Lesser known Hindu heritage temples in India- Kakanmath Shiva Temple (11th CE), Morena, Madhya Pradesh, India- by K.J.S.Chatrath

 

 

  Slightly tilted remains of another structure near the main temple. 

                            Quite near the main temple, these ruins indicate how big the site was. 

 

 Enthused by the write up and photos by the multi-faceted personality Mr. Sabya Sachi Ghosh, I visited  in 2024, the ruins of an amazing temple, which is reportedly 150 ft high, and, as the local legend has it, was constructed by ghosts in one night! That may or may not be true, but the remains of this magnificent temple do show that rules of gravity appear to have been challenged by the builders, or, is it some super power that is keeping the precariously placed huge stones from falling down? A visit is surely called for. 

Mr Ghosh has advised that "the name of kakanmath has nothing to do with the kacchapaghata queen who built this temple. It was Cunningham who had read a pilgrim graffiti naming a certain kakan who came to worship here before the temple was completely destroyed by Sikandar lodhi during his relentless campaign against Mansingh Tomar of Gwalior."

This Siva temple known as Kakanmath at Suhaniya (ancient simhapaniya) in District Morena, recorded to have been built by Kachchhapaghata ruler Kirttiraja (A.D. 1015-1035), is a magnificent edifice even in its ruins and is remarkable for its sculptural wealth.

 Standing on a lofty ornate pitha  (a Nāgara temple generally rests on a high platform- jagati over which is constructed a small platform called pitha) and originally surrounded by subsidiary shrines, the temple comprises a sanctum enclosed by an ambulatory (place for walking) with three transepts (the transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building), antarala (a small antechamber or foyer between the garbhagriha (shrine) and the mandapa), hypostyle (an Ancient Greek term denoting a building having rows of columns supporting its roof)  gudhamandapa with lateral transepts, and a mukhamandapa (the small pavilion or porch constructed in front of the doorway of the temple) approached from the east by stairs.

The antarala has a single transverse row of four pillars while the gudhamandapa has four clusters, each of four pillars, arranged in four rows in alignment with those of the antarala.

The sanctum doorway has seven sakhas which include a large number of deities between two mithunasakhas.

The sikhara, shorn of most of its ornamental veneering stones, is about 30 m high, of the mandapa roof only the upper storey of its central part crowned by a bell member has survived. The temple is notable for its precise (C.A.D. 1015-1035) date and grand dimension combined with the rich quality and variety of sculptures.                 

                       I found this dancer in a nook of the Kakanmath Shiva Temple in Morena, India. This temple was constructed in the 11th century and is half dilapidated. I stood fascinated by this dancer frozen in time- a thousand years. She has, perhaps been waiting all these years for someone to come and watch her dance and appreciate it..... 

(Text based on personal visit & details from the Archeological Survey of India. All photos by kjs.chatrath)

 #Kankarmath #ShivaTemple #11thcenturyAD #Morena #India #kjschatrath #builtbyghosts?