Recently there have been interesting findings of the remains of a 5th century CE Gupta period temple by the Archaeological survey of India in Etah-Uttar Pradesh.
Context
Recently there have been interesting findings of the remains of a 5th century CE Gupta period temple by the Archaeological survey of India in Etah-Uttar Pradesh.
Key-findings
- Archeologists have found 'shankhalipi' inscriptions on the stairs on an ancient temple dating back to the Gupta period.
- The Bilsarh site was declared ‘protected’ in 1928.
- The ASI team discovered “two decorative pillars close to one another, with human figurines,”
- These two pillars were flat rectangular pillars, placed parallel and facing the same direction, and the front faces showed images of the yaksas, ganas, and various geometrical motifs.
- The stairs led to a structural temple built during the Gupta period. The discovery becomes significant since only two other structural temples from the Gupta age have been found so far
- Dashavatara Temple (Deogarh)
- Bhitargaon Temple (Kanpur Dehat)
- The inscription on the stairs possibly reads ‘Sri Mahendraditya’, which was the title of Kumaragupta I of the Gupta dynasty.
- Sri Mahendraditya… which was the title for King Kumaragupta I of the Gupta dynasty whose ruling period was from 415- 455 CE.
What is the Shankhalipi script?
- Shankhalipi or “shell-script” is a term used by scholars to describe ornate spiral characters assumed to be Brahmi derivatives that look like conch shells or shankhas.
- They are found in inscriptions across north-central India and date to between the 4th and 8th centuries.
- Both Shankhalipi and Brahmi are stylised scripts used primarily for names and signatures.
- The inscriptions consist of a small number of characters, suggesting that the shell inscriptions are names or auspicious symbols or a combination of the two.
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Gupta dynasty rulers
- Chandragupta 1 (320–330CE) -Chandragupta 1 was the founder of the Gupta empire. From being a local chief in Magadha kingdom, he increased his power by marriage alliances and wars.
- Chandragupta 2 (380–413 CE ) -Chandragupta II The Great also known as Chandragupta Vikram?ditya,son of Samudragupta, was one of the most powerful emperors of the Gupta empire in northern India.
- Under his rule the Gupta Empire achieved its zenith, art, architecture, and sculpture flourished, and the cultural development of ancient India reached its climax.
