Nohleshwar Shiv Mandir Damoh Jablapur Highway, Nohta, Nohta, Madhya Pradesh

The Nohaleshwar Shiva Temple is a lesser-known architectural masterpiece, built by the Kalachuris of Tripuri (also known as the Kalachuris of Chedi) in the mid-10th century. Although locals believe that this temple was built by Yuvrajdev I in honor of his wife Nohla Devi (according to some Nohla), But the architectural style and details suggest that the temple was built between 950 – 960 AD which would be after the time of Yuvrajdev.

This temple is magnificently established on a high and wide platform, which is about 6 feet in height and 100 feet in length. The external aspects are decorated with gods and goddesses, dancers, apsaras, sages, scenes from the Puranas, various forms of Lord Shiva such as Nataraja, Andhakantaka and Vinadhara and beautiful repetitive floral patterns, Decorated with stunning sculptures of geometric, animal, bird and auspicious Hindu motifs.

The temple has a Pancharatha sanctum surmounted by a highly decorated shikhara. The mandap has four pillars with a relatively simple design which carries the color to the mandap. Interestingly, on the right is the majestic Narmada (usually Ganga sits on the right) while on the left is the Yamuna. Eight forms of Goddess Lakshmi adorn the lower platform in front, of which Gajalakshmi is the most captivating. Sapta Matrikas are carved in many parts of the temple.

The Navagrahas are placed on the top part of the Lalata Bimba with Lord Shiva in the middle. A huge Shiva Linga made of black stone is installed in the sanctum sanctorum. There are about 109 idols inside the sanctum sanctorum which are very ancient.

There are also intricately carved sculptures of Uma Maheshwar, Goddess Saraswati, Lord Vishnu, Ashtadipalaka, Lakshmi Narayan, Shiva Parvati and others. Every inch of this temple displays extraordinary craftsmanship that is similar to the art seen in the temples of Khajuraho.

The temple managed to survive the wrath of successive Muslim invasions and is remarkably well preserved. This temple is a protected monument of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Thousands of devotees visit this temple on the auspicious occasion of Makar Sankranti, Maha Shivratri and Shravan month.

The historical splendour of Nohta had been acknowledged as far back as the late 19th century when Henry Cousens, an English writer, pictured the ancient ruins. He observed that there were so many sites of ancient temples scattered around Nohta that it was not difficult to imagine that this must have been a place of great importance at some point in history. Believed to have been the capital of the Chandela kings in the early 12th century, this quaint town boasts a number of Jain temples as well as a popular Shiva temple about 2 km away, where an annual Kartik fair is held that draws huge footfalls. There are a number of intricate figures of deities like Goddess Gajalakshmi and these are housed in eight large projecting niches in the temple.