Architecture

Culture of India UPSC Civil Services Examination (General Studies)

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Indian Economy - Understanding the basics of Indian economic system

With reference to Bhitargaon Temple, consider the following statements:

1. It is located in Mumbai, Maharashtra built in 7th century AD.

2. It is one of the earliest surving brick temples of India of the time of Gupta Empire.

3. Alexandar Cunningham called this temple as the 'Hindu arch'.

How many of the above statments are correct?

Only one

Only two

Only three

None

Bhitargaon Temple

Bhitagaon Temple located in Kanpur District of Uttar Pradesh is one of the earliest surviving brick temples of India.
It was built in the 5th century A.D during the Gupta Empire.
It is the oldest remaining terracotta Hindu shrine with a roof and a high Shikhara (spire) which paved the way for elaborate Nagara style of temple architecture in North India.
Architecture of Bhitargaon Temple
- The entrance into the sanctum shows one of the first uses of a semi-circular doorway.
- Alexander Cunningham (First Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India, 1871) called this as the ‘Hindu arch’ which was peculiar to India.
- The temple has a tall pyramidical spire (shikhara) above the inner sanctum (garbha griha). This shikhara became the standard feature of the Nagara temple architecture of India.
- The walls of the temple are decorated with terracotta sculptures of God and Goddesses like Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha, Vishnu etc. on panels separated by bold ornamental pilasters (rectangular column that projects slightly beyond the wall).
- According to Cunningham, because of the Varaha incarnation at the back of the temple, it was probably a Vishnu temple