Tirtha Atlas

The sacred geography of the Indic world — every site mapped, dated, storied, and cited.

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Early medieval · Hindu · India

Markanda Mahadev Temples

Markanda Deo, Chamorshi taluka, Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra · 19.9946°, 79.8665°

Shiva (Markandeshwar)Rashtrakuta
Sacred since
700 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
8th c. (Rashtrakuta)
Rashtrakuta

History & significance

A forty-acre group of Shiva temples near Chamorshi in Gadchiroli district, attributed to the Rashtrakutas who held the region from the 8th to the 12th century. The carved figures covering its outer walls have earned it the local name of a mini Khajuraho, though many of the shrines now stand dilapidated.

Sthala katha — the traditional account

What follows is the temple’s own traditional account, transmitted through liturgy and local memory. It is recorded here as tradition, not as attested history.

The place is named for the sage Markandeya, who is said to have performed penance on the river bank here and, when he moved to offer up his own life, was stopped by Shiva, who blessed him and gave the temple his name.

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Sources

coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-28 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Rashtrakuta