The Mishdi Chronicles

How does a place become mysterious?

It becomes mysterious when its truth is not known to people, when we know very little about it and are unable to fathom the depth of the secrets and the stories that place has disguised for centuries within the layers of its long standing existence. The more we indulge into knowing it, the more intriguing it appears. There exists one such place in this country of mysteries which quietly cradles four of its enigmatic temples, each stimulating an unusual sense of curiosity.

Popularly known as the lair of the dreaded dacoits of Chambal region, Morena lies in the rugged ravines of River Chambal. A small town in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India and about 35 km away from Gwalior. It can be accessed easily from Delhi by road within five hours and the nearest airport is Gwalior.

Morena had never been a very well known town. The ravines of Chambal made it a comfortable hideout for the dacoits. It was easy for them to manoeuvre through the narrow gorges of the ravines to escape the police. Such was the terror of these dacoits that this region remained an avoidable place for everyone even in the broad day light.

Another section which was infested with the bandits was Bhind, another town in Madhya Pradesh bordering the state of Uttar Pradesh. Together, this region was called Bhind-Morena which became inseparable from dacoits during the British rule in India and even after independence till 1980s.

The British could reach out to this remote area, discovered the ruins and documented the details, however, it was only after some peace descended in the region that the Archaeological Survey of India unearthed the mystery of four extraordinary temples of Morena.

The town of Morena never boasted of its four temples. Fascinating yet so distinct from each other, they together make a glittery quadrilateral in the ravined region of Chambal.

Located within the area of about 30 km, each one of them is strongly connected with each other with a common thread of defining architecture and a strange mystical aura casting a spell upon these temples as if they waited for years to be discovered, heard, revered and loved.

Bateshwar , Garhi Padhavali, Chausath Yogini and Kakanmath are the four remarkable temples in this region, in the order of their approach from Delhi-Gwalior highway. Bateshwar group of temples is the first set of temples that can be reached within 45 minutes of entering Morena from this highway.

Garhi Padhavali lies at about one km from the Bateshwar temples and can be reached within five minutes by car.

The distance between Garhi Padhavali and Chausath Yogini temple is 4 km and takes about 10 minutes by car.

Kakanmath temples lies at the distance of 23 km from Chausath Yogini temple and would take about 45-50 minutes by car, depending upon the hour of the day. During rush hours, the time taken might be more.

1. Bateshwar Group of Temples

The first set of temples called the Bateshwar group of temples were originally a cluster of more than 200 temples in a large complex. Built in Gurjar Pratihara style between 6th and 9th century, these temples are dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Shakti. These symmetrically placed structures create a niche of surprise and delight and the visitor has no choice but to fall in love with this place.

The most prominent temple discovered here is called Bhuteshwar Mahadev. It is believed that the name Bhuteshwar suffered colloquial distortions and subsequently became Bateshwar.

With time, the temples crumbled completely and kissed the dust. One shudders to think what caused these two hundred temples collapse like a pack of cards.

When we talk about the Bateshwar temples, a name instantly flashes in our mind like lightening in the clouded sky. Mr. K. K. Muhammed, a discerning historian and archaeologist who was then incharge of the Gwalior circle of ASI, displayed an extraordinary courage and negotiated with the dacoits. It was his continuous endeavour that these temples rose from the dust to see a new dawn of fame.

The team of ASI started the restoration work by first reconstructing the entrance gate called Gopuram by joining the pieces together.

Mr. Muhammed took up the daunting task of convincing the dacoits to allow the reconstruction of these temples. It was his soft voice, sheer conviction and honest intentions that the dacoits agreed to protect the temples. The bandits were made to believe that the temples belonged to their ancestors and after this, they not only allowed the reconstruction of these temples, but also provided security and safety to the team from the mining mafia. This area of Morena has always been quite notorious for illegal mining and constant usage of explosives in the ravines.

Mr. Muhammed studied the floor plan, archaeological patterns and followed the different treatises that gave him an idea of how the 9th century temples had to be rebuilt. He recreated the temples straight from the rubble and bestowed the country with such an impressive assemblage of temples.

After the arrest of the dacoits, the patronage provided by them ended and the mining mafia became active again. It was then, Mr. Muhammed sought the intervention of the Central and the State Governments to protect these delicate temples which started collapsing once more.

If there is one thing that makes this place extraordinary, it is the perfect symmetry of the temples which ASI has been able to recreate. The complex also has a baoli (a small pond) which was revived by the archaeological department. Now we see people taking holy dip in the pond before going for the temple visit.

The Bateshwar Group of temples were given a new lease of life, courtesy the sincere efforts of the Archaeological Survey of India. They excavated the temples from the rubble, explored the possibilities of resurrecting them to their past glory, finally restored at least half the temples and now conserving them with the utmost dedication.

2. Garhi Padhavali

Upon entering Morena from Delhi-Gwalior highway, Garhi Padhavali is the second coveted destination which befuddles you with its tall exterior walls. The word ‘Garhi’ in Hindi denotes a small fort and a cursory glance at the structure convinces the traveller that it’s indeed a small fortress. There appears no sign of a temple, at least from outside.

A long flight of stairs, flanked by the sculptures of two lions, will take you inside.

In an open courtyard inside the fortress, stands an ornately designed Mukhamandapa (the entrance pavilion) of a Hindu temple. From the skeleton of the temple and in the absence of a sanctum, it is difficult to know which deity the temple belongs to.

However, according to the recorded accounts of ASI, the Garhi Padhavali once had a sanctum sanctorum and a huge mandapa (pavilion). The mandapa perhaps had two portions— the Mukhamandapa (the entrance pavilion) and Rang Mandapa (the dance pavilion), however, nothing can be said with surety. ASI discovered a huge idol of Nandi from the remains of the temple, which indicated that the temple was possibly dedicated to Shiva.

