Bateshwar Group Of Temples Gadi Padawali Morena

Bateshwar group of temples Padawali Morena is a group of 200 big and small temples of Vishnu, Shakti and Shiva. The temples are spread over 25 acres. Bateshwar is another name of lord shiva. The temples are situated in very remote village Padawali in morena in chambal valley. These temples used to be home of decoits for ages. They used to take shelter in these temples. In this article, we will talk about the forgotten legacy bateshwar temples padawali Morena.

One of the famous decoits is Nirbhay Gurjar who later supported the reconstruction work of these temples and some of these temples could be rebuilt in their former forms. Today, this group of temples is considered one of the important historical sites reciting the tales of Gurjar Pratihar dynasty, rich architecture, and is among the top tourist attractions in Madhya pradesh.

History of Forgotten Legacy Bateshwar Temples near chambal valley

These temples are believed to be built by Gurjar Pratihar vansh in between 8th and 10th century. The group of 200 temples is dedicated to Lord shiva, Shakti, and Vishnu represents the major trio of Hindu religion. The site had a big shiva temple called bhuteshwar temple and other small temples. Alexander Cunningham who visited the site in 1882 had disclosed interesting facts in his report and later in 1920 The Acheological Survey of India notified the group of temples as protected site though The conservation work for the temples had begun in Brithis colonial Era.

Several Scholars visited the site and wrote interesting facts about the Forgotten legacy Bateshwar temples padawali morena in their theses. The group of temples was destroyed in 13th century after an earthquake hit the site though some think that the group of temples was demolished by the muslim rulers. No authentic evidence has been found so far about what was the reason of the destructoin of the temples.

Bateshwar Group Of Temples Gadi Padawali Morena : Renovation & Reconstruction work

The Bateshwar Group of temples was nothing but a pile of ruins until Acheological Survey Of India initiated the renovation work in 2005. K.K. Mohammad was the person who took the initiative of rebuilding these temples as he was very fascinated with the group of temples. Though the renovation work was not that easy. The site was home to several decoits and it was not possible for any government official to visit the site and initiate any reconstruction work.

K.K. Mohammad, then with the help of some mediators, initiated the talks with the gang of Nirbhay singh Gurjar and assured them that they would not do any harm to them and they should help in reconstructing the temples as these temples have been made by their ancestors and it is their duty to preserve and protect the temples.

The story turned from there, the decoits came forward to help in the construction work and the reconstruction work of first four temples began. The pieces torn apart slowly were put together and the structure of temples started to form.

Challenges in reconstruction of the Bhuteshwar temples Padawali

When the reconstructin work was going on, the police started to kill the decoits one by one and all the members of Nirbhay Gurjar gang was killed and finally the leader was also killed in an encounter by the police. After this the Mining Mafia started to pile up around the location and started mining work. The mining work impacted the temples as blasts led to the demolition of temples again.

Archelogical Survey on India raised the concerns about the issue but no action was taken to preserve the site. Then K.K. Mohammad himself wrote a letter to the ABVP chief and requested intervention in this matter after which the chief approached the central government and orderd were issued to take action against the Mining Mafia near the site. Finally, all the mining mafias killed in encounters by the police, and the temples could be restored to their beauty.

The Interesting Encounter of K.K. Mohammad and Nirbhay Gurjar

A man was smoking in the temple premises when the construction work was going on in the supervision of K.K. Mohammad. When K.K. Mohammad saw this person, he approached him and rebuked him for smoking in the temple premises and was very angry with the person until he knew that the person whom K. K. Mohammad was talking was no body else but Nirbhay Gurjar himself.

He then thanked Nirbhay Gurjar for helping in the construction work of the temples and told him that god has sent him with a purpose as he belongs to the Gurjar Pratihar Dynasty who constructed the group of temples and now it is his responsibility to protect and preserve the group of temples.

How to reach Bateshar temples in padawali Morena

The site is only around 30 to 40 kilometers away from the Gwalior railway station and can be accessed easily.

By Road

You can easily approach the group of temples by road. You can hire a private vehicle or can come in your own vehicle though public transport is not available for the temples so far owing to the remore location of the temples. Morena and Bateshwar Temples distance is around 28 kilometers and can easily be reached within an hour.

By Rail

The nearest railway head is Gwalior railway station and Morena railway station. After reaching at Gwalior railway station you can simply head to your hotel and ask the hotel managment to arrange a trip to Bateshwar group of temples Padawali Morena. Gwalior and Bateshwar temple distance is around 30 to 40 kilometers and can be covered within an hour easily.

By Air

The nearest Airport is Mahrajpura Airport in Gwalior. you can take a taxi from the airport to your stay first and then head to the site to explore.

Best time to visit the Bateshwar Group of temples Gadi padawali Morena

You can visit the temples through out the year though you should avoid visiting the site in the summer due to excessive heat waves. The best time to visit are Monsoon and winter seasons.

Near by attractions to visit

If you are planning your trip to Bateshwar Group of temples padwali morena, dont forget to visit nearby places. There are several beautiful tourist attractions that you can visit along like Kakanmath temple, Chausath yogini temple, sanischara temple, and if you are coming from gwalior, you can visit the Gwalior fort, Tansen tomb, Jai Vilas Palace and other beautiful attractions.

Conclusion : Forgotten Legacy Bateshwar temples Padawali Morena

The Bateshwar group of temple padawali morena, a perfect example of life cycle: birth death and rebirth has witnessed several setbacks and yet stands tall and makes its presence felt. The temples were forgotten and abandoned for years and after the struggle and immense hard work of ASI and K.K. Mohammad now they have acquired the reputation and popularity that they deserved. This group of shiva temples in Padawali Morena should definitely be in your list.