Temple Run

SANTOSH OJHA RECALLS TEMPLE TRAILS IN MORENA, MADHYA PRADESH AND FINDS AN UNLIKELY ALLIANCE ALIVE AND KICKING

- SANTOSH OJHA

Will we encounter dacoits on the way?” I ask Omprakash Narwaria, my guide for the day, only half in jest. I had spotted some speeding motorcyclists with guns slung jauntily on their shoulders.

It is a foggy winter morning. we are on the road on a short drive from Gwalior, about 30 kilometres, to the once dacoitinfested Morena district in Madhya pradesh. He smiles. “Not at all. people here carry shastra (arms) as a status symbol, so rest assured. But, of course, daakus (dacoits) have a key role to play in the story of the temples we are about to visit today.”

This is a story of an unlikely collaboration between the dreaded dacoits of Chambal, Madhya Pradesh, and Indian government functionaries. Or is it a story of one man and his fearless team? Of near superhuman efforts to bring to life some hitherto unheard-of beauties of Indian heritage? Or a tale of once-mighty dynasties that built these temples. whichever way you look at it, one cannot help but be filled with awe when you first see the beautiful and forgotten structures.

Narwaria is quiet, sombre even. He works with the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) Gwalior office, and was a part of the team that worked on restoring the temples. He also has a Master’s degree in Archaeology. I am fortunate to have him as our guide for the day—he is quite patient, forever willing to answer my constant queries.