Kadwaha Garhi Temple, Madhya Pradesh

Address

Kadwaha Garhi Temple Kadwaha, Ashoknagar district Madhya Pradesh 473335

Diety

Shiva

Introduction

Kadwaha is a small village located in Ashoknagar district of Madhya Pradesh. It was a very important Shavite center during the eighth-ninth century CE as it is supposedly believed that the foundations of the Mattamayura Shaivite sect were laid here only. There are fifteen temples in sandstone construction at Kadwaha. All the temples are under protection of ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) Garhi Temple and Monastery – This temple is located in a deep dried up tank, near the primary school of Kadwaha. This temple represents the second phase of temple construction at Kadwaha. The front portion of the temple is hampered due to a mosque, probably constructed by Ala-ud-din Khilji as there is an inscription, found on the floor of this temple, datable to Vikram Samvat 1366 which refers to Ala-ud-din Khilji. Most probably he destroyed the temple and constructed a mosque at its place. The temple faces west and is consisted of a mukha-mandapa and sanctum. The temple is dedicated to Shiva, who is present in the center of the sanctum door lintel in his dancing posture. He is accompanied with Brahma and Vishnu on extreme ends. Sapta-matrikas (seven mothers) and Ashta-dikpala (eight directional guardians) are distributed across the three walls. In the niches, we find Chamunda on north, empty niche on east and Ganesha on south. There is this region in districts Shivpuri and Ashoknagar, spread all over which are various ancient monasteries. Each of these monasteries has a Shiva temple near it. there are other temples of Vishnu and Goddesses. Almost all these temples are not used for worship, these are abandoned, located outside villages.

Puranic Significance

Today, even though Kadwaya has the status of a village, but at one time this place was important not only from religious point of view but also from political point of view. In ancient times, the Shaivite monasteries and temples here were major centers of religious faith, but it fully ruins. Kadavaya was known for the Siddhas of Shaivism doctrine and because of the teachers of the Mattamayur sect. There were Dikshits in the sect, who used to give them a large amount of money as well as village donation cows and also used to build temples and monasteries. The Kalchuri queen Nauhala also built many temples and monasteries for the masters of this sect. This is the reason that this monastery became very prosperous. This monastery, built in the 8th-9th century, continues to exist in the heart of Kadwaya ruins town even today.