Harshat Mata Temple is a ruined temple situated at Abaneri, in
Jaipur District of
Rajasthan. The architecture and the motifs on the temple indicate it to be of the 8th century.
The temple now survives with the sanctum, which stands on a three-stepped terrace. The sanctum is pancha-ratha on plan, which is enclosed by an ambulatory. On each projection on the wall, there is sculptured niche and the cardinal niches show Vasudeva (on the south), Pradyumna (on the west) and Balarama (on the north).
The original temple was dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Now, the sanctum enshrines the image of four-armed Harasiddhi, who is locally called as Harshat-mata. The faces of the sanctum shell and the uppermost terrace are decorated with niches containing religious and secular sculptures. It also has sculptures regarding the romantic themes of dance, music and garden-spot, which reminds the Gupta tradition.
