Indus Temples and Saurashtra Michael W

Ancient Pakistan, vol. XXI 63 Indus Temples and Saurashtra Michael W. Meister By the beginning of the sixth century CE, view of these temples,4 writing that Saurashtra saw the rise of the Maitraka kings of Valabhi, under the suzerainty of the Gupta If lower western Sura~tra is accepted as having been under Garulaka, and not dynasty in Central and Northern India. direct Maitraka rule, Varahadasa's DroI}.asirilha (ca. 520-50) was the first to use claim, in A.D. 549, that he had founded the Gupta Era in his charters. At the time, many temples would suggest that we Garulaka chieftains ruled as Maitraka vassals might reconsider the date of the styl in western Saurashtra. According to M. A. istically earliest structures in western Sura~tra, previously placed between c. Dhaky's summary of their patronage and rule, 575--650. .. Sura~tra buildings are the Maitrakas' ascent "as an eminent power quite austere, weatherworn, and the begins from the reign of Guhasena (ca. 555- chronological discussion presented here 570), ... by whose time the power of the must therefore remain somewhat tent Guptas had considerably declined."1 During ative. Maitraka rule, distinctive stone temples began Temples in the Salt Range and along the Indus to be built in Saurashtra; many were Saiva but in Pakistan, built under the hegemony of Turk also Saura (Dharapatt;a, ca. 520--550, had Sa.his ruling from Kabul and Hund in the declared himself a "Parama-Aditya-bhakta") seventh and eighth centuries, represent a and other sects.2 Dhaky commented that, with regional school of architecture, evolving from few exceptions, "temples of the Maitraka an earlier 'Gandharan' construction, that gave period fall in areas which incidentally had been local expression to a new 'Nagara' temple within the reign of the Garulakas. Only near vocabulary developed in Gangetic India to the middle of the eighth century do the house Hindu, Jain, and occasionally Buddhist Saindhavas appear as rulers in the same images for worship. 5 Kuwayama has argued territory." 3 Dhaky modified his much earlier that the preceding Kinghal dynasty had extended its reach to the west bank of the Indus by the seventh century - to Hund, which became its winter capital, but also to Bannu 1 M. A. Dhaky, "Maitrakas of ValabhI and Giirulakas of Western Sura~tra," in Encyclopaedia and possibly even Dera Ismail Khan - a of Indian Temple Architecture, Vol. II, part 1 region with a large Brahmanical population [hereafter EITA 11.1], edited by M. W. Meister, M. A. Dhaky, and Krishna Deva, New Delhi: American Institute of Indian Studies & Oxford University Press, 1988, p. 168. 4 Nanvati and Dhaky, Maitraka and Saindhava, 2 J.M. Nanavati and M.A. Dhaky, The Maitraka passim. and the Saindhava Temples of Gujarat (Artibus 5 Michael W. Meister, "On the Development of a Asiae Supplementum 26), Ascona: Artibus Asiae, Morphology for a Symbolic Architecture: India." 1969. Res, Anthropology and Aesthetics, 12 (1986): 33- 3 Dhaky, "Maitrakas ... Garulakas," p. 170. 50. Ancient Pakistan, vol. XXI 64 alongside Buddhists. 6 Cultic and architectural Temple D at Bilot (PL 2), perhaps the most expressions in both regions might suggest that complex sacred monument along the Indus. there had been some connections between the The earliest temple in Bilot's fort, Temple D distinctive early temples in Saurashtra and was built on a large rectangular plinth, now those of the Northwest, through north-south stripped of most of its surface cladding. Square links along the Indus River (PL 4). If so, these in plan, the walls of the sanctum have pilasters likely would have been weakened by the end of cantoning the comers; paired central pilasters the seventh century, leaving both schools of flank chambers framed by shrine models on temple architecture to find their separated each wall (PL 3, right). Above these pilasters ways.7 Sixth- and seventh-century temples in are sockets and a broad fillet that suggest these regions, however, offer rare examples of beams and the ceiling of an enclosing experiments widely disbursed across the ambulatory hall, possibly wooden. A landing subcontinent that contributed to the foundation and flight of steps gave access to this plinth of the latina Nagara temple as the preeminent from the east (Pl. 4, lower left). symbolically charged architecture of its day. Temple D's compound was expanded in Some comparable elements in early temples in several phases. 8 Extensions enclosing domed, both regions include plinth-and-torus ground-level, east-facing chambers were added underpinnings of moulding typologies; courses to either side of the access stairway by late in of 'brick-like' stone masonry (laterite or tufa) the seventh century at the same time Temple A finished in plaster, even making up each of the was built lower down the mountainous slope to roll cornices in the superstructure (vide figs. 4-- the east and Temple H (Pis. 1; 5, bottom) to the 6); some pilaster types; experiments north. 