Sas Bahu Temple: Gwalior Fort
Sas-Bahu Temple, Gwalior: The Eternal Bond of Stone and Devotion
Sas Mandir Bahu Mandir
Perched high on the eastern ridge of the mighty Gwalior Fort, the twin shrines of Sas-Bahu Temple stand as timeless sentinels of devotion, artistry, and resilience. Locally known as Sas-Bahu ke Mandir — literally translating to “mother-in-law and daughter-in-law” — these temples echo the layered myths and craftsmanship of a bygone era.
During our visit to this hilltop complex, nestled midway along the fort’s ramparts, the weathered stones seemed to speak, narrating tales of faith, artistry, and endurance against time.
A single ticket from the Mansingh Palace entrance grants access not only to these temples but also to the Teli ka Mandir and Man Singh Palace, each marking a chapter in Gwalior’s layered architectural story. Among them, however, the Sas-Bahu Temples offer something uniquely intimate — a conversation between two shrines, two generations, and two distinct expressions of devotion.
Etymology and Origins: The Thousand-Armed Lord
The name Sas-Bahu is a poetic distortion of Sahasra Bahu (सहस्रबाहु), a Sanskrit epithet meaning “the thousand-armed one.” Derived from sahasra (thousand) and bahu (arm), it is an attribute of Lord Vishnu, representing his infinite strength and cosmic presence. Over time, this classical title evolved colloquially into Sas-Bahu, giving rise to the affectionate local interpretation of “mother-in-law and daughter-in-law” — perhaps an echo of how language, like stone, carries the marks of time.
1000 armed Lord Vishnu
Historical inscriptions found at the site record that the larger temple (Sas) and the smaller temple (Bahu) were commissioned during the reign of the Kachchhapaghata rulers in the late 11th century. Construction began under King Ratnapala and was completed by Mahipala in 1093 CE. The temples are dedicated primarily to Lord Vishnu, though the smaller one is believed to have housed Lord Shiva — a fitting duality, reflecting the syncretic traditions of early medieval India.
The larger temple was said to have been built for the queen, a devotee of Vishnu, while the smaller one was dedicated for the young princess-in-law who worshipped Shiva. Thus, the twin temples became symbols of familial harmony — an architectural embodiment of the eternal bond between saas and bahu.
Tales and Interpretations
The site abounds with legends. One popular tale suggests that King Kirti Singh built these temples in honour of his mother-in-law and wife — a rare tribute to the feminine ties of devotion and respect.
Historians, however, provide a more layered view. Scholars like Percy Brown and Christopher Tadgell trace the temple’s origins to the Kachchhapaghata dynasty, noting how the twin temples exemplify their refined aesthetic and structural experimentation. Inscriptions at the site begin with invocations to Padmanatha, another name for Vishnu, often represented in his Varaha (boar) incarnation.
Interestingly, some earlier attributions mistakenly linked the temple to the Jain Tirthankara Padmanatha, but epigraphic evidence clarifies its Vaishnava origin. Other historians, such as J. C. Harle, suggest the vernacular “Sas-Bahu” could be a corrupted form of Sahasrabahu, associated with Kartavirya Arjuna, a king famed for his thousand arms and Vishnu’s blessings. These multiple threads of mythology, language, and devotion intertwine, enriching the narrative aura of the place.
The Sas Temple: Grandeur in Stone
The Sas Temple, the larger of the two, rises on a low plinth about 1.9 metres high. Even in its ruined state, it commands awe. The temple once had a towering Bhumija-style shikhara — a form characterized by a well-proportioned superstructure decorated with miniature spires arranged like garlands. Although the tower no longer survives, its cruciform foundation and triple-storeyed mandapa suggest a striking resemblance to the temples of Khajuraho, some 230 kilometres away.
Built in sandstone, the temple comprises the garbha-griha (sanctum), antarala (vestibule), and a majestic three-storeyed mandapa with entrances on three sides. The pillars, carved in the Ruchaka ghatapallava style, are both structural and ornamental, adorned with motifs of divine figures, apsaras, and mythological vignettes.
Temple on elevated platform
The roof features intricate carvings — floral medallions and celestial beings dancing across the stone surface. Though time has eroded many of the deities, one can still sense the aesthetic rhythm that guided the artisans. On the door lintels, delicate friezes of Krishna-Leela and Garuda motifs grace the upper panels, while the lower portions depict geometric patterns and rows of elephants and warriors.
