Temples of Madhya Pradesh
Children do you know that Madhya Pradesh is home to about 60 plus renowned temples and each one of them is unique in its own way. Here are some of the famous temples of Madhya Pradesh.
Chaturbhuj Temple The original story behind the name of Chaturbhuj Temple, Orchha is that when Lord Rama’s idol which was at the Rani Niwas, the private residence of Maharani Gansh Kunwar who was the wife of Raja Madhukar, refused to move the idol to the temple, an idol of Lord Vishnu with four arms was kept in the temple and this is how the temple came to be known as Chaturbhuj Temple. It is also said that Chaturbhuj Temple, Orchha resembles a lot to the Kushak Mahal in Chanderi.
The Chintaman Ganesh Temple is a very old temple in the city of Ujjain. It is also the largest temple devoted to Lord Ganesha in the area. The word “Chintaman” stands for one that reduces anxiety.
Devi Jagadambi Temple is also known as Jagadambika Temple or Devi Jagadambika Temple. It is a cluster of approximately 25 religious places of worship located at Khajuraho, which is considered a UNESCO world heritage site. In the temple architecture of India, the Khajuraho complex remains unique. One thousand years ago, under the generous and artistic patronage of the Chandela Rajput kings of Central India, 85 temples, magnificent in form and richly carved, came up on one site, near the village of Khajuraho. Today, of the original 85, only 22 have survived the ravages of time.
Gajanan Maharaj Temple has been built in various regions of India, especially Indore, the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh. The followers of Sri Sant Gajanan Maharaj have taken initiative to build these temples. This temple is located at Paliwal Nagar, Indore.
Kandariya Mahadeva Temple
ranks as the biggest and most embellished temple among the famous middle-aged cluster of Khajuraho temples. At present, Khajuraho is one of the famous tourist destinations in the country and at one time, the place served as the spiritual centre of the Chandela Rajputs. It was constructed by Vidyadhara, who was regarded as one of the famous monarchs of the Chandela dynasty. Within the sacred place for worship, there is a linga made of limestone which stands for Shiva.
Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is a very popular Hindu temple in Madhya Pradesh, Ujjain. This temple is devoted to Lord Shiva and ranks as one of the 12 Jyotirlingams that are the holiest dwellings of Lord Shiva. This temple and its efficacy finds mentioned in the works of India’s best loved poet Kalidasa. Another reason and invariably the pivotal reason for the devotion and the efficacy surrounding this temple is the Swayambhu Linga or the self manifested Jyotirlinga. In India there are 12 such places wherein one can find a Jyothirlinga and Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is one such blessed location.
Omkareshwar Temple, Indore is situated at the confluence of the Narmada and the Kaveri rivers. Located at a distance of 77 kilometers from Indore in Madhya Pradesh, it is also known popularly as the Sri Omkareshwar Mahadeo Temple. The word Omkareshwar is sourced from the word Om, which is the holiest Hindu symbol.
Pashupatinath Temple is a renowned temple which is devoted to Lord Pashupatinath. However, the degree of significance of this temple is not like the mythically consecrated Lord Pashupatinath Temple which is situated in Kathmandu, Nepal. The major God worshipped here is Lord Pashupatinath, which is a depiction of Lord Shiva. The most attractive feature of this temple is that there is a Shivlinga which boasts eight faces of Lord Shiva.
Shyam Kaka Temple was constructed in 1845 A.D. This religious place of worship has been devoted to Lord Krishna. The temple is situated in Shaka Jagir village in the district of Rajgarh in Madhya Pradesh.
Taxakeshwar Temple is also known as Takhaji Temple. It is a popular place of worship which is located in the district of Mandsaur. This is the abode of Taxak, the serpent king and he is devoted here in the form of Taxakeshwar. However, the local inhabitants know the God in the name of Takhaji. The shrine or temple is located on Hinglajgarh Road at a distance of 22 km from the town of Bhanpura. The effigy of Lord Dhanwantari is set up before the figure of Taxaka. In addition, the principal temple also houses the sculpture of Shiva.
Lakshmi Narayana Temple, Bhopal is situated atop the Arera Hills and happens to be one of the most important shrines of Madhya Pradesh. It is located in a position which offers a breathtaking and panoramic view of Bhopal. The Lakshmi Narayana Temple, Bhopal is also popularly called by the name of the Birla Temple. The temple has been constructed with the purpose of showing reverence to Lakshmi, the Hindu deity of wealth, and her celestial consort, Vishnu, the ‘Preserver of the Universe’, who is also known as Narayana.Apart from having shrines devoted to the worship of Goddess Lakshmi and Narayana, the Lakshmi Narayana Temple, Bhopal also houses a magnificent idol of a Shiva and Parvati.
Temple of Dakshin Kali
The Temple of Dakshin Kali, also known as Kalighat Bhopal, lies on the side of the picturesque Lower Lake. The temple was established by Shri Shiv Narayan Singh Bagwar with the auspicious consent of Kali, the Hindu deity.
Gufa Mandir lies at a distance of 7 km from the State capital, on the Lalghati-Narsingh Road. A Shiva Temple was set up in the cave by Sant Narayan Dasji Maharaj and as a result of this, the temple is known as Gufa Mandir
Teli Ka Mandir of the Gwalior Fort complex is undoubtedly an architectural marvel. Elevated to height of 100 feet this temple is tallest place of worship. The highlight of this temple is that it combines a both northern and southern architectural style which is seemingly uncommon in temples in north India. The temple dedicated to the Lord Vishnu is fashioned in the form of his own mount Garuda.
Sati Anusuya Temple This Hindu temple is dedicated to a woman called Ansuya, who lived during Lord Rama’s time. Literally speaking, sati is an exemplary woman. Sati Anusuya was completely loyal, faithful and dedicated to her husband, the great sage, Atri. Nonetheless, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, (Creator, Preserver and Destroyer of the Universe) themselves were greatly attracted by her divine charms. This enraged Anusuya to such an extent that she transformed them into infants. This explains why the Hindu Holy Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, appeared in the form of infants, in Chitrakoot. In the temple are also enshrined idols of the sages Durvasa and Atri, along with those of Anusuya’s son, Dattareya, and, Chandrama, or the Moon God.
Hanuman Temple was built in 1717 by the then Orchha ruler, Raja Sujan Singh. Apparently, the king was so impressed by a presentation of Tulsidas’ epic poem, Ramcharitmanas, that he decided to erect all the prominent places mentioned in the epic, in Orchha. Accordingly, the Hanuman Temple was built here, and idols of both Rama and Hanuman were installed in it. The temple architecture is similar to the architecture prevalent in many of the temples of south India.
Kalbhairava Temple The city of Ujjain has numerous shrines dedicated to Bhairava, a fierce manifestation of Shiva, the Destroyer of the Universe.The Kalbhairava Temple is also believed to be associated with the cult of Tantra, an unorthodox secret cult with strong black magic overtones.
Gopal Temple in Ujjain is dedicated to Sri Krishna the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the Preserver of the Universe. The marble spired structure is an excellent example of Maratha architecture. Lord Krishna’s two feet tall statue is moulded in silver and is placed on a marble inlaid altar with silver plated doors. Bayajibai Shinde, Maharaja Daulat Rao Scindia’s queen, built the temple in the 19thcentury.
—Aniket Raja
(With inputs from Madhya Pradesh Tourism)
