BHOPAL, CAPITAL OF MADHYPRADESH, IS THE IDEAL BASE FOR DISCOVRING THE RICH HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL LEGACY OF THE STATE. CLOSE TO THE CITY AND EASILY ACCESSIBLE BY ROAD AND RAIL ARE ANCIENT SITES OF GREAT DYNASTIES,FORTS,MONUMENTS,AND CAVE SCULPTURE, SOME OF THE FINEST EXAMPLE OF INDIAN ART AND ARCHITECTURE, CHRONICLED IN STONE, OF THE STATE'S UNIQUE HERITAGE OF FINE ANTIQUES.
WHAT TO SEE
VIDISHA ::
VIDISHA OR BESNAGAR AS IT IS CALLED IN THE PALI SCRIPTURE, ONCE THE PROSPERIOS CAPITAL OF THE WESTERN DOMINIONS OF THE SUNGAS,CONTAINS SOME REMARKABLE ANTIQUITIES THAT THROW LIGHT ON THE CONSIDERABLE ARCHITECTURAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE PERIOD.
SITUATED IN THE FORK OF THE BETWA AND BES RIVERS ,VIDISHA,10 KM FROM SANCHI OCCUPIES AN IMPORTANT PLACE AMONGST THE ANCIENT CITIES IN INDIA.
IN THE 6TH AND 5TH CENTURY BC,IT ROSE TO BECOME AN IMPORTANT TRADE CENTER AND BUSTLING CITY UNDER THE SUNGAS,NAGAS, SATVAHNS AND GUPTAS .
THE EMPEROR ASHOKA WAS GOVERNOR OF VIDISHA AND ITS FINDS MENTION KALIDASAS IMMORTAL MEGHDOOT .DESERTED AFTER THE 6TH CENTURY AD IT CAME IN TO PROMINENCE AGAIN AS BHILSA DURING THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD (9TH TO 12TH CENTUR IES AD).IT LATER PASSED ON TO THE MALWA SULTAN. THE MUGALS AND THE SCINDIAS
THE RUINS OF THE BRAHMANICAL SHRINE AT VIDISHA DEDICATED TO VISHNU REVEAL THAT THE FOUNDATION BRICKS WERE CEMENTED WITH LIME MORTAR, THE FIRST KNOWN EXAMPLE OF THE USE OF CEMENT IN INDIA.
THE RUINS ARE WHAT REMAINS OF POSSIBLY THE OLDEST KNOWN BRAHMANICAL STONE STRUCTURE, DATED NOT LATER THAN 2 BC.
VIDISHA MUSEUM HAS A SUPERB COLLECTION OF BESNAGARS EARLIEST ANTIQUITIES ,DATING FROM THE SUNGA PERIOD.
9TH CENTURY SCULPTURE AND TERRACOTTA OBJECTS REPRESENTATING THE ART THAT FLOURISHED UNDER PARMARA PATRONAGE ARE ALSO WELL REPRESNTED HERE. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE COLLECTION FROM BESNAGAR ARE THE SURYA CHAMUNDI FIGURE., THE YAKSHI AND THE RAMAGUPTA INSCRIPTIONS .
THE LOHANGI ROCK ,GUMBAZ -KA- MAQBARA AND BIJAMNDAL MOSQUE, STANDING ON THE FOUNDATION OF TEMPLE ARE ALSO WORTH A VISIT.
CLOSE TO THE RUINS ARE THE REMAINS OF VOTIVE PILLARS WITH PALM LEAF CAPITALS,THE ONLY ONE THAT STILL STANDS IS THE HELIODORUS PILLAR,ALSO KNOWN AS KHAMBA BABA..A MONOLITHIC, FREE STANDING COLUMN. THE PILLAR BEARS AN INSCRIPTION WHICH STATE THAT IT WAS A GARUDA PILLAR. RAISED IN HONOUR OF VASUDEVA BY HELIODORUS ,A RESIDENT OF TAXILA.WHO HAD BEE
SENT TO THE COURT OF BHAGABHADRA.AS AN ENVOY OF THE INDO BACTRIAN MORCH.ANTIALSIDAS ,THIS INSCRIPTION IS A PARTICULARLY VALUABLE HISTORICAL RECORD. REVEALING BOTH THE RELATIONS THAT EXISTED BETWEEN THE REGION AND THE GREEK KINGDOMS OF THE PUNJAB. AND THE REMARKABLE FACT THAT A GREEK HAD BECOME A FOLLOWER OF THE HINDU GOD VISHNU.THE INCLUSION OF THE NAME OF THE ANTIALCIDAS DATES THE APPROXIMATED ERECTION OF THE PILLAR TO 140 BC.
ARCHITECTURALLY ,THE PILLAR WITH ITS BELL CAPITAL CARRYING A FIGURED SUPER STRUCTURE RESEMBLES THE ASHOKA PILLAR. BUT IS MUCH SMALLER IN SIZE WITH MORE SLENDER PROPORTIONS,THE LOWER PORTION OF THE SHAFT IS OCTAGONAL THE UPPER SIXTEEN SIDED WITH A PANEL ABOVE OF THIRTY TWO FACTS.
THE CARVING HAVE BUDDHIST MOTIFS SUCH AS A BORDER WITH GEESE IN PAIRS AS WELL AS HELLENIC ONES SUCH AS THE HONEYSUCKLE AND THE BEAD MOULDING.
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