The site is approached by driving east from Srinagar and, after a short distance along the Sindh Nullah north towards the Zoji La pass, a side valley is taken to the west and north. The temple complex occupies a distance of several hundred meters along south bank of the stream, and includes three small temples at a high level, and three or four larger structures at a lower level.
GoogleMap view of the Naranag complex. Aglacial debris fan has brought megablocks of granite down the slope from the NW. The temple is constructed on a river terrace 10-20m above the present stream, and was constructed from blocks mined from the debris fan. The stream flows from NE to SW and is largely in shadow in this image.
View of main loer temple (4) from the SE showing badly repaired keystone arch (poured-concrete faced with limestone slab), and historically added, but damaged dome, now covered with vegetation.
View east from inside above showing corner blocks that presumably once suppoted roof slabs, and capstone. Blocks are numbered suggesting reconstruction may have occurred. Part of a more recent dome is visible upper right.
View west from inside lower main temple (4) showing block separation caused by foundation subsidense. Later rubble dome roof above has fractured and fallen.
View of upper temple 3 from the east, showing reconstruction derick 2009. Roof block is missing but lies upside down to the west (see below).
Inverted roof block 2m x2m x1.5m from temple 3
Upper temples from North (see map). 1=background large temple with corrugated iron roof and other repairs. 2. small temple on right, 3 reconstruction to temple on left. Note roof block on north side.
Arch detail, lower temple 5. Although the arch form was copied from Roman architecture, the engineering principles were not understood, and the keystone is supported not by tangential compression but by lateral blocks.
Small reconstructed temple (6) midway between lower and upper levels. Viewed from the east.