Kakanmath
| Kakanmath | |
|---|---|
| ककनमठ | |
Kakanmath in 2015
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 Location in Madhya Pradesh, India
 Location in Madhya Pradesh, India
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Sihoniya |
| Geographic coordinates | 26°35′06″N 78°14′55″E / 26.5849309°N 78.2485567°ECoordinates: 26°35′06″N 78°14′55″E / 26.5849309°N 78.2485567°E |
| Affiliation | Shaivism |
| Deity | Shiva |
| District | Morena |
| State | Madhya Pradesh |
| Country | India |
| Date established | 1015-1035 CE |
Kakanmaṭh is a ruined 11th century Shiva temple located at Sihoniya in Madhya Pradesh, India. It was built by the Kachchhapaghata ruler Kirttiraja. Only a part of the original temple complex now survives. Some of the sculptures from the site are now located at Gwalior.
The Kakanmath temple was commissioned by Kachchhapaghata ruler Kirttiraja (r. c. 1015-1035 CE). This can be inferred from a Kachchhapaghata inscription found at the Sas-Bahu Temple in Gwalior. The inscription states that Kirttiraja built an extraordinary temple devoted to Parvati's lord (Shiva) at Siṁhapānīya (modern Sihoniya).
According to a folk legend, the temple was named "Kakanmadh" after Kakanavati or Kakanade, who was the queen of one Surajpala. The historicity of this legend is doubtful. One possibility is that the name of the temple derives from the kanak (gold) and maṭha (shrine).
Originally, the site had a temple complex, with a central temple surrounded by four subsidiary shrines. Only the ruins of the central temple stand now: its outer walls, balconies and a part of its spire have fallen. This damage probably happened during an earthquake. A Sanskrit-language pillar inscription dated 1[4]50 VS (1393-94 CE) records the renovation of the Mahadeva temple (that is, Kakanmath) by one Durgaprasada. A 1497 VS (1440-41 CE) pillar inscription records the visit of a pilgrim named Dekhana during the reign of Dungara (a Tomara ruler of Gwalior). It states that Dekhana was the son of Kakaka, and a resident of Nalapuragaḍha.
Now, the temple has been classified as a Monument of National Importance by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
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