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22
The Structural Temples of Gujarat
Besanagar (Vidi艣a) was the capital of Sungas (c. B. C.
185-c. 70 B. C.). Here was
was
a Brahmanical shrine of some
prominent dedicated to the divinity Vasudeva, and apparently
a temple, but only a few fragments of which have survived;
and in whose vicinity, a pillar with an inscription (stating that
it was a Garuda pillar raised in honour of the god Vasudeva
by Heliodorus, son of Dion, a resident of Taxila) was erected
approximately in 140 B. C.10
(ii) The early Brahmanical Cave Temples (c. A. D. 350-450)
The excavated chambers at Udaigiri* (Bhopal) are partly
rock cut and partly stone built. They are in all nine. They are
plain rectangular cells. Their architectural value lies in the
treatment of the rock facades and particularly in the design of
the pillared porticos that were built in front of them The only
one of the series with its frontage fully intact is False cave
(No. 1). It is probably the earliest Brahmanical sanctum that has
survived. 11 The remaining shrines at Udaigiri are an elaboration
of the principles applied in the False cave. But in most of
instances the door-ways are richly carved, and in conjunction
with them are certain separate sculptured figure compositions
of high order. Cave no. 3 'Binacave' in addition to the four
pillars of the portico; has two smaller pillars in either side and
the cell no. 9 'Amrita Cave' steps further. It has a cella nearly
twice the size of others. This cella is the largest as probably
latest of the entire series. 12
(iii) The Evolution of The Full Fledged Shrine And The
Theories of Its Origin
The architectural form of the structural temple enshrining
an image seems to have fully evolved in the Gupta period.
The covered and enclosed sanctum (garbhgriha) is built upon
10. IABH p. p. 21
*
Cunningham's Report Vol. X p. 41
11. IABH p. p. 56 plt xxxiii Fig. 1
12. LABH p. p. 59-60