Historic Madhavrao Maharaj Temple Chandankheda, Bhadravati, Chandrapur

The temple of Madhavrao Maharaj located in the village of Chandankheda in Bhadrawati Taluka is very famous. This Samadhi temple of a Gond-era king is a revered spiritual abode for devotees. A unique feature here is that for the annual Ghoda Utsav celebrated in this temple, married daughters of the village (Maherwashini) and their husbands (sons-in-law) are formally invited with special invitation cards and are duly felicitated during the festival. Because of this, the married daughters make it a point to attend this festival along with their entire families.

According to historical records regarding the town of Chandankheda, Virshah was a king of the Gond dynasty in Chandrapur. After his death, Queen Hirai adopted Ramshah, the son of King Virshah’s cousin King Govindshah, and placed him on the throne. King Govindshah was administering the state from Chandankheda at that time. During the era of the Gond Queen Hirai, Chandrapur held the status of the capital, while Chandankheda held the status of the sub-capital. Ramshah was three years old at that time. Queen Hirai administered the state on his behalf for about nineteen years until he came of age. Later, King Ramshah, trained under the tutelage of Queen Hirai, that is, his mother, truly developed Chandrapur. During his reign, water supply systems, roads, beautification, royal palaces, mansions, gardens, and orchards were developed in Chandrapur. It is said that the village of Chandankheda gave Chandrapur and the Gond kingdom a “Development Man” in the form of Ramshah.

Chandankheda is considered a town with a rich historical and cultural heritage. Research and excavations conducted by Nagpur University have yielded artifacts of the Satavahana era culture in this village. To the south of this town lies an ancient fort, near which is the Samadhi of the Gond-era King Madhavrao Atram. Madhavrao Atram was an ancestor of King Govindshah. He was martyred along with his horse in a battle, and hence his Samadhi is established here.

Devotees firmly believe that the Samadhi shrine of Madhavrao Maharaj here is spiritually awakened (Jaagrut). Whenever the villagers go out for any auspicious occasion, they make it a point to visit the Samadhi of Madhavrao either before leaving or after the completion of their work. This Samadhi temple, a place of great reverence for the villagers, had been in a dilapidated state for many years. A few years ago, the villagers took the initiative and renovated it. Following the renovation, social programs along with religious events were initiated here. Previously, women were not allowed entry into this temple, nor were they permitted to partake of the Prasad here; however, the youth of the village came together, raised social awareness, and started allowing women entry into the temple and partaking of the Prasad.

To enter the Madhavrao Maharaj temple premises, one first encounters a fortified gateway. Its structure resembles that of a fort. The temple complex is spacious, and a paved walkway leads from the beautiful garden situated there to the temple. Near the temple entrance, there are three horse statues. Additionally, another horse statue is enshrined on the second floor of the double-storied temple entrance. There is a custom here of offering a horse statue to the deity after the fulfillment of a vow (Navas). The temple architecture consists of a Sabhamandap (assembly hall) followed by a small Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum). It appears that the Sabhamandap in front of the Garbhagriha has been newly constructed. The Garbhagriha houses an idol of Madhavrao Maharaj seated on a horse. In addition to this, there are four more horse statues inside the Garbhagriha. Hundreds of horse statues can be seen near the fort located at the back of this temple.

The famous Ghoda Utsav begins on the day of Guru Purnima. For this festival, daughters of Chandankheda village who are married and live at their in-laws’ houses are specially invited along with their husbands (sons-in-law). Therefore, all the married daughters are present in Chandankheda village with their families during this time. Additionally, villagers who live out of town for work or business are also specially invited through invitation cards. As a result, the atmosphere in the village during these three days of the festival resembles Diwali.

On this occasion, a decorated horse is taken out in a procession through the village. Along this procession route, rangolis, decorations, and festive banners are put up in front of every house. The ceremonial horse idol is worshipped near every household. Another unique feature of this festival is that twenty-five to thirty thousand people gather here at the same time; yet, to this day, there has never been any need to deploy police security. This festival is conducted in a peaceful atmosphere. Since ancient times, the Malguzar (landlord/Khot) and the Police Patil hold a special status of honor during this festival.

Sacred History & Spiritual Significance

This sacred temple stands as a testament to deep spiritual devotion, ancient architectural grandeur, and rich local cultural traditions.

Temple Sanctum & Architecture

The sanctum sanctorum houses the divine idol consecrated according to ancient Vedic traditions, surrounded by serene courtyards and traditional temple architecture.

Sacred Darshan Gallery