Explore the hidden gems of Gwalior

10:00 AM – 04:00 PM

Padhavali is 35 km from Gwalior city and at this location, you find some unique and ancient temples that are not known by many.

Mode of Transport: Hire a taxi or an auto from your hotel for the whole day’s sightseeing.

Once you reach Padhavali, your first stop will be at the Bateshwar Temple.

The Bateshwar Temple is a group of temples of different sizes made of sandstone. Each temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Each shrine has a dedicated shiv linga along with Nandi, the sacred bull of Lord Shiva. It is hard to count the exact number of temples due to their partially ruined condition. Restoration work by the administration is underway to develop the area into a prime tourist destination.

100 meters from the Bateshwar Temple, you can spot the Vishnu Temple built on an elevated platform. The temple has no deity inside but the carvings on the walls and pillars dictate some of the episodes from the Krishna Leela.

Time Duration: 1 – 1.5 hours

1 km from Bateshwar Temple is the Garhi Padhavali.

Garhi Padhavali is a unique place to explore. From the exterior, you identify it to be a fort but once you enter the premise, you find a temple. The ceiling and the pillars are carved with figures of Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, and their devotees. If you are fond of architectural photography, you cannot afford to skip this.

Time Duration: 45 min – 1 hour

Also read: Explore the Royal Sites in Gwalior

4 km from Padhavali is Mitawali Temple.

Mitawali Temple is known by two other names, viz. Ekattarso Mahadev Mandir and Chausath Yogini Temple. As the name indicates, the temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The structure of the temple cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The shiv linga sits at the center and in the surroundings, there are slots dedicated to 64 yoginis. The temple sits on a hilltop and to get there you have to climb close to 100 steps. The older building of the Indian Parliament was developed based on the structure of this very temple.

There’s a shop here where you can get some small bites and keep yourself hydrated.

Time Duration: 1 – 1.5 hours

Travel advice: This area is neither a commercial area nor a residential area. So you will not find a restaurant or any shop. So it is advised to carry some snacks while traveling and an extra bottle of water.