Kankali Devi Temple, Madhya Pradesh

It is one of the earliest temples of Devi Kali Maa Known as one of the Shaktipeeth amongst Hindu pilgrims situated in Tigawa town district, Katni, Madhya Pradesh. It is approximately 20 Km from Bhopal. Being so old is one of the centers of dedication for Hindus. There is one unique thing about the statue of Maa Kali, throughout Navratri the neck of Maa Kali’s statue is a little moved from its original position.

History of Kankali Devi Temple

Alexander Cunningham visited Tigawa in 1873 and reported the antiquities of the town. He points out a rectangle-shaped mound of 250 feet long and 120 feet broad which was totally covered with big blocks of cut-stones. It is discussed that 2 hundred carts were utilized to bring this stack to the foot of the hill. Cunningham approximated that the temple would have been about 19.5 feet square. The temples were in differing sizes from 4 feet square to 15 feet square. Temples of medium size, 7 to 10 feet square, were covered on all sides with an entrance on the eastern sides, whereas the big temples, from 10 to 15 feet square, were having an extra portico in front.

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 3 sides and open on the east. Temples of medium size, 7 to 10 feet square, were covered on all sides with an entrance on the eastern sides, whereas the big temples, from 10 to 15 feet square, were having an extra portico in front. All these temples, which ruins are only left, were having a shikhara with amalaka on top. No Buddhist or Jain antiquity was found by Cunningham.

Architecture of Kankali Devi Temple

It has a holy place and an open veranda supported by 4 pillars. The portico was covered up with walls including panels during a later duration. It is covered with a flat rooftop. It is among the few Gupta-duration temples that have survived. It is incredibly comparable to the Gupta duration temple at Sanchi.

An eighth-century CE engraving mentions the visit of Umadeva of Kanyakubja, a child of Samanya Bhatta, who had come to worship at the temple of Setabhadra. There are also 2 engravings in Sankha Lipi.

• On a face of a pillar– Descriptive List of Inscriptions in The Major Provinces and Berar– undated, dated to 8th century CE on paleographic research study– in Sanskrit language– the engraving points out about the visit of UmaDeva of Kanyakubja (Kanauj), child of Samanya Bhatta, to pay his worship at the temple of Setabhadra (most likely Svetabhadra).
• There are 2 more pilgrim histories, one is another and extremely floriated really indistinct.

All in all, this square temple was the leader of stone temples of the Gupta dynasty. It is well maintained and is comparable to Buddhist Temple 17 of Sanchi. It has an ardhamandapa, which was originally only a path. The walls on both sides of the ardhamandapa were connected later on. The rooftop is flat and there is no shikhara. As in Sanchi, lions are sculpted on top of the pillars. Though reaching Sanchi 200 km south of Khajuraho, is challenging, it is worth a visit.

Idol of Kankali Devi Temple

A picture of Narasimha is placed inside the temple. The balcony has a picture of the Sheshashai Vishnu and another one of Chamunda (Kankali Devi). Connected to the temple is a huge unusual Buddha-like picture with snakes on the top.

How to Reach

• By Air: Jabalpur Airport is the nearest airport at a distance of 70 km from the temple.
• By Rail: Sihori Railway Station is the nearest railway station at a distance of 30 km from the temple. 
• By Road: Tigawa is located near Bahoriband at a range of about 5-6 km. From Jabalpur, take NH7 which goes to Katni. After passing over Sihora, there is a turn towards Bahuriband. Tigawa is on the Bahuriband-Bakal roadway, State Highway 31 after crossing Bahuriband. Tigawa complex is on the main roadway only and the road situation is excellent.
• There are a couple of areas that travelers might visit on the exact same day, namely, Chidia Tol and Risen. The journey to the temple is one day, taking a trip from Bhopal to Kankali Mata mandir to Chidia Tol to Raise & back to Bhopal. An overall round figure of roughly 110 km taking a trip. The Trip is truly excellent as it consists of both picnic and religious places.

Temple Timings

Morning Timing	Evening Timing
4:00 AM to 12:30 PM	5:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Temple Video