2025-05-21 Wed

The Nachana temples, located in the panna district of Madhya Pradesh, represent some of the earliest surviving stone temples in Central India. The historical significance of this site was first recognized by Sir Alexander Cunningham during his visit in 1883-84. Subsequently, in 1919, R D Banerjee conducted further explorations and identified additional #Temple remnants concealed within the jungle.

While many of the temples in the area are in a state of Ruin, they are noteworthy for some of the earliest known stone reliefs that illustrate various scenes from the epic Ramayana. The Parvati temple at Nachna stands out as the best-preserved and most extensively studied monument.

Dating back to the 5th-6th centuries CE, the Parvati temple is a Nagara style temple. It was constructed during the rule of the Uchchhakalpas, who were feudatories of the Gupta Dynasty. This temple features a simple, flat-roofed, two-storey stone shrine, which includes a mandapa, garbhagriha, and pradakshina-path. The entrance is flanked by intricate guard figures, depicting the Ganga with a crocodile and the #Yamuna with a turtle.

A significant 5th-century CE inscription, known as the Nachna-ki-talai inscription, was discovered in the village's tank. This inscription references an individual named ‘Vyaghradeva,’ identified as a feudatory of ‘Prithvisena.’ Although there is scholarly debate regarding the inscription's details, it has been suggested that the kings mentioned may correspond to Prithvishena I of the #Vakataka dynasty and Vyaghra of the Uchchhakalpa dynasty.

Although only two temples remain at this site, a number of stone reliefs have been uncovered. One notable relief is currently housed at the National Museum. On March 23, 1982, India Post issued a commemorative stamp featuring a stone carving of the deer family as part of the 'Festival of India.' This sculpture, found near the Parvati Temple, depicts four deer, including a large male seated to the right, two smaller does—one resting with a foot crossed over the other—and another doe positioned behind with an alert head, now damaged, turned backward. Above them, large boulders suggest a rocky shelter where the animals seek shade.