The charming affair for exploring offbeat and marvellous hidden spots continues non-stop with Gwalior and nearby Chambal Ravines. I had a day in hand and thankfully got a car to drive, so Chambal Ravines were again the natural choice for exploring some more unexplored spots. What else this Vagabond would have thought of when Life gave him a spare day and a vehicle to drive.
Shanichara Temple, Morena
Batesara Temples, Reviving a lost legacy...
Kakan Math Temple - The faithful Gravity Defying Stones
The moment I decided to put on my
exploring shoes, every road turned into a worthy destination. It was the
time to complete the Chambal Safari which had started
2 years back to explore the hidden ancient historical
marvels situated in Chambal ravines. First round had resulted
in discovery of Mitawali temple, which had been the inspiration
behind the design of Indian Parliament house.
Sorry I forgot to mention the objective of the quest, discovering Gravity defying Kakanmath temple which must have been one of the most prominent temples in India, in its glorious days. Do not be surprised once you reach there, you will get the answer...Since my last attempt to reach Kakanmath had failed so this time I was trying again to chase my passion with whatsoever it would have been taken and followed the heart to finally arrive at this sensational architecture.
Garhi Padhavali - the Fortress Temple
Inspired, charged and rejuvenated after the exploration of Mitawali, it was the time to unearth one more
jewel from the chronicles of Golden Indian Heritage.
.
Friends welcome to "PADAWALI", a fortress temple dedicated to all the Gods (Padawali is spelt differently across various places/ platforms). Padawali is just 3 km. from Mitawali and can be visited comfortably with Mitawali. You only must make sure your vehicle does not run the risk of running out of fuel. Area around Mitawali is devoid of any habitation however the region around Padhavali is populated with several villages.
As an honorary tradition in India, Red Carpet welcome is extended to all the visiting dignitaries at the entrance. Find out yourself, a grand welcome by none other than the mighty: LIONS: on moving closer to the main structure:
Chausath Yogini - Mitawali Temple, inspiration of Indian Parliament house
"India is an AMAZING
Land"
With a mix of caution and thrill I took the left turn from Thekari after Morena, from here route is fairly simple; go straight for around 15 km. to finally see a direction signal to Mitawali. Though the road is narrow, but it is in fairly good condition, except for a few stretches which are being re-laid. Excitement of getting closer to Mitawali had ensured that the road condition was the last thing on my mind.
There is very less habitation on this way. Enthusiasm of exploring a new
place was enough to keep me in good spirits. After driving for 5 hours, I
finally reached “Mitawali” site and it was the time to climb 100 ft. upstairs
to embrace the beautiful Shiva temple, situated at top of a hill.
Circular
architecture of this temple is an absolute cynosure to the eyes. A circular
central hall (Main temple) surrounded by small temples is a unique
construction. At first glance it didn't look like a temple at all; it seemed
like a university or an ancient seat of administration.
Mitawali temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and consists of 64 Yogini small temples surrounding the main Central temple of Lord Shiva.
It was the time to thank the Gods for such a wonderful drive to Mitawali and also praying to God his for benevolence to continue my life like this. While I was thanking the GOD's, the perforated base of the central temple caught my attention. The caretaker told me that it was built as a passage for rainwater to go into a huge reservoir below. I tried locating it but failed. It must have been built with precision so as not to obstruct the beauty of the monument in any way and serve its purpose secretly. Even the pipe-like pieces on the roofs, constructed to drain the rainwater, made me hail the architectural prowess of those times. It was perhaps these smart engineering techniques, apart from the limited number of visitors, which has contributed in keeping the temple in a comparatively good state.

