Kankali Devi Temple

Alexander Cunningham visited Tigawa in 1873 and reported the antiquities of the town. He mentions a rectangular mound of 250 feet long and 120 feet wide which was entirely covered with large blocks of cut-stones. These stones were parts of ruins of various temples, all fallen ace but one which was in good state of preservation. He was told that the mound was utterly destroyed by a railway contractor who collected all the squared stones in a heap together to be used in railway construction. It is mentioned that two hundred carts were used to bring this heap to the foot of hill. This rapacious and destructive activity was stopped by an order from the Deputy Commissioner of Jabalpur but damage was done till that time. Cunningham estimated that the temple would have been about 19.5 feet square. There is an image of Vishnu of later period inside the temple. Various incarnations of Vishnu are depicted around the main image.

The temples were in varying sizes from 4 feet square to 15 feet square. The temples of modest size, 4 to 6 feet square, were covered on three sides and open on east. Temples of medium size, 7 to 10 feet square, were covered on all sides with a doorway on the eastern sides, whereas the large temples, from 10 to 15 feet square, were having an additional portico in front. All these temple, which ruins are only left, were having a shikhara with amalaka on top. No Buddhist or Jains antiquity was found by Cunningham.

It has a sanctum and an open portico supported on four pillars. The portico was covered with walls containing panels during a later period. It is covered with a flat roof. It is one of the few Gupta period temples that have survived. It is very similar to the Gupta period temple at Sanchi.

An image of Narasimha is placed inside the sanctum. The portico has an image of the Sheshashai Vishnu and another one of Chamunda (Kankali Devi). Attached to the temple is a large unusual Buddha-like image with snakes on the top.

An eighth-century CE inscription mentions the visit of Umadeva of Kanyakubja, son of Samanya Bhatta, who had come to worship at the temple of Setabhadra. There are also two inscriptions in Sankha Lipi.

1. On a face of a pillar – Descriptive List of Inscriptions in The Central Provinces and Berar – undated, dated to eighth century CE on paleographic study – in Sanskrit language – the inscription mentions about the visit of UmaDeva of Kanyakubja (Kanauj), son of Samanya Bhatta, to pay his devotion at the temple of Setabhadra (probably Svetabhadra).

2. There are two more pilgrim records, one is highly floriated and other very indistinct.

All in all, this square temple was the forerunner of stone temples of the Gupta dynasty. It is well preserved and is similar to Buddhist Temple 17 of Sanchi. It has an ardhamandapa, which was originally just a pathway. The walls on both sides of the ardhamandapa were attached later. The roof is flat and there is no shikhara. As in Sanchi, lions are sculpted on top of the pillars.Though getting to Sanchi 200 km south of Khajuraho, is difficult, it is worth a visit.