The temple is located in Bhojpur village, about 30 kilometers away from the capital of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal. It is built on a hill on the river bank of the Betwa River and also called the Bhojpur Temple. Even though the temple was never fully completed, it has remained an important place of worshiping lord shiva. In 2015, the temple received a national tourism award for being well maintained and friendly for people with disabilities.
According to history, the temple was built in the 11th century by Raja Bhoj of the Parmara dynasty of Dhar. He was a great ruler and also a scholar of art, architecture, and learning. The temple is named after him. It is said that Raja Bhoj was suffering from a serious health issue and he was advised to drink water from nine rivers and nineteen ponds. To do this, Raja Bhoj built a dam on the Betwa River and connected different water sources. After he recovered, he decided to build this grand temple.
The Bhojeshwar Temple was restored in the 20th century by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The ASI repaired the damaged parts of the temple and reconstructed the dome using fiberglass.
There is also a belief that an attempt was made by Raja Bhoj to complete this temple in a single day, but the construction work had to be stopped as soon as the sun rise. There’s no specific reason behind the incomplete temple.
According to another mythological story the original construction of the temple was done on the time of Mahabharata. During their exile period, Pandavs constructed the Shiva lingam here so that Mata Kunti could worship Lord Shiva at this place.
When you enter the temple, you can see a very large Shiva lingam in front of you. It feels like Lord Shiva is himself present here as Bhojeshwar Mahadev and blessing all the devotees. The Shiva lingam is about 22 feet tall and 7.5 feet wide. It is carved from a single piece of sandstone, which makes it very special. The unfinished roof of the temple have four giant pillars, each 40 feet high. These pillars are beautifully carved with images of Shiv-Parvati, Lakshmi-Narayan, Sita-Ram, and Brahma-Savitri. The temple’s entrance gate is one of the largest in India. The roof of the temple is dome-shaped, which shows that dome construction was practiced in India even before mughals architecture became common.
Another special feature of this temple is that the structural plan and sketches of the temple and others that were supposed to be built here are still visible. These sketches are carved on nearby rocks and show the temple’s layout, halls (mandapas), pillars, door frames, distances between pillars, and other details. These sketches match the design of the existing temple, giving an idea of what was originally planned.
Regular worship and rituals are performed. During festivals like Maha Shivratri and Kartik Purnima, the temple sees especially large crowds. The most unique thing about the temple is that it is still incomplete, yet it’s the tallest Shiva lingam which marks it international fame. To reach the enormous Shiva lingam the priests have to use a ladder.
The Bhojeshwar Temple is a symbol of Raja Bhoj’s glory and talent, as well as an evidence to the culture and heritage of Madhya Pradesh. Every year, the temple attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists who come to see the tallest Shiva lingam and the unfinished temple.
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