The Krakotakesvara Temple, dedicated to Shiva, is a standout with its early Nagara-style shikhara and intricate doorframe carvings, featuring Ganga and Yamuna river-goddesses and a flying Garuda holding naga tails—artwork that mesmerizes with its detail. The Pitupretesvara Temple, also Shiva-dedicated, boasts a concealed vedibandha and a khura moulding, hinting at evolving craftsmanship. Shaiva themes such as Vinadharasiva and Lakulisa are notable for their yoga postures, as well as being depicted with two-arms.
What sets Naresar Hindu temples apart is its architectural innovations. The rare “Sala-sikhara” style—akin to the “wagon-vault” or Valabhi design—celebrated in ancient Sanskrit texts, a form that has survived only sparingly elsewhere, as in Mahabalipuram’s Bhima and Ganesha ratha, Gujarat’s Khimeshwara, Himachal Pradesh’s Jageshwara, Odisha’s Vaithal Deul, and Gwalior’s own Teli-ka-mandir. Another marvel lies in the Naresar temples’ departure from the classical square plan, venturing into rectangular layouts while maintaining rhythmic geometric ratios—2:1:2:1:2, 3:5, 7:10, 2:5, 3:4, 4:9, as documented by Michael Meister.
Beyond the temples, another striking feature is the group’s ingenious hydraulics, a testament to eighth-century engineering. The upper cluster, perched near a small lake, channels monsoon waters into a picturesque waterfall, guided by manmade passages, stone bridges, and walkways that weave through the lower temples, ensuring harmony between nature and worship. Tucked a few kilometers off Gwalior airport, accessible via a rustic hiking trail, Naresar’s four clusters nestle along a scenic gorge, their remote beauty inviting the curious to ponder the devotion etched in stone.
The Naresar temples iconography offers a rich tapestry for comparative studies with nearby Morena sites like Batesar, Mitawali, and Padhavali. These are best appreciated with the fabulous temples and monuments in Gwalior.