Temples of Rajasthana and Central India

This is the most unfortunate region which suffers most from the invasions of the Muhammadans, in regard to its majority of temple-architecture. This part was the direct successor of the building art of the Gupta age which is remarkable for its exuberance of new motifs in Indian art. The stray ruins of Rajasthana and central Indian architecture and sculpture betoken a latter flowering of a singularly rich and lovely nature of Gupta art. Demolitions of temples by the Muhammadans completely effaced most stupendous undertakings and naturally therefore examples are comparatively rare and fragmentary. Nevertheless a picture can be reconstructed with the help of the temple parts especially the pillars being used in two famous Islamic monuments, the Qutub Mosque at Delhi and the Arhaidin-ka-Jhompara at Ajmer.

This artistic upsurge of the period is synchronous with the literary upsurge of the early medieval period in which poets like Bāṇabhatta, and Bhavabhūti were creating the masterpieces. The post-Gupta epoch was as classical and scholarly as the Gupta age itself. That this scholarly movement influenced all forms of expression, is shown by the architecture of this period, and it is clear that it was a time when men’s minds were working in accordance with high aesthetic ideals. Percy Brown masterly depics this age—vide Indian Architecture p. 138.

Now without going into details let us have a bird’s eye view on the surviving specimens of this region, though most of them are unfortunately fragmentary owing to subsequent vicissitudes.

1. Eran in the Saugor district of Central India. Here are architectural remains extending over a period of some six centuries (500 to 1100 A. D.), a series of shrines dedicated to Varaha, Narasiṃha and Viṣṇu.

2. Pathari, (10 miles away from Eran) where a 7th century monolithic column and 9th century Kothesvara temples are found.

3, Gyraspur. (Further south) It is famous for Athakambha or Aṣṭastambha (eight pillars) and char-kambha or catuḥstambha (four pillars). These are column halls, fore-runners of Sabhā-maṇḍapas of Gujarat. There are two other structures called Bagramatha and Mala De temple.

4. Udayapur. It is famous for Udayeśvara (an eleventh century temple) showing by its style an affinity to the Khajuraho temples.

5. Osia. It is a village thirty two miles north-west of Jodhpur. It is a renowned temple site where some sixteen Brahmanical and Jain temples are found among which the most complete example is a Jain temple dedicated to Mahavīra.

A word on the art of these creations may also be added here for which Percy Brown seems to be at the best:

“The significance of the pillar and its capital in the temples at Osia has been already emphasised, but in some of the examples that distinctive motif the “vase and foliage” attained its supreme form. Although not universal, this type of capital may be regarded as the “order” of the Indo-Aryan style, and in the hands of some of the sculptors it has been made into a singularly graceful feature. One of the most elaborate examples of the vase-and-foliage convention may be seen in the porch pillars of the Mahavera temple of the eighth century. Not only is this element introduced into the capital of the pillar, but, with a slight modification, it also serves as the base. This enrichment however did not satisfy the Indian artist, it was merely one incident in his design, for over and above this he piled on other ornamental devices almost smothering the pillar with the wealth of his inventiveness. There is a feeling that he was endeavouring to express to outpourings of nature in her most bounteous mood, that tumultuous fertility of tropical growth, but on occasion his exuberance becomes strained so that the palate cloys and the eye tires from such a display of sheer sensuousness.”

“No account of the temples of the Osia group would be complete without a reference to the doorways, particularly those which form the entrances to the shrine chamber. In most of the temple architecture, these are the features on which the decorator concentrated all his knowledge and skill, thus corresponding in their wealth of story to the doorways of a Gothic cathedral in the West. The fact that the shrine entrance led immediately into the divine presence seems to have given wings to the artist’s imagination, so that here we find portrayed, by symbol and image, whole volumes of folk lore and mythology for those who can see but cannot read. On the lintel are represented the nine planets or navagraha, while below are ornamental niches each enshrining some well-known incident. Simulating a keystone is the dedicatory block, often depicting a figure or emblem associated with the divinity within the cells, while in panels down the jambs are figure-subjects of lively interest. Decorative mouldings outline the doorway, among which is a motif of double spirals continuing right round the opening delineating the interwined coils of the snake Sesha, the king of the Nagas or serpent race, signifying an endless destiny or eternity. The river goddesses of the Ganges and the Jumna ṅgure at the base of the jamb, to which position they were relegated after the Gupta era; one of the conventions of that period was to include these deities at the upper angle of the doorway, the sixth century marking the date of this change”

The post-Gupta development, as expressed in the west and central region, was undeniably a rich aftermath of the intellectual regime of the imperial Guptas, the earlier manifestion signifying that first creative impulse which heralds the birth of a new era, the later, under the steadying influence of time, producing the exquisite second flowering, as exemplified by the remains at Osia, Eran and elsewhere. But in reality these groups of buildings only represent one aspect of a much wider cultural movement which extended into most parts of the country. For there is ample evidence that during the latter half of the first millennium the arts generally were approaching a very high level, and in several instances had actually attained their golden prime. The great school of rock architecture which was nearing its glorious end, and the building art in its structural form which was beginning its grand achievements, indicate that the spirit of progressiveness was a very living force at this time”.