India is a country known for its rich tradition and culture. The architectural greatness of India’s temples and palaces dates back to centuries remarkable for their intricate design and engineering skills . Some such palaces and temples have stood the test of time, silent witnesses to India’s golden past.
One such architectural wonder is the Kakanmath Temple in Madhya Pradesh, India. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple is famous not only as a place of worship but as a historical legend surrounded by mystery and miraculous stories.
This temple, built hundreds of years back is located in the village named Sihoniya, in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh. Not only it is known for its exquisite architecture but the actual reason is much more than that. Locals say that this temple was constructed by ghosts.
The Legend About The Kakanmath temple
The legend about the building of this temple has been passed down from one generation to another from ancient times to the present days.
According to the folklore, this temple was constructed during the reign of the Kachchapaghata dynasty in the 11th century AD. As the tale goes, a king named Krittiraja of this dynasty was a great devotee of Lord Shiva.
He wanted to build a temple dedicated to Shiva. However, due to a number of hurdles it became very difficult for him to fulfill his wish. Being an ardent worshiper of Lord Shiva, he prayed to him day and night to help him. After a long time, Lord Shiva finally appeared to him in a dream and agreed to fulfill his heart’s desire.
Shiva assured the king that the temple would be built in one night through divine intervention. But there was one condition which was laid down, that no human being should witness the construction of this temple. The King bowed down to this condition and passed strict orders that no living person should step out of their houses or look out of their windows, come what may.
Then in the darkness of the night, the construction work of the temple started. Everyone could hear the sound of chisel and hammer beating against the stones. Apart from these sounds the atmosphere was filled with a calmness which was eerie. But destiny had something else in store.
Half Constructed Kakanmath Temple!
A child living close by, out of curiosity opened a window and as soon as he looked out, the sounds stopped. There is another story which states that the construction stopped and the artisans disappeared when they heard the sound of a grinding mill. The temple which was near completion remained incomplete forever. The construction and the architectural work was so unique that no human hand could finish it.
Sceptics say that such stories have no evidence and this cannot be proved. The temple must have been built by skilled architects who were very committed to the King and laboured hard with a lot of precision to construct the temple.
But if this theory is to be believed then why was the temple not completed ? Such an architectural wonder is yet to be seen. Every part of construction be it the doorways, the pillars or the ceiling is filled with intricate workmanship and the huge 120 ft. Shivling , all reflect celestial handiwork.
Another uniqueness lies in the art of heavy stones being stacked one on top of another without any cement or mud to fix it to each other (these stones had been brought here from a far away place). Yet they stand, not shaken by time or the ravages of weather although many other temples built about that time or later, are in a ruined condition.
It is also believed that the construction of the temple was done in a single night which is humanly not possible. This temple is now a prominent tourist attraction, more for its mystique tales rather than a place of worship. Another feature which draws pilgrims towards it is the huge Shivling in the centre of the temple which has not been affected by time and this Kakanmath temple is considered to be one of the safest temples believed to be protected by a divine entity.
