 | |
| Cave no 4 at Udayagiri - Lord Vishnu as Varaha, saving Bhu Devi |
Vidisha, previously called Bhelsa or Besnagar is a city in Madhya Pradesh, located 62 kms away (North-East) from the state capital of Bhopal. The city has been in continuous existence since Mauryan times (c.3rd Century BCE), but rose to prominence during the Gupta Era (c.4th-6th Centuries CE). The World Heritage Site of Sanchi is located 7 Kms away from the city center on the Bhopal-Vidisha road. Udayagiri Caves, Heliodorus Pillar and Bija Mandal are other famous places of historical interest in this underrated city.
 |
| Udayagiri Caves |
 |
| Lord Vishnu as Varaha |
Udayagiri Caves
I could never really understand as to why this place is not as famous as it should be! To history buffs - this is the only archeological & historical site that could be exclusively attributed to the Gupta Era. To all people - these caves offer an exquisite mix of pristine nature and primitive sculptural glory. Located almost 7 kms away from the city centre of Vidisha, this places houses 20 caves on two separate hills - 18 related to Vaishnavism and 2 belong to Jainism. One must understand that these caves were carved during Gupta Era - a time when Puranas were being compiled and re-compiled - an era when the Dashavatar theme of Vaishnanvism caught the imagination of the ruling class. The sculptural template set by Guptas at Udayagiri, inspired the Pallavas at Mamallapuram and the Chalukyas at Badami!
Cave 4 posses the famous grand carved relief of Bhu Varaha - Lord Vishnu as Varaha saving Godess Bhu Devi from the depths of primordial waters. It is perhaps the first representation of it's kind in the world. The carving also has miniature images of Gods, Asuras, Lord Varuna i.e, Samudra, River Godesses Ganga and Yamuna along with other celestial beings observing the event with reverential interest. Cave 6, attributed to one of the feudatories of Gupta Emperor Chandargupta II Vikramaditya has a carving of Lord Ganesha embedded on it's wall - perhaps the first of it's kind in India. Cave 9 is the famous Tawa cave - named as such because the roof resembles an upturned sauce-pan i.e, Tawa. En route to the top of the first hill - there's another wall embedded carving - Lord Vishnu as Narasimha - again, the first representation of it's kind. Thus, Udayagiri posseses so many firsts! Atop the second hill, there is an old granary and quary too!
 | |
| The as yer undeciphered Sankha Script, Udayagiri |
 |
| Inscription at Cave no 6, Udayagiri |
Heliodorus Pillar
Between Udayagiri Caves and the City of Vidisha, on the banks of River Betwa, there exists a small & simple pillar with a glorious past. Some 2169 years ago, Heliodorus, a Greek Resident of Taxila was appointed as an ambassador of Indo Bactrain King of the then Punjab region, Antialchus to the court of the Sunga Emperor of Central India, Bhagabhadra. In due course of time, Heliodorus became an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu and proclaimed himself as a devotee of Lord Vishnu i.e, Bhagavata. As per the Prakrit Brahmi Inscription on this pillar, it was built by Heliodorus as a Garuda Column in honour of Lord Vasudeva in c.150 BCE. Today, the pillar is also called as Khambaba locally and is venerated by the fishermen community.
 |
| Heliodorus Pillar aka Khambaba |
 |
| Lord Ganesha outside Cave no 6, Udayagiri |
Bija Mandal
Located within the city of Vidisha are the ruins of a famous temple turned mosque. The Vijaya Mandir was orginally a temple of Godess Charchika, a local manifestation of Godess Durga/Godess Chandika, built during 11th/12th Centuries by the Paramara Rajput King, Naravarma. It was assumed to be as huge and as glorious as the Konark Sun Temple and the quick glance of the ruins would convince anyone so. The temple was destroyed by 1682 CE and later, a mosque was built on the ruins on the orders of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. The sculptures on the pillars and ruins are of the highest essence and quality!
 |
| Ruins of Bija Mandal/Vijay Mandir |
 |
| Cave no 9 at Udayagiri - Tawa Cave |
Vidisha District Museum
Vidisha District Museum located almost 2 kms away from Vidisha bus station is a treasure trove of Sculptures belonging to Mauryan, Gupta, Paramara and Chandela Era. Watch out for the replica of the famous Khajuraho Varaha!
 |
| Ghost Tree View Point, Udayagiri |
Tips for the tour
1. Reaching Vidisha/Besnagar and stay - Private busses ply from Bhopal with recurring frequency for a charge of Rs.60/-. The first buss starts at 6 AM. Vidisha also has a railway station but the frequency of trains to other famous citites of India is not good. I stayed at Bhopal during the tour.
2. Visiting Places - If you don't have your own vehicle to travel, you need to get to Udayagiri Caves by an auto. Charge varies. Most of the caves are locked and most of the interesting sculptures are located at the base of the two hills. Needless to say, stay hydrated - bring and drink plenty of water and try to visit this place early in the morning. Do visit the following - Ganesha Carving on Cave 6's wall, Lord Vishnu as Varaha saving Bhu Devi (Cave 4), Ghost tree view point, Sleeping Vishnu Carving, Shiva Linga in Cave 5. Heliodorus Pillar & Bija Mandal are enroute to Udayagiri Caves and the visit can be clubbed. Vidisha District museum is located on the other side - near to Mahrana Pratap College.
3. Other Tips - The Public transport is completely non-existent. The city itself has a rustic feel about it. You can get along famously and comfortably well if you can manage a little Hindi.
No comments:
Post a Comment