File:0121621 Garhi Padhavali Shiva temple MP 403.jpg

English: The Garhi Padhavali temple of Madhya Pradesh survives only partially, yet it is one of most profusely and beautifully carved Hindu temple mandapa in India from pre-12th century era. This Padhavali site is from early 10th century (c. 925 CE, Kachhapaghata dynasty). The site was damaged before the 18th century. In the 18th century, Jat rulers from eastern Rajasthan built a small heavy fort just to protect this monument.

Padhavali was an ancient city, but now is a small village. Well over 15 inscriptions have been found near Padhavali, most pre-dating 14th century. Of these, the earliest mention of the importance of Padhavali is in a 7th century inscription. It is repeatedly mentioned through 8th to 12th century as a part of a college-monasteries complex along with the nearby sites of Mitawali (Chausath Yogini temple site) and Bateshwar temples (a site with 200 Hindu temples).

The Garhi Padavali temple faced west. From the ground evidence, it once consisted of a mukhamandapa, an ardhamandapa, a mahamandapa and a garbhagriha. The mahamandapa was later walled up and converted into a structure with a dome on top. The walls and dome were removed in late 1920s by the princely state of Gwalior to reveal the original mahamandapa.

The entire temple stood over a platform. The surviving mahamandapa has sixteen pillars, a high plinth and a vedika. It is open on two sides.

The mahamandapa is notable for its exquisite carvings and reliefs of pillars, ceilings, architraves and pretty much every surface. Some of these are miniatures yet with extraordinary details. The mandapa celebrates all major and some minor traditions of 10th century Hinduism – Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism, Sauraism and some esoteric tantra traditions. Vedic legends such as the samudra manthan are included in the panels. Some of the particularly remarkable panels are of the Saptamatrikas, Natesa-Nataraja, Shaiva legends such as of Andhakasuravadha, Krishna legends, Vishnu dasavataras, Surya, Navagrahas, Chamundi, Ramayana and Mahabharata.

The Garhi Padavali temple's sanctum and sikhara was obliterated after the 13th century and associated structures with artwork are lost to history. In addition a few other Hindu and Jain temples were obliterated, their existence evidenced by numerous broken and mutilated artwork discovered near this site and the village. During the colonial era, archaeologists and amateurs found numerous statues, reliefs and temple parts scattered throughout Padhavali–Mitawali–Bateswar region. Many of better pieces were moved to museums in India and outside India. Some broken statues and artwork recovered from Garhi Padhavali temple site, for example, are now at the Gwalior museum. The Garhi Padhawali temple is a national monument, protected and managed by the ASI.