Madhya Pradesh is the central state of India – situated right in the middle of the country. Its rich historical value makes it stand out of the crowd. In almost every district one would find atleast one or two heritage sites that dates back to even before the British occupation.
Mitaoli, Paravali and Bateshwar group of temples are quite significant among them and are situated in the district of Morar. All of the three sites are temples of different hindu gods (mostly of Shiva).
Direction: We rented a car from a private car service in Gwalior and covered all the sites in almost 5 hours (including refreshment breaks).
Pocket Pinch: The car service took Rs. 2100/- in total (he was asking for a higher fare but we bargained the price). The refreshment is best to be prepared or bought earlier because near the sites there are hardly any restaurants, cafes or anything of that sort. So it depends on what you are bringing to eat.
Mitaoli: The design of Indian Parliament House was inspired by this ancient structure. The resemblance is uncanny. This huge man made creation is situated at the top of a small hill and every one has to climb a good number of step stones (stairs) that lead to the actual site. So people with weak knees like me have to prepare their soul for it. The temple is also called Ekattarso Mahadev Temple or Chausath Yogini Temple. It is named so because of the presence of multitude of Shivlingas inside each cells. It is dedicated to the sixty four yoginis.
Paravali: The most interesting part is that no one knows for sure which god was actually worshipped here. Though studying embodied sculptures and excavations, it is assumed that it might be true that Lord Shiva was worshipped here. It has two huge statues of one lion and one lioness guarding the entrance to the temple. Inside the establishment, there are numerous beautiful and detailed sculptures of ancient gods carved out of sandstone.
Bateshwar Group Of Temples : It is a cluster of almost 200 mini grandeurs made of sandstone, devoted to lords Shiva and Vishnu. Spread over 25 acres, the temples were constructed in the 8th to 10th century AD probably during the Gurjara-Pratihara Dynasty. The forest surrounding the site is a home for numerous peacocks, parakeets, kingfishers. We really loved this site because of its tranquility and architectural value.
On our way back home, I felt a soothing breeze flowing through the window, carrying the evidences of uncountable instances it witnessed over the past hundreds of years. I sensed curiosity and peace at the same time.
Let me know your experience if you visit any of these sites in the future. Lots of love.
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Ankita Mitra 