Inside the mandapa, light filters through perforated stone screens, casting shifting patterns across the floor — a feature reminiscent of filigree work from later Rajput architecture. The ceiling, circular and ornate, is supported by massive columns whose capitals merge floral abstraction with divine iconography.
Our observations revealed additional nuances:
Ardha Chandra Shanka carvings frame the entrances both to the main temple and to the garbha-griha, each bearing unique motifs.
Cracks are visible along several beams; truss reinforcements have been added to preserve the structure from collapse.
Beam with Cracks
Five niches on either wall of the inner hall stand empty today, perhaps once housing guardian deities.
Eight balconies (four on each side) overlook the surrounding plateau, serving both ornamental and ventilatory purposes.
The doorframe deities are defaced, their outlines ghostlike yet powerful — reminders of the invasions that scarred Gwalior’s heritage.
Niche Mutilated images on door frame
Despite its damaged tower and weathered sculptures, the Sas Temple remains remarkably airy and proportionate. Architectural historian George Michell notes that its open mandapa, roofed with a pyramid of masonry, contrasts beautifully with the more compact Teli ka Mandir nearby. The structure’s geometry — a cruciform plan anchored around a circular ceiling — gives the illusion of lightness, as though the stone floats above its plinth.
Pillar Carvings and Gargha Griha
The temple’s visual rhythm — from Ardha Chandra motifs to Garuda reliefs and floral beams — reflects an architectural language that celebrated both spirituality and symmetry. Even in ruin, its grandeur breathes.
The Bahu Temple: Grace in Miniature
Standing beside its stately counterpart, the Bahu Temple feels intimate — a quieter dialogue in the same sacred idiom. Its layout follows a cruciform plan, with a projecting ardhamandapa (porch) leading into a maha-mandapa supported by hexagonal pillars. Unlike the Sas Temple’s triple-storeyed complexity, the Bahu temple was designed as a single-storey shrine — simpler, yet not without elegance.
The sanctum (garbha-griha) has been entirely lost, leading early scholars like Alexander Cunningham to believe that the structure was either incomplete or damaged during later invasions. The existing remains, however, suggest that it once mirrored the Sas Temple’s design on a smaller scale.
Bahu temple - without Garbh - griha
The doorframe is richly ornamented, its carvings surviving in fragments — deities, dancers, and floral garlands. Above the entrance beam, two layers of carved deities decorate the lintel, and traces of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva figures can still be discerned. The balcony niches on the sides retain remnants of seating ledges, indicating spaces for ritual musicians or worshippers.
Door frame with ornamentation
Pillar
From our observations:
The garbha-griha is entirely missing, its boundary marked only by stone traces.
The beam rows retain exquisite carvings of deities, some remarkably well-preserved.
Ornamentation continues along all four sides of the sanctum frame, showing the craftsman’s dedication even to unseen corners.
Roof Ornamentation
Though smaller, the Bahu Temple exudes a tranquil charm. Its spatial simplicity and light-filled mandapa invite reflection. Many scholars consider it a later addition to the Sas Temple — perhaps built as a filial or commemorative structure. Its silence contrasts with the grandeur of its twin, yet the two together complete a dialogue — power and grace, the cosmic and the personal, Vishnu and Shiva.
A Reflection in Stone
Together, the Sas and Bahu Temples transcend mere architectural achievement. They represent a philosophical and emotional harmony — the eternal bond between devotion and design, between tradition and innovation.
Even in ruin, the twin shrines retain an uncanny vitality. The Sas Temple, with its grand Bhumija form and layered carvings, embodies majesty — a public statement of faith and craftsmanship. The Bahu Temple, by contrast, whispers of intimacy — the domestic devotion of a smaller household shrine. One celebrates the cosmic Vishnu, the other the meditative Shiva, both existing in peaceful proximity on the same ridge.
As the late afternoon light slants over the fort walls, the carvings seem to come alive — Garuda poised in flight, celestial dancers frozen mid-motion, and faint outlines of deities emerging from eroded panels. The silence around them is profound, broken only by the wind brushing past the ancient balconies.
Walking through these halls, one senses not just history, but continuity — a lineage of artisans, devotees, and storytellers who left behind something greater than worship: a testament to unity in diversity. The Sas-Bahu Temples stand as both relics and reminders — of beauty wrought in stone, of resilience through centuries of upheaval, and of the quiet dialogue between the sacred and the human that endures at the heart of India’s architectural heritage.
A few more images
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