Temples of Gvaliyar


The temples can be divided into 2 groups the Northern : Bateshvara, Padavali and Mitavali all within 5 km of each other ; and the southern : Naresar, Aithi is in between the 2. The northern temples can visited from Nurabad railway station on the Agra Gwalior line or by bus or walking from Malanpur railway station on the Gwalior Etawah line. Naresar and Aithi are approachable from the Malanpur railway station.
Mining + dynamite charges are rampant in the area surrounding Bateshvara and Padavali - whom also paid enough money to get archealogist KK Mohamed transfered.



From earliest to later

Mitavali
Shunga-Kushana images of Mitavali (see Mitavali below)


Paroli
There are 4 very ancient temples in the "Mandapika" style; reported by Sri Pankaj Saksena (link)


Khirawali
Another "Mandapika" style temple is in the village just across the hill.  



Naresar

15 km from the Gvaliyar fort.
The Nareshar group of temples were built by Yashovarman and dynasty of Kannauj between c. 700 – 800ce.
While I was not able to visit the temples, photographs of all temples are available onlin. 



Bateshvara

The temples of Bateshvara were created by the Gurjara-Pratihara royalty between 800-975.
50-100 in number their restoration was spearheaded by KK Mohamed. About 1/3 of the temple are yet unrestored (2018).
1/3-1/2 have Sri Shivalinga and/or base for such while the rest have pedestal for images (rectagular) surprsingly may have 3 pedestal ie for 3 images per sanctum. NOT a single image remain in any of the temples - some (a few / not many) are in the museum at Gwalior (under heading "Padavali"). Others are probably in other museum. Many-most are likely in individual collections - purchased from antique theives/smugglers.     

The large temple on the aprouch differs stylistically from the rest (and was built by the Kacchapaghata?)



Whilst a fancy toilet complex (which is always locked) has been made by some denomination of government - no drinking water facility (ie a handpump) has been provided at the site. The best option is to get water from the handpumps (infront of the fort) at Padavali - 1 km away.




Mitavali

It is the Northern most hill in the Gvaliyar area.
The Chausath Yogini temple of Mitavali was created Kacchapaghata king Devapala in circa 1055-1085.

There is not a single image at present (2018) in the temple(s). About half the temples ie 30 contain free standing Shivalinga stones (ie there is no hole in the surface to contain them) , the central temple is empty though the pedestal dimensions indicate what would be a lifesize image was present (usually of Sri Shiva Bhairava in such ciricular 64 Yogini temples). 
In the early 1900s - 23 or more Yogini images were taken from this temple by ASI : 10 are present in the Archaeloginal Musuem, Gujri Mahal, Gwalior while another 10 are elsewhere perhaps Bhopal, Delhi, Kolkata and or London. These images have been fraudulently labeled as having come from “Naresar” to prempt demand for their return; there are NO Yogini temples at Naresar, and the images which can be seen at Gujri Mahal museum post date the temples at Naresar by hundreds of years. At one of the modern temples in the villages I have seen a female head which matches in size, style and stone the images at the musuem at Gwalior. The inscription at the temples has been questioned as having been inscribed later by the Kacchvaha. All the Yogini are inscribed with name and number with one containing the year 1189ce and the name of a Vamadeva - Sri Vidya Dahejia has that the inscriptions were made later as stylistically they match the later 1000s.

It is likely that the founder passed on when about half of the Yogini imaes were completed and thereof Sri Shiva linga images were put in the remaining half of temples so as to complete the temple The images are numbered upto 23(?) which is proof of this theory - ie there were about 25 images in 1189 as thus it was not completed.

10 image are displayed at Gujri mahal, Gwalior, 1 each at UCLA, CA and New York. (and rest ?)

It is disenchanting to visit a temple with no images and therefore it is demanded that the ASI return the Yogini images which have been taken from here.


Shunga-Kushan images at Mitavali

At the bottom of the hill is/was a site where 7 lifesize and iincomplete images of : 2 Balarama, 2 Kartikeya, 1 Harihara and 1 standing Nandi were found. Duplicates and incomplete seem to indicate that the images were being carved here and the stone sourced from the adjoining hill (which is almost non extant at present). Nontheless the images are stylistically very primitive and dated to 100bce-100ce. 6 of the images have been relocated to Archeology Museum in Gwalior fort (above in fort itself not in Gujri Mahal) while the image of Nandi is still present at Mitavali wherest ascent of the hill starts.

Other temples/images at Mitavali

On the outskirts of Mitavali village to the south is a small temple containing 5 : 30-40 inch male images (ie not Yogini). This temple bounds a 2.5 acre mud hill – mound which has only recently been turned into a agriculture field. It is demanded that the land be seized and excavated.



Padavali
The Shiva temple of Padavali was created by the Kacchapaghata who ruled Gvaliyar between c. 975-1200ce and transformed into a fort in the 1700s by Jatav rulers of Gohad.

Though externally appearing as a fort the southern half is in fact a large temple plinth. The Northern half and the bastions were created in the 17th cent.
Only the ardhamandap of the temple which would have been majestic remain. The remaining ardhamandap at Padavali is the most detailed amongst the surrounding temples.



Aithi
It is said that 2 ancient temples exist here one in the village and the other on the outskirts. 





Shanicara : in the center and peak of these hills is a modern large Sri Shanideva temple




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