File:0112421 Gadarmal 42-Yogini Hindu temples complex, Badoh Pathari, Madhya Pradesh 521.jpg

English: The Gadarmal temple is one of the rare Hindu temples complex of the Shaktism tradition. It is unusual in several respects:

• it is one of only two surviving 42-Yogini temples known in India (the other is in Dudahi, 64-Yogini are most common, 81-Yogini temples exist but are also uncommon)
• it is one of the few rectangular plan Yogini temples known in India (the circular plans are more common for Yogini temples); further the complex is a variant of panchayatana layout of shrines as discussed in Advaita Vedanta manuscripts
• this Yogini mandir complex includes a subsidiary Vishnu temple in the complex (typical only Shiva is present with the Yoginis)
• it has an oblong plan and certain rhythmic geometric ratios that are uncommon in Hindu temples of South Asia and Southeast Asia
• the temple was restored and repaired in 1923 from piles of temples left after its destruction post 13th-century; this restoraton was completed by the colonial era Gwalior state and this effort created a different sikhara and introduced errors in how the artwork is arranged, It also used ruins from nearby destroyed temples, including a few Jain pieces. The artwork in the extant temple is predominantly Hindu. There is no evidence at the site or in Jaina literature that this was ever a Jain temple. Furthermore, the uniqueness of the Gadarmal temple is such that 19th-century colonial era surveyors initially reported it as a "Brahmanical temple that was appropriated by Buddhists and converted into a temple for Buddha" by adding a gateway and Buddhist artwork that seemed Buddhist to them. There is no evidence, however, that this was ever a Buddhist temple or that Buddhists in any century ever tried to appropriate this Hindu temple.

The Gadarmal temple is named after a regional word "gadaria" which means shepherd. A local legend says that the shepherd served the sage Gyannath for a long time, who then gave him a big pile of barley as gift. The shepherd gave it to his wife. She stored it and later tried to cook it, and found it is actually gold. The shepherd used that gold to build this temple, and thus the name Gadarmal. It is unclear who built this temple, or when. Two inscriptions found in the temple are from pilgrims who mention samvat dates that correspond to the 11th-century CE (the script style matches the century). Thus the temple existed and was popular with pilgrims in 11th-century. The artwork and temple's sophistication suggest that this is a mid 10th-century temple, a few scholars have proposed 9th-century.

The Gadarmal temples complex stands on a very large platform. It has one large main temple facing north, and seven subsidiary shrines arranged in a variant of the panchayatana layout. A stone pathway leads to the temples and welcomes the pilgrims via an impressive torana, now damaged. To the casual viewer, some of the torana artwork looks similar to the torana found near Sanchi stupa; however, a more careful examination reveals that the iconography and motifs are those found in Hindu temples for Durga.

Only the main and one subsidiary temple has enough artwork and design details to identify their original dedication. The main temple was a 42-Yogini temple, the lintel artwork shows war scenes, Yogini and them in their warrior manifestation. The identifiable subsidiary temple was for Vishnu. Aerial views of the temple show ruins spread over a large area near this site.

External sources for scholarly discussions:

• Vidya Dehejia (1986), Yogini Cult and Temples, Chapter 8
• Anne Casile (2009), Temples and the expansion of a religious center in central India: readings of the archaeological landscape of Badoh-Pathari from the 5th to the 10th century AD

Background:

Badoh-Pathari was a major ancient religious and trade hub with many 4th to 6th-century Gupta era monuments and inscriptions, as well as temples through the 11th-century. Rock paintings, microliths and archaeological items discovered here and locations within about 10 miles suggest that this is one of most ancient sites with human activity and creative innovation in central India. Badoh-Pathari along with nearby sites such as Eran and Ramgarh have yielded objective evidence for better understanding of ancient India, as well as the development of Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. Sanskrit texts and early inscriptions found in this region call it Vatodaka. This likely evolved to Vatanagara, then Barnagara, finally to their modern era rural vernacular names.

Badoh-Pathari are now a pair of neighboring villages in eastern Malwa, Vidisha district. Pathari means "rocky, hillock" it is the older site and now the village to the north of Badoh. They are located in a somewhat remote, scenic terrain punctuated by monadnocks. The twin villages are in a valley within four hills – Gyannath, Gadori, Anhora and Sapa – of which the Gyannath (Jnannath) hill is the highest. These hillocks are a rich source of beautiful and excellent constructional sandstone, and they offered a natural resource to build caves, stambhas (pillars) and temples.

Badoh-Pathari has many notable Hindu temples with Shiva, Devi (Shakta) and Vishnu artwork, as well as some notable Jain monuments. Modern highways and roads built in late 2010s have significantly improved access to numerous historic sites centered around Badoh-Pathari.