Temples of the Pratihara Period in Central India

Detailed surveys and studies on temple architecture were taken up by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in the year 1955 and two Temple Survey Project Offices were established at Bhopal and Madras headed by well-known art historians, Sarvashri Krishna Deva and K. R. Srinivasan respectively. Documentation of those groups of northern and southern temples, which have not been studied in detail. The survey has already brought out (1) Cave Temples of the Pallavas by K. R. Srinivasan, 1964, (2) An Architectural Survey of Temples of Kerala by H. Sarkar, 1978, (3) Cave Temples of the Deccan by K. V. Soundara Rajan, 1981, under the Architectural Survey of Temples Series of ASI. The latest in this series is the present volume Temples of Pratiharas by Shri R. D. Trivedi, Superintending Archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India. The Gurjara-Pratiharas were known to be a powerful dynasty which ruled Central and North India between 8th and 10th century. In terms of the architectural development, the Pratihara art and architecture is a logical successor to the tradition of Gupta art with stylistic ramification and the structural and decorative format.

The artistic remains of Pratihara period are available in an extensive area comprising Haryana and central India and covering whole of Uttar Pradesh, part of Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan and Rajastha. A notable feature of temple art and architecture raised under the Pratiharas is its decorative idiom showing harmony with the structural medium employed. Apart from the skill of the carver it has drawn inspiration from already existing cultural and artistic traditions. On an area besides religious propensities of the period. In the present volume Shri Trivedi has studied temples of the Pratiharas of the central India particularly those at Gwalior in all possible details including iconography and structural art. The present work illustrates the continuity of the architectural and sculptural attainment of the Gupta period under a logically developed and elaborate form with many additions and delitions. In its last phase, the Pratihara period presents a well-developed architecture covering a major part of north and central India. During the Pratihara period the simple plan and elevation of the temples of earlier phases changed into a well elaborate format consisting of a mukha-mandapa, antarala and garbha-griha and an elevation having profusely carved adhisthana, jangha and sikhara.. This architectural tradition was closely followed by Chandelas, Parmaras and Kachchhapaghatas and other regional schools.

I hope this volume would be welcomed by those interested in the early medieval Indian temple architecture and sculptural art. I take this opportunity to thank besides the author all those associated with the production of this volume especially Sarvashri K. N. Dikshit, Director (Publication), J. C. Gupta, Production Officer and K. P. Padhi, Senior Technical Assistant in the Publications Branch of the Archaeological Survey of India. M/s. Vap Enterprises, New Delhi, deserve appreciation for publishing this volume.

Preface

At the time of his posting in the Temple Survey Project (Northern Region), Bhopal, survey and study the temple architecture of the Pratihara period. The present monograph on the Temples of the Pratihara period in Central India, in the series of the Architectural Survey of Temples, is the result of the same survey. A brief summary of some of the outstanding examples of the temples included here has been published in various annual issues of the Indian Archaeology-A Review.

In the present survey, the temples of Central India have been incorporated and discussed in detail. The relevant temples of other regions, particularly those datable to the Pratihara period, have also been referred to for comparison, wherever necessary. The present work is a step towards further architectural study of the temples of early medieval period, coinciding with the Pratihara period, in other parts of the country as well.

The author acknowledges his grateful thanks to all the members of the Temple Survey Project (Northern Region), Bhopal, for their help and co-operation in the accomplishment of the present work, particularly to mention some of them: to the Photographers Sarvashri M. C. Jhabak, Ahlad Vyas and Satya Prakash and to the Draughtsmen Sarvashri Raghuraj Kishor, A. L. Verma, M. D. Peshwani, Lakhan Kumar and L. P. Dhakar. Shri R. Venkatachalam, Stenographer, Temple Survey Project (Northern Region), Bhopal, helped in the field and typed out the report material, Shri M. S. Mani of the Headquarters Office finalized the drawings for publication and Shri Daljit Singh of the Building Survey Project, New Delhi, prepared the Index. Shri J. C. Gupta, Production officer, of the Directorate Office offered his valuable help in finally correcting the proofs and organizing the Plates. The author is indeed grateful to all of them.