Kakanmath Temple in Morena. Photo credit – Wikimedia CC 4.0 / Email4anchal
In the quiet village of Sihoniya in Morena district, Madhya Pradesh, stands a temple that looks like it shouldn’t be standing at all. Tall, narrow, and built with stones that appear loosely stacked on top of one another, the Kakanmath Temple seems perpetually on the verge of collapse.
Looks like a Lego-temple, it is incredibly old, and there are interesting legends behind it.The temple dates back to the 11th century and was commissioned by Kirtiraj of the Kachchhapaghata dynasty. Dedicated to Shiva, this temple was once part of a much larger temple complex, which included several other smaller temples. Today, the towering structure of the main temple stands dramatically above the ruins.What makes the Kakanmath temple particularly interesting is its construction.
Unlike other buildings, the temple is made of dry stone masonry, which means that the massive stones have been stacked one on top of the other without the aid of cement, lime, or mortar. At first glance, the stones appear to have been thrown together anyhow, which gives the impression that the temple could fall apart at any moment. However, the temple stands the test of time.Naturally, a structure like this has inspired its fair share of legends.
Kakanmath Temple in Morena Photo credit – Wikimedia CC 4.0/ PankajSaxena
The temple that ghosts supposedly built
The temple, according to local folklore, was not built by human beings. In fact, it is claimed that supernatural beings, referred to as spirits, built this temple overnight. According to local folklore, supernatural beings worked hard throughout the night, building this temple stone by stone.However, before the completion of the temple, the first rays of the sun appeared. At this time, the spirits disappeared, and the temple remained incomplete.
According to the supporters of this legend, the apparently unstable structure of the temple is a clear indication that something supernatural happened during the time of its construction.There is also another version of the legend, which has a different twist. According to this version, King Kirtira wanted to construct a magnificent temple in the name of Lord Shiva. However, the difficulties faced during the construction of the temple were bothering the king.
According to the folklore, Lord Shiva appeared in the dream of the king and said that a magnificent temple could be constructed in a single night, but with one condition: no human should witness the construction of the temple.
Keeping this in mind, the king ordered the people of the village to remain indoors the following night and not come out under any circumstances. However, the curiosity of a young boy led him to secretly peek outside.
According to the legend, the moment the mysterious builders realised they had been seen, the construction stopped instantly, leaving the temple incomplete.
The history behind the mystery
Of course, the real history behind the mystery is far less mysterious and supernatural for the historians. As per the historians, the temple was constructed during the Kachchhapaghata dynasty, a medieval Indian kingdom that ruled over a major portion of central India.
The unusual appearance of the temple is probably due to the destruction of the other structures over time, leaving the main temple standing alone.As per the archaeological studies conducted over the temple, the temple was originally accompanied by a number of other temples situated around the main temple in the Panchayatana pattern. Over time, the other structures were destroyed due to earthquakes and other natural causes.Whether you believe the historians or the ghost stories, there is one thing for sure – the Kakanmath Temple is one of a kind. The stones piled up, the height, and the location make the temple one of the most impressive temple ruins in central India. Maybe that is the secret behind the legend. After all, if you have something that’s been around for a thousand years and looks like it might come crashing down at any moment, but doesn’t, well.
.. something must be keeping it together.
