Most visitors arrive in Gwalior with a single monument in mind: the magnificent Gwalior Fort. Yet barely an hour away, across the scrub-covered landscape of Morena district, lies a trio of monuments that tell an even more fascinating story. Mitawali, Padavali, and Bateshwar offer one of central India’s most rewarding journeys through history.
The first sight of Mitawali is unforgettable. Standing atop a rounded hill, the circular 64 Yogini Temple appears almost surreal against the rugged terrain. Built in the 11th century by the Kachchhapaghata rulers, the temple consists of a circular cloister of shrines surrounding a central sanctum. Many visitors immediately notice its resemblance to India’s old Parliament building in New Delhi, and local lore has long held that the temple inspired the design of the circular legislature. The temple possesses a quiet grandeur unlike any other in India. “People come here expecting a small temple,” says local guide Raghvendra Singh, looking across the circular courtyard. “Then they reach the top and realise they are standing inside something completely unique.” The climb itself adds to the experience. A long flight of stone steps leads up the hill, each turn revealing a broader view of the countryside below.
From Mitawali, the road continues to nearby Padavali. Once a formidable fort complex, today the walls have largely succumbed to time. Visitors approach through remnants of fortifications before encountering the surviving temple, reached via a steep ascent. The climb is worth every step. The ceiling is a masterpiece of stone carving, crowded with celestial figures, floral motifs, mythological scenes, and geometric patterns. “The ceiling is the real treasure,” says Singh.
If Mitawali inspires wonder and Padavali rewards close observation, Bateshwar tells a story of resurrection. Spread across a valley at the foot of rocky hills is a sprawling complex of sandstone temples dating from the 8th to 10th centuries. For decades, the temples lay in ruin. The area later became notorious as a stronghold for dacoits. Few outsiders ventured here. That changed when archaeologist KK Muhammad of the Archaeological Survey of India undertook the painstaking task of restoring the site. He and his team catalogued thousands of scattered stones and painstakingly reassembled temples piece by piece, much like solving an enormous three-dimensional puzzle.
Together the trio form one of India’s most remarkable yet overlooked heritage circuits. They lack the fame of Khajuraho or the visitor numbers of Gwalior Fort, but perhaps that is part of their appeal.