The Tigawa (Kankali Devi) Temples sit in a small farming village in Katni district, Madhya Pradesh, and they matter far beyond their size: the surviving Kankali Devi shrine is one of the earliest flat-roofed stone temples India has, built when the Gupta-era temple form was still being worked out. This guide covers what stands today, how the site is dated, how to reach it from Katni and Jabalpur, and how to fold it into a wider Madhya Pradesh heritage trip.
Tigawa, in Katni district of Madhya Pradesh, is an early Gupta temple site whose best-preserved building, the Kankali Devi temple, is usually dated to about 400–425 CE. It is a protected Monument of National Importance under the Archaeological Survey of India, and sits near Bahuriband, roughly 50 km from Katni town.
Key takeaways
- The Kankali Devi temple at Tigawa is dated by most scholars to the 4th–5th century CE (commonly c. 400–425 CE), making it among the oldest surviving stone temples in India.
- Tigawa is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India; its Wikipedia-sourced ASI listing is “The whole site of Kankali Devi Temple and Durgadevi temple” (reference N-MP-157), in Katni district, Madhya Pradesh.
- The temple is a compact square sanctum, about 12.5 ft (3.8 m) on each outer side, with an open four-pillar portico and a flat stone-slab roof, closely resembling Temple 17 at Sanchi.
- The nearest big town is Katni (about 46–50 km); Jabalpur city is about 70–73 km, and Jabalpur (Dumna) airport about 83 km, per travel listings reviewed in October 2026.
- There is no ASI online ticket listing for Tigawa as of October 2026; treat it as an open daylight-hours site and carry your own water, as the village has few facilities.
- Antiquarian Alexander Cunningham recorded the remains of not fewer than 36 temples here in the 1870s; most were demolished for railway building stone, and only the Kankali Devi shrine survived intact.
About the Tigawa (Kankali Devi) Temples
Tigawa (also spelled Tigowa or Tigwan) is a village and archaeological site in Katni district, Madhya Pradesh, lying near the small town of Bahuriband. Do not confuse it with any similarly named village elsewhere; the temple of note here is the Kankali Devi temple, named after the Chamunda (Kankali Devi) relief on its wall, though scholars believe the shrine was originally dedicated to Vishnu.
The site is best understood as the one intact survivor of a much larger temple cluster. Antiquarian Alexander Cunningham, who surveyed it in the 1870s for the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), reported the remains of “not less than 36 temples” spread over a mound of roughly 30,000 sq ft. In the late 19th century a railway contractor demolished most of them and carted away about 200 cartloads of dressed stone as building material; one temple was too large to move, and that is the Kankali Devi temple we see today.
The ASI lists the protected site as “The whole site of Kankali Devi Temple and Durgadevi temple” (reference N-MP-157, per the published list of Monuments of National Importance in Madhya Pradesh), confirming that two shrines survive at the spot. If you are building a wider heritage route, this pairs naturally with the sites in our Madhya Pradesh travel guide.
| Place | Kankali Devi temple, Tigawa, Katni district, Madhya Pradesh |
|---|---|
| Period | Gupta era; commonly dated c. 400–425 CE (scholars range 4th–5th c. CE) |
| Protection | Monument of National Importance, Archaeological Survey of India |
| Nearest town | Bahuriband (about 3–4 km) |
| Nearest major city | Jabalpur (about 70–73 km); Katni about 46–50 km |
| Time needed | 30–60 minutes at the temple |
Best time to visit
The best months to visit Tigawa are October to March, when central Madhya Pradesh is dry and mild and walking the open compound is comfortable. The temple is in the Mahakoshal plains, so summers are hot and the monsoon brings heavy rain and muddy village approaches. There is no altitude concern here; the site sits on flat agricultural land.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Winter | October–March | Cool, dry, clear light for photography; the best window |
| Summer | April–June | Hot and dry; visit early morning, carry water and sun cover |
| Monsoon | July–September | Green surrounds but rain and slippery village roads; plan around showers |
If you can time it, a clear winter morning gives the best light on the east-facing doorway and its river-goddess carvings.