A Hindu temple, which was visited and documented by a notable English archaeological surveyor, Sir Alexander Cunningham around 1880s, dates back to 10th century AD. It was built by the Kachchhapaghata Dynasty. The temple was fortified by Jat Ranas of Gohad during 19th century, according to ASI.

Having seen this temple, I had many questions in my mind, for instance, why was a fortress like structure created around this temple? Was it a fort and temple was just a part of it or the temple was the centre of this construction? ASI has attempted to answer some of the questions, yet, it is quite difficult to say anything, as nothing survives today in Padhavali except the towering fortress like entrance and a bare shell of mandapa. The structure stands alone today in an open courtyard with everything around collapsed completely.

The Mukhamandapa has high ceilings decorated with beautiful friezes of motifs and sculptures of various Hindu deities and stories from Ramanyan and Puranas.

Such is the grandeur and refined craftsmanship of the friezes that one can imagine the mammoth size of this site when it was at its crescendo.

The journey of Garhi Padhavali from a live temple echoing with devotion and worship to a fortress signifying valour and might and now to complete ruins is quite riveting. The transition which took place over the centuries deeply mystifies Garhi. One wonders how such a magnificent and glorious piece of architecture, once thriving with life, came to a permanent halt, never to regain its strength.

3. Chausath Yogini Temple or the Temple of 64 Yoginis

The third temple called the Chausath Yogini temple stands tall on a hillock in Mitaoli village of Morena, at about 4 km from Garhi Padhavali.

Again a Shiva temple, this marvellous structure received its much deserved fame in the contemporary India on account of its resemblance with our old Parliament. The temple is designed in two concentric circles. The inner circle has the sanctum santorum with Shiva and Parvati as main deities. The outer circle has about sixty four chambers with no idols in them.

There is no written account that Mr Herbert Baker and Mr Edward Lutyens were inspired by the architecture of this temple while designing the Indian Parliament, yet, obvious similarities between the two structures will overawe anyone who has witnessed both the sites.

The temple remained buried under a thick blanket of oblivion for years for various reasons, the dacoits being one of them. In the interiors of Morena, this temple quietly watched the play of time and waited passively for its mysteries to be revealed to the world.

Interestingly, there is no iconography in this temple in Mitaoli. The walls are plain and most of the side pillared chambers meant for the yoginis are empty.

There are two more chausath (64) yogini temples in Madhya Pradesh, the central belt of India, one is in Jabalpur and another one, which is mostly in ruins, is in Khajuraho. All three yogini temples were mysteriously abandoned and one can only speculate the reasons.

Alternately called Ekkatarso Mahadev, this was a major tantra centre once upon a time in Central India. The tantrik traditions have found their place in Hinduism and Buddhism both. Most of the temples in Central India including the temples of Khajuraho and Mitaoli followed the cult of tantrik shaktism where esoteric and occult practices were followed and feminine power remained the fulcrum of religious rituals.

In this unique circular temple, the yoginis are placed in all directions and they face the central deity in the sanctum. It is also quite speculative why the temple houses only 64 yoginis. Maybe 64 refers to the eight directions and eight divisions of time multiplying together and thus representing every element of this universe.

This impressive piece of art which worshiped the power of Shakti or womanhood and possibly inspired the architects of our Indian Parliament, also leaves a strong message. As the world progresses and achieves higher standards of fulfilment, the women of this country should also get their share in every sphere of life including the governance. The pillared chambers of our Parliament should see more women glorifying the sacred edifice of democracy.

4. Kakanmath Temple

The last temple of this breathtaking circuit is Kakanmath. It takes about half an hour to drive to Kakanmath from Mitaoli. This is an 11th century Shiva temple located at Sihoniya village of Morena. The temple was constructed by Kachchhapaghata rulers.

Kakanmath is a standalone temple on a raised flat platform with an intact sanctum having a large shivlingam. This temple can be spotted from a distance of about 2 km, standing astride in the middle of vast fields of the village. When I first glanced at the temple, it looked somewhat weird, as if it was a skeleton of a temple without the flesh. The stones of the spire were so roughly and unevenly arranged that one feared it would crumble down any moment.

There was no joint visible between two blocks of stones. When I entered the temple and looked at the roof, it appeared very loosely packed and stacked upon each other, ever ready to fall down.

Despite such a terrifying design, the temple has been intact for centuries withstanding earthquakes, rains, storms, weathering and attacks by invaders.

The temple walls adorn captivating sculptures and ornate patterns.

Kakanmath also boasts of a folklore which suggests that this temple was built by ghosts overnight, who carried stones from far away places and accumulated them in an empty field and built the temple.

The way the stones are balanced to erect this temple, in the most unnatural way, one feels like believing these mysteries spun around this place.

Local folklores make Kakanmath even more enticing. Its magnetic charm, fine sculptures, a very different construction pattern, all make this Shiva temple extraordinary. It seems vulnerable in its skeletal appearance but the way it has endured the strain for years, makes us believe that sometimes looks are deceptive.

My journey to these four exceptionally beautiful temples of Morena leaves an indelible impression on my wanderlust. It furthers the insatiable quest of a wanderer to explore more.

Bateshwar group of temples makes us forever grateful to the resilient spirit of Mr. K K Muhammed who never gave up and fiercely protected the heritage of his beloved nation, Garhi Padhavali leaves us bewildered with many questions which remain unanswered even today, the Chausath Yogini temple reminds us of the unceasing female energy which has sustained the universe forever and Kakanmath makes us believe in supernatural forces which defy any sense of reasoning or logic. Together, these four create an earnest family, tied strongly with a thread of common history. They are eager to talk to us and share their mysteries, stories, the time they have seen and the life they have lived.