It is believed by historians that this was a Jain temple dedicated to the first Tirthankara Adinath. The temple is situated on a huge platform cut out of a hill in Gyaraspur tehsil of Vidisha district. The Maladevi temple is indeed a grand and magnificent building. It has an entrance veranda, a hall and a sanctum sanctorum surrounded by a narrow circumambulatory path. The sanctum sanctorum is topped by a shikhara and the entire exterior is decorated with rich carvings. Jain idols are installed inside the temple, the outer door frame has a figure of a goddess, possibly the Jain goddess Chakraeshwari. Ganga and Yamuna also appear on the door frame of the sanctum sanctorum. This temple was built between 850 and 885 by Valleka, the king of the Kalchuri Empire whose capital was Tripuri, presently Tewar village, near Jabalpur and other decorative sculptures possibly indicate that the temple was originally dedicated to a Hindu goddess and later it was taken over by the Jains but this is not so because this king was a Brahminist-Jain as an inscription was found from here which is kept in the British Museum in London. This temple displays the Gurjar Pratihara style. This temple is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. This temple is in a very dilapidated condition and its peak is supported by steel ropes and jacks. It is easily accessible by road. It is located about 40 km from Vidisha district headquarters on Sagar road. A glorious heritage is on the verge of extinction.
The architecture and craftsmanship is of the post Gupta period and the cooperation of the Kalchuri kings is an important part of the construction of this temple. Because the Kalchuri Empire was an ancient empire that ruled over Central India, many interesting facts are available about this empire. The names of many travelers are engraved in Brahmi language on a pillar.
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Nice sharing @rizbab28 thank you. I am amazed by people in ancient times who, with limited technology, were able to create such beautiful buildings from stone!
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