How to reach Tigawa (Kankali Devi) Temples
The practical base for reaching Tigawa is Jabalpur or Katni, from where you drive the last stretch via Bahuriband; there is no direct public transport to the village itself. Tigawa lies off the Jabalpur–Katni corridor, past Sihora and Bahuriband.
- By air: The nearest airport is Jabalpur (Dumna) Airport (JLR), about 83 km away. Jabalpur has scheduled flights including IndiGo services to Delhi; a new terminal opened in March 2024. Reconfirm current routes with the airline before booking.
- By rail: Katni Junction (code KTE) is a major rail junction with links in five directions (Bina, Jabalpur, Satna, Bilaspur, Singrauli) and trains to Delhi, Mumbai, Howrah, Bhopal and more. Jabalpur station is the other main railhead. Smaller stops such as Sleemanabad Road and Sihora Road are nearer (about 30 km) but have limited stops.
- By road: From Jabalpur, head toward Katni and, after Sihora, turn for Bahuriband; Tigawa lies a few km beyond Bahuriband. A hired taxi or self-drive is the realistic option for the final leg, as village bus services are sparse.
| From | Distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bahuriband | ~3–4 km | Nearest town; last approach by road |
| Katni | ~46–50 km | Nearest major junction town |
| Jabalpur city | ~70–73 km | Main rail/road base |
| Jabalpur (Dumna) airport | ~83 km | Nearest airport |
| Bhopal | ~339–350 km | State capital; long drive or train to Katni/Jabalpur first |
Distances vary slightly by source and route; treat them as planning figures and confirm with a live map before you set out.
What to see at the temple
The single most important thing to see is the Kankali Devi temple itself, a textbook example of early Gupta temple design: a square sanctum with a flat roof and a pillared porch, built without a towering shikhara. Its plan is so close to Temple 17 at Sanchi that art historians treat the two together when describing how the Hindu temple took shape.
The sanctum (garbha-griha) measures about 12.5 ft (3.8 m) square outside and roughly 8 ft (2.4 m) inside, set on a low plinth. In front projects an open portico carried on four massive pillars, each worked from a square base up through octagonal and sixteen-sided sections to a circular neck and a pot-and-foliage (purna-ghata) capital, topped by crouching lions flanking a tree. The portico’s open sides were partly walled up at a later date, as Percy Brown noted.
On the doorway, look for the river goddesses Ganga (on a crocodile, or makara) and Yamuna (on a tortoise), a hallmark of Gupta temple doorframes. Inside the sanctum is an image of Narasimha, the man-lion avatar of Vishnu. The outer panels include Sheshashayi Vishnu (Vishnu reclining on the serpent Shesha), a Varaha (boar-avatar) scene, and the Chamunda/Kankali Devi relief that gives the temple its popular name. Cunningham suggested some of the Shaiva and Shakta reliefs were added later, perhaps around the 8th century.
A short inscription on one pillar, dated on script grounds to roughly the 7th–8th century CE, records a pilgrim, Umadeva of Kanyakubja (Kanauj), son of Samanya Bhatta, visiting to worship; two further pilgrim records survive, one ornate and one faint. There is no surviving foundation inscription, which is why the temple’s date rests on style rather than a dated record.
| Feature | What it is | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Flat-roofed sanctum | Square cella, ~3.8 m, stone-slab roof, no shikhara | Early Gupta temple form, pre-dating tall towers |
| Four-pillar portico | Massive pillars with pot-and-foliage capitals and lions | Classic Gupta pillar sequence; echoes Sanchi Temple 17 |
| Ganga and Yamuna doorjambs | River goddesses on makara and tortoise | Signature Gupta doorway iconography |
| Wall panels | Narasimha, Sheshashayi Vishnu, Varaha, Chamunda | Shows the shrine’s Vaishnava core plus later Shakta/Shaiva additions |
| Pilgrim inscriptions | Sanskrit records, c. 7th–8th c. CE | Evidence the site drew worshippers long after it was built |
How to plan your visit
Tigawa is a half-day detour, not a full-day destination, so the smart plan is to pair it with Jabalpur or Bahuriband. The temple itself takes 30–60 minutes to see properly.
