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In the first
century BC the Andhra-Satavahanas, who had
extended their sway over the eastern Malwa,
caused the elaborately carved gateways to Stupa
1.
From the
second to fourth century AD Sanchi and Vidisha
came under the Kushanas and Kshatrapas and
subsequently passed on to the hand of the Guptas.
During the
Gupta period some temples were built and
sculptures were added.
Shrines and monasteries
were also constructed at the site during seventh
and twelfth centuries AD.
Since the
fourteenth century Sanchi remained deserted and
uncared for till 1818 when General Taylor
rediscovered the site,
Sir John Marshall
established an archaeological museum in 1919,
which was later transformed into the present
site museum at Sanchi.
BRIHADISVARA TEMPLE, THANJAVUR
US$ 5 per person
This
celebrated Saiva temple, appropriately called
Brihadisvara and Daksinameru, is the grandest
creation of the Chola emperor Rajaraja (AD
985-1012).
It was
inaugurated by the king himself in his 19th
regnal year (AD 1009-10) and named it after
himself as Rajesvara Peruvudaiyar.
Architecturally, it is the most ambitious
structural temple built of granite.
The temple is
within a spacious inner prakara of 240.90m long
(east-west) and 122m broad (north-south),
with a gopura
at the east and three other ordinary torana
entrances on at each lateral sides and the third
at rear.
The prakara is
surrounded by a double-storeyed malika and
parivaralayas.
The sikhara, a
cupolic dome, is otagonal and rests on a single
block of granite, a square of 7.8m weighing
80tons.
The majestic
upapitha and adhishthana and common to all the
axially placed entities like the ardhamaha and
mukha-mandapas
and linked to the main sanctum
but approached through a north-south transept
across the ardha-mandapa which is marked by
lofty sopanas.
The moulded
plinth is extensively engraved with inscriptions
by its royal builder who refers to his many
endowments, pious acts and organisational events
connected to the temple.
The brihad-linga within
the sanctum is 8.7m high.
Life-size
iconographic representations on the wall niches
and inner passages inlude Durga, Lakshmi,
Sarasvati and Bhikshatana, Virabhadra, Kalantaka,
Natesa, Ardhanarisvara and Alingana forms of
Siva.
The mural
paintings on the walls of the lower ambulatory
inside are finest examples of Chola and later
periods.
Sarfoji, a
local Maratha ruler, rebuilt the Ganapati
shrine.
The celebrated Thanjavur school of
paintings of the Nayakas are largely
superimposed over the Chola murals.
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