The Archaeology of Sacred Spaces: The Temple in Western India, 2nd Century BCE–8th Century CE

296 Pages·2016·6.478 MB·English

by  Susan Verma Mishra, Himanshu Prabha Ray

The Archaeology of Sacred Spaces
This volume focuses on the religious shrine in western India as an
institution of cultural integration in the period spanning 200 bce to
800 ce. It presents an analysis of religious architecture at multiple lev-
els, both temporal and spatial, and distinguishes it as a ritual instrument
that integrates individuals and communities into a cultural fabric. The
work shows how these structures emphasise communication with a host
of audiences, such as the lay worshipper, the ritual specialist, royalty
and the elite, as well as the artisan and the sculptor. It also examines
religious imagery, inscriptions, traditional lore, and Sanskrit literature.
The book will be of special interest to researchers and scholars of
ancient Indian history, Hinduism, religious studies, architecture, and
South Asian studies.
Susan Verma Mishra is Project Associate, Indira Gandhi National
Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi, India.
Himanshu Prabha Ray is Chairperson, Academic Committee, Project
Mausam, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi, India.
She is Honorary Professor, Distant Worlds, Munich Graduate School
of Ancient Studies, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany,
and Research Fellow, Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, Oxford, UK.
Archaeology and Religion
in South Asia
Series Editor: Himanshu Prabha Ray, Former Chairperson, National
Monuments Authority; and Research Fellow, Oxford Centre for Hindu
Studies
Editorial Board: Gavin Flood, Former Academic Director, Oxford Centre for
Hindu Studies; Jessica Frazier, Academic Administrator, Oxford Centre for
Hindu Studies; Julia Shaw, Institute of Archaeology, University College, Lon-
don; Shailendra Bhandare, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford; Devangana Desai,
Asiatic Society, Mumbai; Vidula Jaiswal, Jnana Pravaha, Varanasi, former pro-
fessor, Banaras Hindu University.
This series, in association with the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, reflects
on the complex relationship between religion and society through new perspec-
tives and advances in archaeology. It looks at this critical interface to provide
alternative understandings of communities, beliefs, cultural systems, sacred
sites, ritual practices, food habits, dietary modifications, power, and agents
of political legitimisation. The books in the Series underline the importance
of archaeological evidence in the production of knowledge of the past. They
also emphasise that a systematic study of religion requires engagement with a
diverse range of sources, such as inscriptions, iconography, numismatics, and
architectural remains.
Also in this series:
Negotiating Cultural Identity
Landscapes in Early Medieval South Asian History
Edited by Himanshu Prabha Ray
Women and Monastic Buddhism in Early South Asia
Garima Kaushik
The Archaeology of Sacred Spaces
The temple in western India,
2nd century –8th century
BCE CE
Susan Verma Mishra
and Himanshu Prabha Ray
First published 2017
by Routledge
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and by Routledge
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Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2017 Susan Verma Mishra and Himanshu Prabha Ray
The right of Susan Verma Mishra and Himanshu Prabha Ray to be identified as authors
of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN: 978-1-138-67920-7 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-56333-6 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
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Contents
List of figures vii
List of tables ix
Preface xi
Introduction 1
1. Monumental remains: defining sacred space 21
2. Sacred sites and settlement sites 59
3. Religious icons in Gujarat 102
4. Shared space and multiple affiliations 157
5. Religious processes, rituals and pilgrimage 195
6. Gujarat in context 231
Bibliography 250
Index 277
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Figures
1.1 Bawa Pyara caves 24
1.2 Interior chamber of Bawa Pyara cave 25
1.3 Asokan rock edict, Junagadh 27
1.4 Close-up of Asokan rock edict, which also carries
later inscriptions of Rudradaman I (150 ce) and of
the early Gupta rulers 27
1.5 Relic caskets from Boria stupa 31
1.6 Khapara Kodia caves 31
1.7 Khapara Kodia – pillars with simha brackets 32
1.8 Interior of Uparkot caves, Junagadh 33
1.9 Temple at stepwell, Roda 41
1.10 Temples inside stepwell at Roda 41
1.11 Varaha temple, Kadvar 45
1.12 Varaha image under worship, Kadvar 46
2.1 Settlement sites, Period I 66
2.2 Settlement sites, Period II 70
2.3 Settlement sites, Period III 92
3.1 Sites with Hindu images 107
3.2 Sites with Buddhist and Jaina images 142
4.1 Model of Devnimori stupa site 167
4.2 Linga at site museum, Devnimori 171
4.3 Visvarupa Vishnu image under worship at Shamlaji 172
All figures are by Susan Verma Mishra. Maps included are historical in nature
and do not indicate the international boundary of India.
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Tables
3.1 Shaivite images 114
3.2 Vaishnavite images 118
3.3 Images of goddesses 120
3.4 Buddhist images 136
3.5 Jaina images 143
All tables are by Susan Verma Mishra. Maps included are historical in nature
and do not indicate the international boundary of India.