Bhitargaon Templeभीतरगांव मंदिर
India's oldest standing brick temple, Gupta period, alone in a Kanpur Dehat village.
See what is open on your dateOpen in Google MapsWhereKanpur Dehat, Uttar Pradesh
Kanpur & Lower Doab
Kanpur & Lower Doab
Kind of placeTemples & Shrines, Monuments & Heritage
Best time to visit15 October to 15 March
Good seasonsPost-monsoon (October to November), Winter (December to February)
DifficultyEasy
Time needed2 hrs
Base and nearbyBhitargaon, Kanpur Central
EntryFree · ASI
About Bhitargaon Temple
A brick temple of the 5th century, the oldest still standing in India, built under the Guptas with a tall shikhara and, unusually for the period, true arches. The terracotta panels set into the walls show Ganga and Yamuna, Shiva and Parvati, and scenes from the epics; the best have gone to museums but plenty remain. It stands in a village 50 km south of Kanpur with almost no one visiting.
What to see and do
- The 5th-century brick shikhara
- Terracotta panels of gods and river goddesses
- True arches, rare for Gupta building
- Village setting with nobody about
Opening status, best time and closures here are estimates from usual seasons and past patterns, not live information. Confirm with the local authority before you go. Terms of use
More places in Kanpur Dehat
- MusanagarKanpur Dehat, Uttar Pradesh · Temples & ShrinesA Devi temple and old mound on a high Yamuna bank in the south of Kanpur Dehat.
- PukhrayanKanpur Dehat, Uttar Pradesh · Villages & Hidden GemsThe market town you base in for Bhitargaon and Musanagar. Useful rather than pretty.
All places in Kanpur Dehat · All places in Uttar Pradesh
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Jagah Pedia is a free travel guide by Santosh Pandey. Status, timings and closures are estimates from usual patterns, so confirm locally before you travel.