Saas Bahu twin temples

Well, it is just shortened to be called Saas Bahu instead of Sahasra Bahu. It means a thousand hands of Lord Vishnu which you can see on the temple architecture. It is splendidly built and nearly maintained. It offers a certain degree of serenity that is hard to express. This is yet another one of those underrated jewels in Gwalior. The entrance to this temple is free.

Liked this structure of old times. Architecture is really good. It used to be a temple, but now there is no idol inside this structure. One can get the entry tickets from Gwalior Fort itself. The tickets covers 4-5 nearby locations. The ticket cost is INR 25 Per person.

One of the main attractions of gwalior city. Present near the Gwalior Fort, so one can visit in a single go. An ancient temple , that is not active anymore but still gives divine vibes. The temple will remind you of the rich architectural heritage that India has. The place is calm & not many people visit it that often so it is free of fuss.

Sas Bahu Temple.

There is an inscription found in the larger Sas temple, from which archaeologist came to know that this Sas-Bahu Temple was originally known as the Sahastrabahu Temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The larger Sas temple's Mandapa inscription was deciphered by Alexander Cunnigham, the first Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India and  father of Indian Archaeology.It is mentioned in the inscription that the temple construction began in 1093 AD during the reign of King  Mahipala of the Kachchhapaghata dynasty by his brother Padmapala.

As per our local learned guide Mr. Rijwi, popular folklore  suggests that the Twin temple was built by King Kirti Singh in honor of his mother-in-law and wife, larger temple (Sas) was built for his mother who was a Vishnu devotee , and the small Bahu temple was built for his wife who was a Shiva devotee.

The Sas-Bahu Temple, situated in the Gwalior Fort complex, was made from yellow sandstone, is a living example of the  exemplary craftsmanship and architectural beauty and artistic brilliance of the bygone era . At one glance, both the temple looks like Jain temple by seeing the intricate sculptures and ornate pillars of the temple.The main entrance porch of Sas temple has four carved Ruchaka ghatapallava-style pillars that are load-bearing.

But by seeing the delicate motifs, on the walls and beautiful curved pillars I understood that every breathtaking sculptures and motifs are telling  the stories of different Hindu epic and mythology like  the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas like Krishna Leela, Sapta Matrika  etc. The delicate artistry, intricate detailing, and masterful craftsmanship leave every visitors mesmerize by the supernatural skill and artistic brilliance of the unknown artists of that bygone era. The temple's architecture blends different Hindu temple styles, including Bhumija, Nagara, and Dravidian.

The large temple (Saas or Sas) has three entrances from three main points and a richly carved entrance to Mandapa .In the fourth direction, there is a room which is locked now . At the entrance, there is statue of Garuda , along with idols of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. The entire temple is covered with carvings, of Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Saraswati. So we conclude that the pillar carvings show conglomerations of Vaishnavism, Shaivism and Shakti cults.In the ceiling there are differnt beautiful geographical patterns like square, circle and octagonal patterns where as the inside of the dome having one very nice lotus carving.

Smaller bahu or Shiva temple is  one storey replica temple of the Sas temple having almost same architectural design with floral motif and animal bands on the external elevated plinth area.

One must visit the twin Sas Bahu temples  to see  the epitome of perfection in miniature . Simultaneously you will feel excruciating pain by seeing that all most all the idol's face have been very badly defaced by the iconoclastic Mughals , but their  perfection of artistic forms on stone  has survived the ravages of time and mindless destruction by the invaders .

One of the temple built inside the fort. Must make a visit to this spot too if you are visiting gwalior fort. Marvelous architecture works can be seen in this temple. Yu will have to spent only around 20 minutes only here. But don't miss it.

This temple is dedicated to the Lord Vishnu's thousand arm manifestation.
Built over 500 years ago.
I was deeply saddened to learn that all the Idols in the temple were desecrated by mughals. No pooja is performed here. It's a monument reminding us of the loot and plunder of muslim ivaders and the turn cloak Indian kings who bowed before the ivaders.
There's a valuable lesson to be learnt from this once great monument.

Intricate designs on temple premises, small area but you can get good views of the city and also Gwalior fort from this point.

A set of two temples: the larger one dedicated to Shri Vishnu (sahasrabahu: 1000 hands) and the smaller to Lord Shiva. Gorgeous architecture and very photogenic. From Gwalior fort you can take an e-auto to this place

In this Temples no any Idols inside only Old designs , arts are here
YOU CAN A BUY A TICKET OF BHOOL BHULAIYAA FORT AND USE IT ON Two OTHER places
1 This Sahstra bahu temple
2 Teli Ka Temple

“I travel because I become uncomfortable being too comfortable.”

Exploring Madhya Pradesh......At Gwalior......at sas Bahu temple....