- Half-day from Jabalpur: Drive out in the morning via Sihora and Bahuriband, spend an hour at Tigawa, stop at the Bahuriband Jain colossus, and return to Jabalpur by afternoon.
- Add-on from Katni: If you are changing trains at Katni Junction, a hired car makes Tigawa a comfortable out-and-back of a few hours.
- Heritage loop: Combine Tigawa with the ASI temple sites at Karitalai (also in Katni district) for a focused early-temple day, then overnight in Jabalpur for Bhedaghat the next morning.
Where to stay
There is no tourist accommodation in Tigawa village itself, so plan to stay in Jabalpur, or at a pinch in Katni. Jabalpur has the widest choice across budgets and is the sensible base.
- Budget (indicative ₹900–₹1,800 a night, reconfirm): Simple hotels and lodges near Jabalpur and Katni stations.
- Mid-range (indicative ₹2,000–₹4,500, reconfirm): Business and tourist hotels in Jabalpur city.
- Higher-end (indicative ₹5,000+, reconfirm): A handful of upper-tier hotels and resorts around Jabalpur and Bhedaghat.
These bands are planning estimates (October 2026) and vary by season and demand; book ahead on weekends and festival dates and reconfirm rates directly. Madhya Pradesh Tourism (MPT) also runs properties in the Jabalpur–Bhedaghat area worth checking.
Food to try
Expect everyday Mahakoshal and central-Indian vegetarian food rather than a dedicated food scene at the site. Carry snacks and water for the temple visit, and eat in Jabalpur or Katni.
- Poha-jalebi (flattened-rice breakfast with a sweet) — the standard MP morning plate.
- Dal-bafla (baked wheat dumplings served with lentils and ghee) — a regional staple.
- Bhutte ki kees (grated-corn preparation) and local kachori-samosa snacks.
- Simple thalis at station-area eateries in Jabalpur and Katni.
Budget breakdown
A visit to Tigawa is cheap because the big cost is just the car for the final leg. The table below is a per-person planning estimate for a one-day trip from Jabalpur, assuming two people share a taxi.
| Item | Estimate (₹) | Assumption |
|---|---|---|
| Shared taxi (return, Jabalpur–Tigawa) | 1,200–1,800 | Car split between two people |
| Meals and water | 200–400 | Breakfast plus a thali |
| Temple entry | 0 (no ticket listed) | No ASI online ticket for Tigawa as of Oct 2026 |
| Incidentals | 100–200 | Snacks, small spends |
| Day total | ~1,500–2,400 | Excludes Jabalpur stay |
If you add a night in Jabalpur, budget the room bands above on top. All figures are indicative planning estimates; reconfirm fares and rates locally.
Permits, rules and photography
No special permit is needed to visit Tigawa: it is an open ASI site in mainland Madhya Pradesh, so there is no Inner Line Permit or protected-area clearance to arrange. As of October 2026 there is no ASI online ticket listed for Tigawa, and no entry fee is reported in the sources reviewed, so treat it as a free, open compound and reconfirm locally.
- As a protected monument, normal ASI rules apply: do not touch, chalk, climb or deface the carvings, and do not remove any stone fragment.
- Still photography for personal use is generally fine at open ASI sites; for tripods, drones or commercial shoots, seek ASI permission in advance, and follow India’s DGCA drone rules.
- Dress modestly, as the Kankali Devi temple remains a place of local worship.
Practical tips
The single most useful tip is to treat Tigawa as a self-sufficient detour: arrange your own transport and carry what you need, because the village has few visitor facilities.
- Transport: Hire a taxi from Jabalpur or Katni for the full trip; do not rely on finding a return vehicle in the village.
- Cash and connectivity: Carry some cash; ATMs and reliable UPI are easier in Katni and Jabalpur than in the village. Mobile network can be patchy on the rural stretch.
