History and the Parliament Connection
According to an inscription, the temple was built in the 11th century (with some sources citing 1323 CE for a later inscription) by King Devapala of the Kachchhapaghata dynasty, feudatories of the Chandelas of Bundelkhand. It was dedicated to the Tantric cult of the 64 Yoginis, female deities considered manifestations of Durga's Shakti, with 64 small shrine cells arranged around a circular courtyard and a central shrine to Shiva. Most of the original yogini idols were lost or stolen over the centuries, and the cells now largely contain Shiva lingams instead.
The temple's link to the Indian Parliament building rests on the visual similarity between the two circular structures: Parliament House, designed by British architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker and built between 1921 and 1927, echoes Mitawali's circular colonnaded plan closely enough that the comparison has become a well-known piece of popular history , though no written historical record confirms the architects drew directly from this temple.
What to See
• The temple's circular plan, roughly 52 metres in diameter, with 64 small shrine chambers ringing an open central courtyard.
• The central shrine to Shiva, with an ingenious ancient drainage system designed to channel rainwater into underground storage.
• Sweeping views over Mitawali village and the surrounding Chambal countryside from the hilltop.
• Carved images of Hindu deities decorating the temple's outer walls.
Why Visit
Mitawali offers a rare architectural form , a purely circular Hindu temple, one of just a handful in the country , combined with one of Indian tourism's most delightful pieces of speculative trivia. The climb up its roughly 100 steps rewards visitors with both a striking structure and a genuinely beautiful rural view.
Best Time to Visit
October to March, in the morning, when temperatures are comfortable for the hillside climb and the light is best for photography.
How to Reach
By Air: Gwalior Airport (GWL), approximately 55 km from Mitawali, is the nearest airport and offers regular connectivity to major Indian cities.
By Rail: Morena Railway Station (MRA), located around 15 km away, is the nearest railhead and is well connected to Delhi, Gwalior, Agra, and other major destinations.
By Road: Mitawali is situated about 15 km from Morena town and 55 km from Gwalior. The site is best accessed by private vehicle and is often visited as part of the popular Morena heritage circuit, which includes the nearby attractions of Padavali, Bateshwar, and Kakanmath. Its close proximity to these monuments makes it an ideal stop on a full-day excursion through the region's celebrated temple landscape.
