Harsh, Sikar 4.42

Harsh is a bar in Sikar tehsil in Sikar district in Rajasthan, India. It is a place of religious importance. In 2001 the population of the village was 6016, out of which 772 are Scheduled Caste and 58 are Scheduled Tribe people. Its is at latitude 27.52, longitude 75.18 and 554 meters in altitude. The place is known for Harasnath temple at Mt. Harsha (c. mid-10th century).OriginThere is a popular mythological belief which has come down to people through the centuries that in a village Churu, Shakambhari Chahamana (Chauhan) king Ghangh Singh loved and married an apsara (nymph) on the condition that he would not visit her palace without prior information. King Ghangh Singh got a son called Harsha and a daughter Jeen. Afterwards she again conceived but as chance would have it King Ghangh Singh went to her palace without prior intimation and thus violated solemn vow he had made to the Apsara. Instantly she left the king and fled away with her son Harsha and daughter Jeen, whom she abandoned at the place where presently the temple stands at place known as Jeenmata. The two children here practiced extreme asceticism. Later Chahamana rulers built the temple at that place.It is an ancient site famous for the ruins of old Shiva temple (10th century) located on the high hills of Aravali. The architectural display of the old temple is breathtaking. It was developed by first Simharaja (Singhraj), the erstwhile king of Ajmer. The original temple was made in 973 AD and was later destroyed by Mugal Emperor Aurangjeb in 1679 AD. In 1718 AD, Rao Shivsingh made a new temple adjacent to the old temple using the ruins of the old temple.