Outer wall of the temple is decorated with numerous images of Hindu Gods and Goddesses.
Apart from appreciating the temple, you can also have an astonishing pigeon eye view of the surrounding areas.
Vast tracts of land, scattered habitation, not so easy life in
the villages will surely take you much closer to real India, very
different from India existing in big cities. As told by locales and
caretaker this temple was built in around 9th century AD and
used to be a seat of education of astrology and mathematics with the use
of the rays and shades of the Sun. My first guess about this place was almost
bang on target. Very recently a caretaker has been appointed by MP tourism
department for this temple who is doing an excellent housekeeping of this
temple premises. He is also maintaining a register and regularly taking
feedback from occasional visitors on how to popularise this place.
You call it a sheer
coincidence or strange coincidence that structure of Indian Parliament house
(Sansad Bhawan) has a close resemblance with this temple. To be honest Indian
parliament house looks like hugely inspired from the architecture of this
temple.
This place has been lying hidden/ forgotten since ages, so very
less information is available about this place. No one can deny the fact that
it must have been very majestic during its prime. Despite being situated
in the vicinity of vibrant
To be frank my
expectations from this place were not so high but the experience I got of this
place was beyond expectations. Whether it was the road to Mitawali, contrasting
village life, un-inhabited lands and above all the
So whenever you plan an excursion to Agra or a Get away to Gwalior, make sure you keep
some time for a visit to Mitawali, believe me you will come back with more
than just memories. There are no fuel stations after left turn from Thekari,
make sure your vehicle does not run out of fuel...
Please find this article published in national newspaper, The Pioneer:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/sunday-edition/agenda/travel/history-hunting.html
There are other monuments also
close to Mitawali, worth exploring:
1. Padawali: 3-4 Km. from Mitawali this
fabulous temple monument waiting is considered as superior of Khajuraho temple.
2. Kakan Math Temple: 23 km. from Mitawali,
this 115 ft. high ancient Shiva temple is assembled in stones without any
adhesive.
3. Batesara temples: 4-5 km. is a huge comples of
temples dated back to 6th -9th century. Around 350 temples are estimated to
exist here. Work is ongoing to restore the glory of the temples.
Keep travelling Guys.
Getaway to Gwalior
Everyone has his/ her ways to enjoy the gift called "LIFE". Some
prefer hanging out with friends, some like discotheques and some prefer
travelling to distinct locations to seek enjoyment. Apart from enjoyment,
travelling is an ideal way to recharge your energy stocks.
I too fall in the latter category, and I honestly
believe that you need not going to Bahamas or Paris to seek rejuvenation: "just look
around yourself, pack your bags and start". Here lies
the Advantage India. India is such a diverse country that if you try to explore, you
can go to any city/ town or village I am sure you would not be
disappointed. This I believed during my trip to Gwalior.

Drive to Chambal Safari: from Delhi to Gwalior
325 Km. from Delhi, driving along NH-2/ Expressway and NH-3 for 6-7 hours. If statistics sounds boring - you are in for a
surprise and reconsideration of your thoughts.
It was one fine day I got a chance to drive
till Gwalior. I knew that the highway is in good condition, but was still
sceptical about the real picture. It was not a planned one, but as I always say
"Good travellers never plan in advance", all of a sudden,
a divine thought struck me - lets drive all the way to Chambal Ravines till
Gwalior. With all the spirits roaring, I started at early afternoon,
however it is always better to start in the early morning to escape the
heavy traffic of Delhi.
If you take expressway, you will directly reach Agra. However, if you take NH-2, then there are lot of options for sightseeing in the way, apart from vastness of agricultural fields.
For nature lovers and bird watching enthusiasts there is Sur Sarovar Wild Life Sanctuary on the way to Agra, 40 km. from Mathura on your left hand side at NH-2, just before Agra.
Just at the entrance of Agra is Sikandra Tomb, mausoleum of Akbar.
Out of all visitors to city of Taj, only 5 -8 % of travellers visit this place. This place offers amazingly calm and serene surroundings. Huge lawns with lot of deers, and black bucks roaming around peacefully, it is an ideal place to find some quiet moments.
Keep some time for Agra, you cannot afford to miss "The Taj Mahal".
From Agra onwards you will be a part of Chambal Valley.
It is very difficult to remove sights from the exceptionally beautiful
landscapes formed by sandy hills of Chambal Valleys. Romance, adventure and driving, all at same place.

Vow...Now tell me who says it is required to go to hills or drive
2000 miles from your house to capture Sunset like this...
With the tremendous growth of India as economic
superpower, Highways have improved considerably. Driving is a sheer pleasure. However,
if you are nature lover, you will be focusing more on the amazing
surroundings which accompany you for most of the distance from Delhi to
Gwalior.
- Kakan Math Temple: 115 ft. high Lord Shiva temple, assembled out of stones without any adhesive. Pyramids share stark resemblance with this temple. 34 km. from Morena bus stand.
- Mitawali, Shiva Temple: The place which inspired the design of Indian Parliament house (Sansad Bhawan). 23 km. from Kakan Math temple towards Gwalior.
- Padawali Temple, dedicated to all Gods and is considered as superior to Khajuraho Temple. 3-4 km. from Mitawali temple.
- Batesara complex of temples: A complex of around 350 temples. Excavation work is ongoing to restore the original glory of the temples.
Chambal Safari Route:
Believe me real safari will start from the above left turn.
- 60 km. from Gwalior on Jhansi road is Sonagiri Jain temples, a sacred place to Digambar Jains. It has a chain of 77 temples, all in white colour situated on top of a hill.
- 125 km. from Gwalior and 15 km. from Jhansi is a small hidden town of Orchha. It consists of numerous temples, forts and cenotaphs (Chhatris), which all make Orchha an interesting spot to visit.
- Amazing saga of Raja Ram temple and Chaturbhuj temple at Orchha.
Keep Driving, keep travelling and keep exploring the numerous offbeat places to visit in Madhya Pradesh....