Main Attractions of Badoli

Ghateshwara Temple
The Ghateshwara temple are famous for profusely decorated porch, ceiling and the outside roof with images of Shiva and celestial nymphs in attendance. Shiva runs riot in this temple, and almost all images are of his likeness. That is not all – since Shiva is the Destroyer in holy Hindu trinity of Brahma the Creator and Vishnu the Presever, he slays a couple of demons called andhaka and Chamunda, and the entire battle gets recorded in stone by the builders of this temple. and after a glorious victory Shiva normally gets a bit inebriated and goes dancing, in his celebrated tandav dance. This dance itself forms the basic imagery for carvings outside the temple. Finally, at the very entrance of the temple there’s another dancing Shiva, but this time he’s surrounded by an audience of Brahma, Vishnu and a host of other figures straight out of mythology.

Mahishasuramardini & Trimurti Temples
The famous Mahishasuramardini and Trimurti temples near the Ghateshwara temple were built in the 10 century. The goddess Durga was sent down to terra firma as Mahishasuramardini to slay the demon Mahishasura. Now `mardini’ means slayer and Mahishasura was the demon. So the one who slays the demon ought to be called Mahishasuramardini, and so it goes in Hindu mythology.

Anyway – the Mahishasuramardini temple is crowned with a finely carved and curved pagoda. The motifs on this are so intricately etched that they almost appear to be a fine transparent screen. Close at hand is another Shiva temple situated in a tiny pond.

Kansuan Temples
10km from Kota is an ancient Kansuan temple which bears an inscription dating back to 738AD. Enclosed by a wall, the complex consists of a main Shiva temple and a few smaller shrines, all with Shiva lingas (Lord Shiva’s symbolic phallus) within them. However, the trials of time and weather have laid seige to the edifices, and the temples now lie in a state of disrepair.