Garh means fort and Padhavali is site of this temple-cum-fort, located about an hour’s drive from Gwalior. Bateshwar, Mitawali and Padhavali are all within easy reach of one another, so a visit to one would be incomplete without visiting the others.
And here, in a nutshell, is what Padhavali is all about. A 10th century temple which was later fortified.
The temple itself was built during the reign of the Kachchhapaghata dynasty. The name is a tongue-twister and means tortoise-killer. I wonder how many they killed to take on this title! They too patronized art and architecture, which is something we discovered on entering the temple. The monument is also called Garhi Padhavali because in the 19th century, the Jat rulers of Dholpur added some fort like structures to the already existing temple.
The entrance is that of a fort but on entering, in the centre of the courtyard one sees a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Notice the two lions that flank the flight of stairs at the entrance? The original lions are in a museum- these guys are not the real thing. But they’re impressive enough!A closer look at the fortifications shows three different layers. This is because these structures were built on what used to be the temple platform.Zooming in on the three layers. It would probably send an experienced archeologist into raptures but we need it pointed out to us!Pardon me for showing off my panorama shots! They don’t really do justice to the place but do give an idea of the scale.
The real surprise awaits the visitor inside the temple, and it is a stunner. A huge debt of gratitude is owed to the archeologist K.K Muhammed, for overseeing the reconstruction and restoration of this temple.
The pillars and the ceiling of the temple are so richly and thickly encrusted with carvings that the eye cannot take them in at once. The wealth of detail and the finesse with which it has been etched in stone is truly a marvellous sight. The more one looks, the more one sees. The best of cameras would not be able to take in the intricacy of the carvings and the exquisite detailing they showcase.
There are scenes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the birth of Lord Krishna and much, much more. One would need very strong neck and shoulder muscles to look up at those carvings and follow each panel to understand what it describes.
These are screenshots from a video that I took, because I couldn’t figure how and from where to photograph the carvings.Note how the carvings go right up to the very corner of the ceilings. The mind boggles at the amount of labour and care that must have gone into its making.I don’t remember seeing this wealth of detail even in the temples at Hampi. And to think all this was done in stone!! How I wished for a better camera!!Each one as exquisite as the other. Who were these artisans and what imagination and skill they had! Words can’t do them justice and neither can pictures.The guide/caretaker of the temple did explain the carvings to us in proper sequence, but unfortunately I did not take a video of that.A beautifully carved temple pillar with the ruins and rubble of the fort in the background. A view of some of the pillars and the walls of the fort beyond them.Most of the fort is closed to visitors but one intrepid member of our group managed to get a picture of this very deep well.I took this picture when I was just walking around looking at the pillars. And then I happened to look up…!A last shot of the temple before we left. Pardon the photo-bomber!
butterfliesonmymindblog 
Wow… amazing Deeps. How do you zero in on these hidden treasures?
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There are many such hidden gems in MP. I had no idea myself. We tend to think of MP mainly as a BIMARU state and nothing else.
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