Standing isolated on a small mound just 100m from the entrance to the Bateshwar Group of Temples is a monument that probably gets a little overlooked by visitors. This Vishnu temple is generally considered part of the nearby Bateshwar group, but I decided to do a quick separate blog about it purely to try and cut down on the number of photos per article !
This Vishnu Temple has been fortunate to have been subjected to the same care and attention as Bateshwar and Garhi Padavali, we have the ASI and in particular the (now retired) ASI Superintendent K. K. Mohammed for what we see today.
Until ~2005 this temple was in ruins, still partially standing but much of the structure had collapsed. Now partially restored and stabilized, it’s well worth making a point of visiting this temple if only to enjoy some of the fine carvings here, in particular the Sanctum doorway which is as elaborate as any carvings to be seen in the area.
Lying around the temple is a large collection of carved masonry, I assume they all belong to this temple and will perhaps one day be incorporated into the restoration.
Credit should also be given for how this restoration has been undertaken thus far. Often when you visit a restored temple it can be hard to differentiate between the old and the new stone, especially if many years have passed since the work was done and the new stone has received some weathering.
Here the efforts have been extremely sympathetic. For example, the new pillars have been shaped to correspond to their ancient counterparts, but the detailed carvings have not been added, we have just plain stone. So whilst they visually fit in with the original architectural style, they have not been unnecessarily (and potentially incorrectly) embellished.
The more I research and write about the restoration of temples in the
Chambal river valley, the more impressed I get. It’s been a hugely successful project to date despite all the difficulties that were encountered along the way, and hopefully those efforts will resume shortly to give me a good excuse to return to this region one day.
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Categories: Bateshwar - Vishnu Temple, India, Madhya Pradesh
Kevin Standage 
Stunning!
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Amazing capture of photos.
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The carvings are beautifully captured. Great work!👍
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Thank you !
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Awesome
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Thank you !
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