- Water and timing: Bring water and go in the morning for cooler temperatures and better light on the east-facing doorway.
- Medical: The nearest well-equipped hospitals are in Jabalpur and Katni; there is no major facility at the site.
- Solo and women travellers: The site is quiet and rural; it is best visited in daylight and, ideally, with a hired driver who knows the Bahuriband road.
- Packing: Sun hat and water in summer; light layers and a torch for the dim sanctum in winter.
Nearby places
Tigawa works best combined with other sites in Katni and Jabalpur districts. The table lists the most logical add-ons.
| Place | Distance (approx) | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Bahuriband | ~3–4 km | Colossal Jain Shantinath image (about 3.7 m) and a Kalachuri-period inscription |
| Karitalai temples (Katni district) | Katni district | ASI-listed early temple remains, including a Varaha shrine |
| Katni town | ~46–50 km | Major rail junction and services base |
| Jabalpur and Bhedaghat | ~70–73 km to Jabalpur | Marble gorge of the Narmada and the Dhuandhar falls near Jabalpur |
If your trip starts from the state capital, our Bhopal travel guide helps you plan the train or drive east toward Katni and Jabalpur.
Frequently asked questions
How old are the Tigawa (Kankali Devi) Temples?
The Kankali Devi temple at Tigawa is usually dated to about 400–425 CE, in the Gupta era, though scholarly estimates span the 4th and 5th centuries CE. Because no foundation inscription survives, the date rests on architectural and sculptural style, which makes it one of the earliest surviving stone temples in India.
Is Tigawa protected by the Archaeological Survey of India?
Yes. Tigawa is a protected Monument of National Importance under the Archaeological Survey of India. The published ASI listing for Madhya Pradesh records it as “The whole site of Kankali Devi Temple and Durgadevi temple” in Katni district, indicating that two shrines survive at the site.
How do I reach Tigawa from Jabalpur or Katni?
Drive. From Jabalpur (about 70–73 km) head toward Katni, and after Sihora turn for Bahuriband, beyond which Tigawa lies a few km on. Katni Junction is about 46–50 km away. There is no direct bus to the village, so a hired taxi for the final leg is the practical choice.
Is there an entry fee or ticket for Tigawa?
No entry fee is listed for Tigawa, and there is no ASI online ticket for the site as of October 2026. Treat it as an open, free compound best visited in daylight hours, and reconfirm locally, since the sources reviewed do not confirm fixed timings or a ticket counter.
What is the best time to visit Tigawa?
October to March is best. Central Madhya Pradesh is dry and mild in winter, which suits walking the open temple compound and photographing the east-facing doorway. Summers (April–June) are hot, and the monsoon (July–September) brings rain and muddy village approach roads, so plan around showers.
Which deity is the Kankali Devi temple dedicated to?
The temple is named Kankali Devi after a Chamunda (Kankali Devi) relief on its wall, but scholars believe it was originally dedicated to Vishnu. The sanctum holds an image of Narasimha, the man-lion avatar, and the outer panels show Sheshashayi Vishnu and Varaha, with Shaiva and Shakta reliefs likely added later.
Last updated and sources
Tigawa suits travellers interested in early Indian architecture and anyone passing through Katni or Jabalpur who wants a quiet, significant monument off the usual circuit. Go on a clear winter morning and pair it with Bahuriband.
Last updated: 28 October 2026. Fees, timings and permits change — reconfirm with official sources before you travel.
Sources: Archaeological Survey of India / List of Monuments of National Importance in Madhya Pradesh (East) — entry N-MP-157, Kankali Devi and Durgadevi temples, Tigawa, via Wikipedia; Wikipedia: Tigawa (Cunningham survey, architecture, iconography, dating, railway damage); Puratattva: Tigawa – A Hidden Jewel (architecture, inscriptions, scholarly dating); Wikipedia: Katni Junction railway station (rail connections); flight and airport listings for Jabalpur (Dumna) Airport via ixigo. Accessed September 2026.
