Tigawa Kankali Devi Temple

The Kankali Devi Temple at Tigawa is a 5th-century Gupta-era temple located in Tigawa village, Katni District, Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the earliest surviving Hindu temples in India, known for its flat-roofed Gupta architectural style. Originally dedicated to Vishnu, it is now worshipped as Kankali Devi. Protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, it is notable for its simple sanctum, stone masonry and early Nagara features.

Visitors can expect a small, ancient stone temple set in a quiet rural village environment. The temple consists of a square sanctum (garbhagriha) with a flat roof, thick stone walls, and a pillared portico with Gupta-era carvings. The interior houses an image worshipped as Goddess Kankali Devi. The surroundings are open fields with minimal commercial development. Visitors can explore the exterior carvings, the sanctum, and the archaeological remains nearby.

Built in the 5th century CE during the Gupta Empire, the Tigawa temple is among the earliest extant Hindu temples in India. It represents the initial phase of Nagara temple architecture with its flat roof, square sanctum and pillared mandapa. The temple was originally dedicated to Lord Vishnu, as evidenced by iconography, and later came to be worshipped as Kankali Devi. It is designated as a Monument of National Importance by the Archaeological Survey of India.

The temple holds religious significance as a shrine of Goddess Kankali Devi, a form of Shakti, and is actively worshipped by local devotees. It is culturally important as a rare surviving example of Gupta-era temple art and craftsmanship, illustrating the early evolution of Hindu temple architecture and iconography in central India.