Chandreh Shaiva Temple and Monastery

Getting there

• By air

  Bamrauli Airport at Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, is about 157 km away.

• By train

  Marwasgram station (MWJ) in Majhauli, Sidhi, is about 40 km away. Rewa station (REWA) is about 87 km away and Satna station (STA) about 142 km away.

• By road

  Sidhi is very well connected by NH 39 and other roads. Chandreh is about 24 km southwest of Sidhi, the district headquarters.

Why devotees come here

The Shaiva temple and monastery stands in Chandreh village, Sidhi district, Madhya Pradesh, near the confluence of the Son and Banas rivers. The district administration dates it to 972 AD. A monastery building adjoins the temple.

The Shaiva temple at Chandreh is dedicated to Shiva. The Sidhi district administration dates it to 972 AD, and it is also described as a 10th-century temple of Shiva. The sandstone temple has a high raised foundation, and its floor plan and gavaksha-decorated shikhara are described as chaitya-like.

Prabodha Shiva, guru of the Chedi rulers, established the temple for spiritual practice and to spread Saiva siddhanta. He belonged to the Matta Mayura Saiva sect, which built several such temples. Its major temples include the Kadwaha temple in Ashok Nagar and the Survaya temple in Shivpuri.

The monastery is also built of sandstone and has two levels. The same building work included an irrigation tank and a well. Two ancient Sanskrit stone inscriptions in the monastery record the temple's construction.

Tips for your visit

• Sidhi, the district headquarters, is a starting point for pilgrims visiting this temple.
• The 2011 census recorded no healthcare facility in Chandreh village.
• The temple lies 1.6 km east of the Son and Banas confluence, in Chandreh village.

Questions people ask