Parvathi Temple, Nachna, Madhya Pradesh

Parvathi Temple, Nachna, Madhya Pradesh

Parvathi Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Goddess Sakthi located in Nachna Village in the Indian state Madhya Pradesh. The temple of Parvati is one of the oldest temple of India belongs to Gupta Period. This temple is one of the prototypal Hindu temple styles that has survived from ancient India. It includes the cubical sanctum, narrates spiritual legends with carvings of divine legends and secular themes in a certain sequence both outside and inside the temple.

History

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://hindutemples-india.blogspot.com/2019/12/nachna-temples-history.html

The Temple

The Parvati Temple is a two-storey building with almost perfect square plan thick-walled sanctum of 15 feet (4.6 m) side on the outside and is 8 feet (2.4 m) sided square inside (the garbhagriha is a cube). The temple opens to the west and stands on a jagati (platform) that is 4.5 feet (1.4 m) above the ground. The pilgrim reaches its sanctum using a stairway, and after passing through a mandapa that is 12 feet (3.7 m) square. The sanctum is surrounded by a roofed pradakshina patha (circumambulation pathway) that is 33 feet (10 m) on the outside and 26 feet (7.9 m) on the inside.

The outer walls have perforated stone windows (trellises) to allow natural light in. The upper-story is relatively plain. It lacks a roof or tower, but the structure suggests that it was likely a flat roof temple. This style of construction is seen in a few early temples (such as Sanchi, Temple No. 45; Deogarh, Kuraiya-Bir Temple, Lad Khan Temple in Aihole). The entrance to the sanctum (garbhagriha) has multiple columns, each decorated with carvings, with none monolithic. At their base is a (Kalasha).

The lintel are also intricately carved. The doorway is flanked by guard figures in the lower part with Ganga with river crocodile and Yamuna with river turtle. Beside them towards the inside are symmetrically placed graceful Shaiva dvarapalas (door guardians), each holding the trident. Each is relatively larger than the river goddesses, but about 1 foot (0.30 m) in height. Concentric to the entrance are panels of intricate carvings. The first panel has floral and geometric motifs from the 5th century. Concentric to these are 10 friezes, 5 on each side above the river goddesses. These carvings show courtship and love making scenes (mithunas).

On top of the lintel of the doorway are seated men and women miniatures shown as if they are leaning in and peering into the center of the sanctum. The style of sanctum door has stylistic similarities with those found in the Lakshmana Temple in the Sirpur Group of Monuments in Chhattisgarh. Two of the oldest trellises (Jalis, perforated windows) of the Parvati temple show Ganas playing music, dancing or abstract decor. These probably date back to the third period of the 5^th century.

In the 'rocky landscape' of the platform walls several small animal reliefs (resting gazelles etc.) were created, of which only a few have been preserved. The figures on the outer walls and on the doorway have the figures of the Ganges and Jamuna standing on their respective symbols, the crocodile and tortoise. All the roofs are flat, like those of known Gupta temples at Sanchi, Eran and Tigowa.

Connectivity

The Temple is located at about 8 Kms from Saleha, 29 Kms from Devendra Nagar, 31 Kms from Nagod, 55 Kms from Panna, 56 Kms from Satna Railway Junction, 59 Kms from Satna, 92 Kms from Khajuraho, 92 Kms from Khajuraho Railway Station, 95 Kms from Khajuraho Airport, 105 Kms from Katni, 202 Kms from Jabalpur and 403 Kms from Bhopal. Nachna can be reached by a taxi from main towns. If you plan by public transport, then take a bus from Panna going to Satna and get down at Devendranagar, which is 26 Kms from Panna. From Devendranagar, take a bus to Saleha, which is 21 km from Devendranagar. From Saleha, Nachna is about 8 Kms. However, there is no public transport available to reach this village. You can either try a taxi from Saleha or try some hitchhiking. Public transport frequency is not very good, so plan accordingly. Khajuraho and Satna are the nearest railheads. Khajuraho is the nearest airport. 

Location