Beginning #MPtrail with this pic - taken in #Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh. This is at a Chandella temple site of the greatest antiquity, a site whose temples pre-date those of #Khajuraho. This pic shows the state of heritage in our country. More on this site tomorrow. 
#MPtrail: This pic was taken from the top of a Chandella water reservoir's stone embankment. The green area on the left was once a large water body. At the far end of the reservoir is a group of temples which date to the 9th century CE. I'll take you there over the weekend.
#MPtrail: A fragile set of temples which, in my view, showcase two varying streams of temple architecture. In Vyas Bhadora, a small village in MP's Chhatarpur dist. Managed by the state archaeological dept. Over a dozen temples built nxt to a Chandella irrigation reservoir.
#MPtrail: Vyas-Bhadora has nearly a dozen temples. Among them are these Chandella temples, dated to the 9th century, making them older than the ones at #Khajuraho, which lies 55 kms south of this location. The temples were restored over a decade ago and are in a fragile state.
#MPtrail: Sculpted beings in the doorway of a 9th century Chandella temple at Vyas-Bhadora, #Chhatrpur.
#Mptrail: The second style of temple architecture at Vyas-Bhadora is typified by this temple. Mentioned in records by the team that restored the temple as a Yogini shrine. The Yogini statues within were removed during restoration to a museum leaving only empty niches behind.
#MPtrail: Found this Brit era building in a vil called Laxmipur, #Panna. Structure was once renovated to become an agri-science study centre but abandoned for reasons unknown. Ideal for a haunted house movie setting.
#MPTrail: Group of temples surrounding a stepped tank called Bhim Kund, dating back to 13th-14th century CE; on a ledge of a hill in #Dhubela, #Chhatarpur dist. The temples probably predate the Bundela rule in this region.
#MPtrail: The largest of the Yogini temples at Vyas-Bhadora.
#MPtrail: Gateway of a ruined #Jain temple, inside the fortified hilltop complex at Budhi #Chanderi, Ashok Nagar dist. Imagine what the complete structure would have looked like!
#MPtrail: The setting and iconography of the Bajramath temple at #Gyaraspur, #Vidisha dist. 10th century CE.
#MPTrail: On World Heritage Day, my story of Vyas Bhadora now makes it to the columns of @TOIBhopalNews. Perhaps the authorities will pay a little more attn to such sites.
@TOIBhopalNews Ajaipal-ka-talao, inside the fort at Ajaigarh. Considered by some as a place of pilgrimage, people still come here and pick up a stone from its banks and carry it back with them. Extensive temple remains found around the talao, indicating the existence of a now-lost temple here.
@TOIBhopalNews Distant view of the complex called Ajaigarh palace, taken from the fort at Ajaigarh. This structure may have now been acquired by a large Hotel chain.
@TOIBhopalNews My fav memory of Ajaigarh fort is of this massive dancing Ganesha, complete with anklets, hewn into rock. Just inside the main entrance to the fort.
@TOIBhopalNews #MPtrail: Ajaigarh, #Panna: Broken #Jain idols, incl one that is 9-10 ft tall. In a stone shed. Which temple did they come frm? Which period? While govt agencies expend money on lighting up monuments in large cities & politicians chase disputed sites, such sites lie vulnerable.
@TOIBhopalNews #MPtrail: One of the best depictions of the Saptamatrikas I have seen, complete with Ganesha & (possibly) Virbhadra flanking them. Taken at the tiny (mostly open air) state arch. dept. museum in #Ashapuri, #Raisen. Dated to abt 10th century CE. Perhaps an apt pic for Chaturthi.
@TOIBhopalNews #MPtrail: On the road to #Ashapuri, #Raisen - With the state experiencing its highest level of monsoon rain in nearly 6 decades, ponds and streams have come alive. The colours of nature in full glory. Sadly, roads made by man have ceased to exist.
@TOIBhopalNews #MPtrail: Temple remains in #Ashapuri, #Raisen. Being swallowed by vegetation. In a country where heritage sites are fighting an existential battle, should the ltd budget be used for night illumination of some sites? A wider national debate is reqd.
@TOIBhopalNews #MPtrail: More from #Ashapuri, #Raisen - a sculpted temple pillar, remains of a linga and temple detailing.
@TOIBhopalNews #MPtrail: Last pics from #Ashapuri, #Raisen, come from the tiny museum. A feature of the temple architecture here seems to have been four sided columns, each side of which depicted one of Vishnu's incarnations. Just imagine the art of the original shrine.
@TOIBhopalNews #MPtrail: Re-started the #Hiddenheritage column in @TOIBhopalNews today with this story on #Mitaoli's Yogini temple. #Morena.
@TOIBhopalNews #MPtrail: A story I had done on Mitaoli back in 2007, a time when the approach track had more craters than surface. With a link to today's story: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/ma…
A yr ago, in a #Bhopal museum, was struck by the picture of a pillared structure. At first glance it looked like something from Greece. Except that the caption read 'Bihar'. A structure frm Bihar in museum in MP? Turns out, there is a village called Bihar in MP's Rajgarh dist.
Intent on finding this structure, I travelled to Bihar village. Here's a picture of the structure called the 'Solah-khamba' though it has only 14 pillars. A magnificent pavilion which was perhaps part of a temple. More abt this & other aspects of Bihar tonight.
More pics from Bihar village, #Rajgarh, #MPtrail. Of a dargah in front of the ruined pavilion. With a tree growing right through its middle. Its lower levels indicate where the building material may have come from.
#MPtrail: This time last year - sharing a few pics from the Birla Museum, #Bhopal. A rare sight, a depiction of a Maheshwari Trimurti, 10th century CE, from Hinglajgarh, #Mandsaur
#MPtrail: This time last yr, from the Birla Museum, #Bhopal: a magnificent depiction of Chaturbhuj #Vishnu. 10th century CE, from #Ashapuri, #Raisen. Look at this and imagine the shrine it came from.
#MPtrail: From the Birla Museum, #Bhopal: a depiction of Brahma, from Varahkhedi, Raisen. 10th-11th century CE. Varahkhedi is now called Barkheda. A site there has revealed a human skeleton dated to the 2nd millennium BCE. A new destination added to my list.
#MPtrail continues with a new #HiddenHeritage story in @TOIBhopalNews today. On the Sankaji hi chhatri, near #Bihar, #Rajgarh. Date estimated at 16th-17th century CE, though to me it seemed later. Inputs welcome.
The Sankaji ki chhatri, #Rajgarh, has over a hundred carved panels at its base. Here are four of them.
#MPTrail: The latest #HiddenHeritage story in @TOIBhopalNews on a pillared structure in #Bihar vil, #Rajgarh. Spotted it first in a pic & was amazed at its likeness to a Greek structure. Part of a lost temple complex. In front is a dargah which completes the story.
A link to the story: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/a-…
Will share some pics of baolis (stepwells) seen in MP over time. These from a place called Mor Pipli, #Rajgarh dist.
Wonderful to see an old stepwell equipped with modern equipment and still in use. In the fields close to Lalgarh vil, #Rajgarh dist, #MPtrail.
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