Bateshwar Group Of Temples

The Bateshwar group of temples is located in Padavali village of Morena district of Madhya Pradesh. Bateshwar Temples are located 20km’s from Gwalior, Being the must visit place around Gwalior , These temples were built by Gurjara- Prathihara dynasty who believed they were descendants of Lakshman from the epic Ramayana. Built between 8-11th centuries AD in the post-Gupta period, a total of 200 temples were constructed during the said period. The temples were destroyed at the end of the 13th century, although it is not clear if it was by an earthquake or Muslim forces. It was rediscovered by Alexander Cunningham, a British army engineer and appointed surveyor to the government of India in 1861. In 1882, Cunningham cited “a collection of more than hundred temples large and small to the southeast of Paravali Padavali” and noted the site as “a confused jigsaw puzzle of more than 100 temples of various sizes.”.

An aerial view of a large temple complex with multiple structures and intricate carvings on the walls. The temples are surrounded by lush greenery and there are peacocks roaming around the area. The structures appear to be slightly worn down with some missing pieces, but still hold a grand and majestic presence. Some interesting facts about bateshwar group of temples near Gwalior

– The temple complex is one of the largest in India.
– It is a protected site and no temple worship is undertaken.
– The temples were forgotten for 500 years until rediscovered in the 19th century.
– The temples have survived in a somewhat dilapidated state.
– It took 300-400 years to build the complex by the Gurjar-Prathihara dynasty.
– There is a smaller group of temples known as Bateshwar near Agra.
– The name “Morena” derives from “Mor” meaning peacock and “Raina” meaning living place.
– The temples are mentioned in the works of Dr. Rahman Ali and R D Trivedi

• Archeologist K K Mohammad deserves the credit of rebuilding the temples