The Gupta Temple of Tlgowa

Summary

The article focuses on the Gupta Temple at Tigowa, located in Jabalpur District, India, and examines its architectural features. The temple, dating back to approximately 425 A.D., remains one of the earliest shrines of the Gupta period, although it was restored after its construction. The temple is oriented eastward and shares a similar size and plan with Temple XVII at Sanchi. Its plinth is about 25 inches above the ground, with its base adorned by two courses of moulding, and walls constructed from large ashlar masonry. The temple’s mandapa, originally an open portico, was enclosed at a later date. The columns of the mandapa are notable for their tall square bases and shorter octagonal and 16-sided sections, with capitals of the purna-ghata type. These columns are more elaborately decorated than those at Sanchi. The temple’s doorway is more advanced than Temple XVII at Sanchi, with features like multiple rosette bands and figures of River Goddesses, Jamuna and Ganga. A key feature of the temple’s design is its flat roof, which deviates from the later sikhara style of temple architecture. While later temples like the Vamana Temple at Marhia and the Visnu Temple at Deogarh exhibit more complex designs, the Tigowa temple’s simplicity marks it as an early example of Gupta temple architecture. The enclosure and sculptures added to the mandapa walls, while dated to the seventh century, were likely not part of the original temple but were instead taken from earlier temples. These walls and the sculptures are not considered integral to the Tigowa temple’s original form. The article suggests that the Tigowa temple, in its present state, reflects an early design, with modifications added as the temple evolved over time. Updates: The detailed study of the flat roof and its contrast with multi-storied temples of later periods supports the notion that early Gupta temples, including Tigowa, featured simpler designs with flat roofs.