dvarapalas.

The Balochistan Sphinx Temple could have been Gopuram, that is, the entrance tower of the Temple.

The sublime structure to the left of the Sphinx Temple may be another Gopuram. This means that in the main directions leading to the central courtyard, in which the main temple part of the temple complex is being built (which cannot be seen in the photograph), there may be four Gopuramas. This temple architecture is quite common in South Indian temples.

The Arunachaleshwar Temple in Tamil Nadu, India has four Gopuram, i.e. entrance towers, in the main directions. The Temple complex contains many shrines. © Adam Jones CC BY-SA 3.0.

Sphinx-Temple Platform

The raised platform on which the Sphinx and Temple are located appears to have been meticulously carved with columns, niches, and a symmetrical pattern that extends across the entire top of the platform. Some of the niches may be doors that lead to chambers and halls below the Sphinx Temple. Many, such as Egyptologists like Mark Lehner, believe there may be chambers and passageways beneath the Great Sphinx of Giza. It is also interesting to note that the Balochistan Sphinx and the Temple of the Sphinx are located on an elevated platform, just as the Great Sphinx and the Pyramids of Egypt are built on the Giza plateau overlooking the city of Cairo.

Another notable feature of this complex is the series of steps leading to the platform platform. The treads appear evenly spaced and have a uniform height. The entire complex gives the impression of a grandiose, rocky, architectural complex that has been destroyed and covered with layers of sediments that mask the more complex details of the sculptures.

Sedimentation of the Complex

What could have deposited so much sediment on the complex? The Makran Coast in Baluchistan is a seismically active zone that often produces huge tsunamis that wipe out entire villages. The earthquake on November 28, 1945, with its epicenter off the coast of Makran, was reported to have triggered a tsunami with 13m high waves in some places.⁸

In addition, several mud volcanoes are scattered along the Makran coastline, some of which are located in Hingol National Park, near the Hingol River Delta.⁹ Intense seismic activity causes volcanic eruptions with a huge amount of mud in which the surrounding landscape drowns. Sometimes islands of mud volcanoes appear off the coast of Makran, in the Arabian Sea, which are scattered by undulating actions throughout the year.¹⁰ Thus, the combined action of tsunamis, mud volcanoes and termite mounds could be the cause of the accumulation of sediments on the complex.

View of the Chandragup mud volcano. © Ahsan Mansoor Khan CC BY-SA 4.0.

Khangor mud volcano crater. CC BY-SA 3.0.

Historical Context

But this Indian temple complex on the Makran coast should not come as a surprise, since Makran has always been considered by the Arab chroniclers to be the "border of Al-Hinda."¹¹ A-Biruni wrote that "the coast of Al-Hinda begins with Tiz, the capital of Makran, and from there it extends in the southeast direction …".¹² Although the sovereignty of parts of the region alternated between Indian and Persian kings from the earliest times, it retained its "Native American identity."¹³ During the decades leading up to the Muslim raids, Makran was ruled by a dynasty of Hindu kings who had their capital in Alor in Sindh.¹⁴

Thus, according to the stories of Hiuen Tsang, the coast of Makran was - even in the 7th century A. D. - dotted with hundreds of Buddhist monasteries and caves, as well as several hundred Hindu temples, including the richly sculpted temple of Lord Shiva.

What happened to these caves, temples and monasteries of the Makran Coast? Why haven't they been restored? Are they hushed up as well as this Sphinx-Temple complex? Probably so.

Indeed, not far from the Balochistan Sphinx, on top of an elevated platform, there are the remains of what appears to be another ancient Hindu temple complete with Mandapa, Shikhara (Vimana), columns and niches.

The ancient temple of Makran, with Vimana, Mandapa, columns and niches.

How Old Are These Temples?

The Indus Valley civilization stretched along the Makran coastline, and its westernmost archaeological site is known as Sutkagen Dor, near the Iranian border. Some of the temples and rock sculptures in the region, including the Sphinx-Temple complex, may have been built thousands of years ago during the Indus period (circa 3000 BC) or earlier. It is possible that the complex was built in stages, some of its structures are very ancient, while others are relatively young. However, due to the lack of inscriptions, it is difficult to determine the age.

The Indus Valley civilization included areas along the Makran coastline.

There is undoubtedly a veritable treasure trove of archaeological wonders awaiting discovery on the Makran coast of Baluchistan. Unfortunately, these magnificent monuments, whose origin goes back to unknown antiquity, continue to hide and all information about them is hushed up. It seems that a small attempt to tell about them was suppressed by someone and a false version of their "natural formations" was thrown to the journalists. The situation can only be saved when international attention is drawn to these structures, and teams of archaeologists (and also independent enthusiasts) from around the world visit these mysterious sites for truth discovery, research and restoration.

Links:

1 This is the general impression gained from reading blogs written by visitors. The first reports and images of the Balochistan Sphinx begun appearing after 2004, when people started visiting the Hingol National Park on day trips from Karachi.

2 See for example: A. Nelson, ‘13 natural rock formations that look man-made’, 19 Jul. 2016.

S. Malik, 'Natural Featured Sphinx of Pakistan', 18 Dec. 2014.

3 New World Encyclopedia, 'Sphinx'. 4 Theoi Project: Greek Mythology, ‘Sphinx’.

5 R Deekshithar, 'Sphinx of India, the Living Tradition'.

Also see the YouTube Video: 'Sphinxes of India'. 6 Raja Deekshithat, 'Sphinx in Indian Art'.

7 Raja Deekshithar, 'THE SPHINX IN ANCIENT BURMA AND MODERN MYANMAR'.

8 UNESCO, 'Remembering the 1945 Makran Tsunami'.

9 All Things Pakistan, 'Mud Volcanoes of Balochistan'.

10 National Geographic, '' Gooey 'New Mud Volcano Erupts From Arabian Sea'. 11 Wink & Al-Hind, The Slave Kings and the Islamic Conquest, (BRILL, 1991) p. 132.

12 ibid.

13 ibid. p. 136