Reminds me of two songs - Boulevard of Broken Dreams once you enter. And love will always find you when you leave
When you get to the highest vantage point, this is what you get to see
Imagine a place surrounded with ruins of ancient temples where one can see nothing but rubble all around. Boulders as big as a multistoried building obstructing pathways making it impossible to even step foot in the premises. The place so desolate that it serves as a hide out for dacoits and sand mafia. A heritage center forgotten so badly that even cultural descendants of the ancient rulers would not venture into.
Then a man determined to resurrect these temples walks with shovels and iron will to move mountains. Such is the story of Batesar Group of temples located in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India. The Archeological Survey of India (ASI), a government body entrusted with the responsibility of protecting and preserving historically important buildings, notified these temples as a protected site in early 1920s. However, it took another 100 years for these temples to be really protected. Around 2005, the preservation work took pace and what we see today is an outcome of sheer hard work put in by various people. In particular, Mr. K K Mohammad took great pains and efforts to restore these temples.
Cast in Stone, Handpicked from ruins
It is believed that these temples were constructed somewhere between 8-11 Century AD. That makes them around 900 years old at least. These temples also find mention in Cunningham's works which he undertook during his stay in India during the colonial period. Towards the end of 13th century, these temples had to bear the brunt of not only nature but also of invading forces from across the globe.
Forgotten, these temples were occupied by dacoits and became notorious no-go zones for a long time. When ASI restoration work was started, it was deemed impossible to restore these temples. A lot was said about the whole exercise being a wastage of public money and official time. However, the final outcome not only surprised people but also resulted in K K Mohammad being conferred Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India.
Padma Shree K K Mohammad, the man who made it possible. Image Source: Wiki Commons
We left Chanderi and landed at Gwalior where from these temples can be easily accessed. Although there is no public transport available, but one can avail a taxi or an autorickshaw to reach here. If started early from Gwalior, one can come back on the same day. Located amidst a forest, a dirt road stops right at the entrance of these temples. There still are a lot of temple remains lying around waiting for their resurrection. However, rebuilt temples give strong hope to not only the visitor but also to the broken remains that one day our rebirth would be complete.
Once a desolate place, now a major tourist attraction.
Rebirth of lost heritage