9 South-facing chambers with conjoined compacting kufina elements of the sikhara; Nagara sikharas (FIG) were built on the and, initially, square-based plans, often within ambulatory halls, with central projections 8 Michael W. Meister, "The Problem of Platform (latas) only in the tower above. These are Extensions at Kafirkot North," Ancient Pakistan 16 (2005): 41--48. suggestive, not definitive, comparisons that 9 Stein's pencil plan, "checked and completed" by faintly shadow a connection; the presence of H. Hargreaves, and published by him in the Sun temples in both regions may be another. Annual Report of the Archaeological Survey of India, Frontier Circle, 1920-21, lists eight I wish to focus especially on the compound of temples: "A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H" (Pl. 1). E is a south-facing sub-shrine on the northeast comer of Temple D's platform. Three conjoined chambers, 6 two with surviving sikharas, added to the NE Shoshin Kuwayama, "Historical Notes on Kapisr comer of Temple D's compound, are designated and Kabul in the Sixth-Eighth Centuries.," Zinbun 'F'; a shrine added to the north of Temple D is 34 (1999): 25-77. According to Kuwayama, the identified as G. A ruined small platform between Kingal Dynasty "came into existence in parallel Temples D and A, no longer with surviving with the political weakening of the Hephthalites remains, is marked H. Recent scholarship in toward the middle of the sixth century and lasted Pakistan has called the two NE chambers with until the rise of the Turks in Kabul in the middle of sikharas Temples F and G, and the ruined temple the seventh century." north of Temple D, Temple H (Pl. 2). I have 7 Michael W. Meister, Temples of the Indus: expressed my support of this recent renaming Studies in the Hindu Architecture of Ancient (Meister 2010: 38) on the grounds that it may Pakistan (Brill lndological Library, vol. 35), "better order the surviving subsidiary shrines as Leiden: Brill, 2010. part of Temple D's expanded complex." Ancient Pakistan, vol. XXI 65 northeast comer of an enlarged compound, extends up into a central latii of roll cornices with a steep flight of steps on the east climbing (kapota) crowned by a small iimalaka. To up from below (PL 2). Perhaps half a century either side, comers of the slightly curvilinear later, Temple E, a south-facing Nagara shrine, tower are marked by two levels of paired was built on the northeastern platform cornices crowned by iimalakas; between three extension, above the east-facing domed iimalakas at the top are two pillarets supporting chamber below (Pls. 4, lower left & 5, top). an upper platform (uttaravedt) from which the necking supporting the upper iimalaka appears. At Kafirkot North, the two earliest temples that Together, these parts make an appropriate survive, Temples B and A, are also square in schema for an early or proto-Nagara temple. plan, with chamfered walls, cantoning pilasters, sockets and recess for an ambulatory Above the sockets and seating for beams and roof, a projecting central latii only in the an ambulatory roof at the top of the sanctum's superstructure. 10 Temple B has three cornice walls, the temple's sikhara has a basal storey levels that survive, but no comer ribbed marked by comer pillars and 'perforated' markers ( iimalakas ), making it more of a 'screens', the one on the broad central bhumi-priisiida. Temple A (PL 3, left), on the projected section flanked by lotus medallions other hand, advertises its latina Nagara (PL 3, right). Between the modillion brackets connections with a first level in the sikhara of the cantoning pilasters is a shallow 'saw marked by bhumi-kha'JJ4a units on the comers tooth' fringe. The tower above consists of a that consist of two cornices, thin 'vedf' slab, series of roll cornices (kapotas)-each made and an iimalaka directly above with no up of several courses of kanjur 'bricks' (PL 7, necking. The broad central projection on this top }-each underpinned by a band of beam level also pairs two bhumi-khm:u;las, which are ends. Each cornice has a central candrasiilii not, however, repeated up the next storeys. motif, flanked by a conjoined one-and-a-half candrasiilii motif on either side, with small Bilot's larger Temple D is both more 'florets' filling their cavities; this pattern is complicated and earlier (PL 3, right). Square in adjusted in scale on each cornice to allow for a plan, its mouldings include a broad recess with slightly curved ascent. sparsely spaced floral bosses and pu$paratnas (floral diamonds). The roll cornice (kapota) The comer faces of the base storey of the that tops these mouldings and those of the sikhara are defined as small pillared pavilions, sikhara above have bold bands of beam-ends each with a superstructure--consisting of two below.

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