Sas Bahu Temple, one of the historical and religious monuments, is a tourist attraction in Gwalior . Sas-Bahu Temple, a set of two temples, is an architectural gem and located to the south of Man Mandir Palace. Originally known as Shahastra Bahu Temple, it is a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, built by the Kachhwaha king Mahipal in the early 11th century. It is probably the most ancient temple within the fort complex. The Sahastrabahu Temple or Sas Bahu Temple, astounding example of medieval Hindu sculpture, is remarkable for the profusion of sculptured columns and labyrinths of carved pilasters which decorate the larger of the sister structures. The edifices are dedicated to Lord Vishnu and situated within the porch area. The larger section of Sas Bahu Temple bears a long Sanskrit inscription, stating that it was completed by a Rajput prince of Gwalior in 1098 AD. These temples are rated among the beautiful monuments of India. It is an architectural marvel, with pillars decorated with sculptures and wall figures. The place is well preserved and attracts many tourists. The interior is remarkably well-lighted for a Hindu sanctuary and it is possible to obtain a good view of the gorgeous ceiling and its intricate carving without having recourse to artificial illumination.

The fortress of Gwalior proves to be a place of royal power as well as religious worship. On the opposite side of the palace are several ancient shrines, including Sas Bahu Temple. The larger shrine dedicated to Lord Vishnu (Sahastrbahu form- thousands arms/ hands form) built for Sas (Mother in Law), the queen of Kachhwaha king Mahipal, as she was devotee of Lord Vishnu. They were originally devoted to the god Vishnu. The second shrine, called Bahu (daughter-in-law) Temple, is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Very elegant architecture is reminiscent of glorious Indian past. The pyramidal roof of the Sas Bahu Temple, called ‘shikhar’, is very beautiful and an architectural poetry in stone. Its roofs are circular and shaped like a lotus. The ceiling is supported by octagonal pillars. The temple is 32 meter long and 22 meters wide and has three gateways facing three different directions and there is a ‘mandapam’ in the forth direction. The barbaric Muslim invaders tried to destroy these temples but it could withstand it.

Lovely temple situated within gwalior fort. Also known as saas bahu Temple this was commissioned by Raja Ratan pal but completed by Raja Mahi pal.

This complex houses 2 beautiful temples. The bigger temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and the other smaller one is dedicated to Lord shiva.

There are no idols in both the temples anymore and hence they are not working temples. However the carvings on the walls of these temples are great.

Worth visiting place if you are visiting gwalior fort.

Recommended ofcourse.

You must have to visit this place for explore our culture, explore the art, explore the dedication, explore the battles verses Hinduism. This place is on the top of mountain. Place is very good in condition and this is the plus point. You can capture a memorable pictures here with various of angles. Very piece full and calm place. I think the construction is incomplete because God is not present inside or because of religion battle the statue is destroyed may be.....

My next destination took me about 7 minutes from the Gurdwara. There were patches of road that were not in good condition but definitely motorable. There are no parking bays present and thus tourists can park on the side of the road as there are ample spaces around. The recommended duration would be 30 minutes

The Saas-Bahu temple, built in the ninth century, attracts both visitors and believers. This temple was previously known as the Sahastrabahu Temple, after Lord Vishnu, who possesses numerous hands. It became known as Saas Bahu Temple as a result of increasing mispronunciation throughout time. Saas Bahu Temple does not represent Saas (mother-in-law) and bahu (daughter-in-law) but is a short version of Shastra Bahu, another name for Lord Vishnu.

This temple was built during King Mahipala of the Kacchapaghata Dynasty, who asked the Lord of the Universe for a happy and flourishing kingdom. These two temples are close to one other and beautifully ornamented with carvings and sculptures.

Best conserved temple showing Indian heritage and art.

The Sas Bahu Temple is a hidden gem in Gwalior. It's not as popular as some of the other temples in the city, but it's definitely worth a visit. The architecture is amazing and the sculptures are beautiful

One word : BEAUTIFUL!!
One of the main attractions of gwalior city. Present near the Gwalior Fort, so one can visit in a single go. An ancient temple , that is not active anymore but still gives divine vibes. The temple will remind you of the rich architectural heritage that India has. The place is calm & not many people visit it that often so it is free of fuss. Entry is free so anyone can visit, and the spot is well maintained with good amount of greenery. Carry a good camera/phone with you cause this place is worth taking pictures.
And great birds's eye view of gwalior also awaits you.
Best time to visit : 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

Speechless art and beautiful architecture of temple. Also please buy ticket at Gwalior fort for this temple.

It is SAHASTRABAHU TEMPLE unfortunately even adi calls it saas Bahu Nice temple sad to see how some coward people destroyed all beautiful idols how can someone be afraid of a idol. How ugly religion can be which has no taste for art.

Absolutely stunning! You can spend a good amount of time here just looking at the beautiful carvings on the walls and the view is just absolutely breathtaking! Must must visit! It's the next stop after the first fort.

Very beautiful place to visit in gwalior, you can have top view of city, near by man singh fort, artistic temple, but not maintained from inside, bad smell coming inside the temple