Chhattisgarh
Regional Dynasties: Rajarshitulya, Nala, Sharabhpuriya, Pandu and Somvanshi
Art and Temples of the Period
Art of Dakshin Kosala's early dynasties for CGPSC: Sirpur's brick Lakshman temple and viharas, Tala's Devrani-Jethani temples, Rajim's Rajiv Lochan temple and Malhar.
Prerequisites
- The Pandu (Somvanshi) Dynasty of Sirpur: Vasata, Balarjuna and Sirpur’s golden age
- Rajarshitulya Kula and the Nala Dynasty: Vilasatunga and the Rajim inscription
- Indian Art, Literature and Culture: basic temple vocabulary (garbhagriha, mandapa, shikhara, Nagara)
The Hook: Brick, Stone and a Three-River Meeting
Connect
Three places within a few hours of Raipur hold almost the whole story of early Chhattisgarh’s art. At Rajim (राजिम), where the Mahanadi meets the Pairi and Sondur, pilgrims crowd the Rajiv Lochan temple during the annual Rajim fair. At Sirpur (सिरपुर), a brick temple and dozens of excavated monasteries rise from the Mahanadi’s bank. Near Bilaspur, at Tala (ताला), a strange giant figure of Shiva built out of animal forms stares out of a ruined stone temple.
What did these dynasties build, what makes each site special, and how do you use them in an answer?
Why it matters: “Which site / which temple / which material” questions are a Prelims staple, and the same monuments feed Mains answers on art, religion and heritage tourism.
Site 1: Sirpur (Shripura), the Capital City
Sirpur (Mahasamund district) was the capital of the late Sharabhpuriyas and the Panduvanshis. It is the richest early-historic site in the state.
| Monument | Faith | Key facts |
|---|---|---|
| Lakshman temple (लक्ष्मण मंदिर) | Vaishnava | Built by Queen Vasata in memory of Harshagupta, during Balarjuna’s reign; a Vishnu temple despite its name; built of brick on a raised platform; one of the finest surviving early brick temples in India |
| Buddhist viharas (for example Anand Prabhu Kuti Vihar and Swastik Vihar) | Buddhist | Monasteries with cells around courtyards and Buddha images; the Anand Prabhu Kuti Vihar is named after the monk Anandaprabha, who built it in Balarjuna’s reign |
| Gandheshwar temple | Shaiva | A Shiva temple on the Mahanadi bank, still in worship; the present structure reuses older carved pieces |
| Excavated city remains | Mixed | Excavations in the 1950s and again from the 2000s exposed temples, viharas, houses and market areas |
What makes the Lakshman temple special
- Material: fired brick, carved and moulded into fine decoration, at a time when most surviving temples elsewhere are of stone.
- Form: a tall, curved (Nagara-type) tower over the sanctum, standing on a high platform.
- Doorway: carved in stone, with Vaishnava imagery.
- Patron: a woman, Vasata. Royal women as temple builders is a strong Mains point.
Sirpur is also known for Buddhist bronze images, which show that it was a working Mahayana centre and not just a city of temples.
Site 2: Tala, the Devrani and Jethani Temples
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Tala, on the Maniyari river, Bilaspur district |
| Temples | Devrani (देवरानी) and Jethani (जेठानी) temples, named after the “younger and elder sisters-in-law” of folk tradition |
| Material | Stone |
| Date | Usually placed in the 5th–6th century CE, the Sharabhpuriya period; the exact patron is not known from an inscription |
| Faith | Shaiva |
| Famous find | The Rudra Shiva (रुद्र शिव) image: a large standing figure whose body parts are formed by animals and faces (for example, a lizard or chameleon for the nose and peacocks for the ears are among the commonly described details) |
Why Tala matters
Tala shows that a sophisticated stone-carving tradition existed in Dakshin Kosala before Sirpur’s brick phase. The Rudra Shiva image is unlike any standard iconography in India, a mark of a strong local artistic imagination.
Site 3: Rajim, the Rajiv Lochan Temple
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Rajim, Gariaband district, at the Triveni confluence of the Mahanadi, Pairi and Sondur |
| Temple | Rajiv Lochan (राजीव लोचन), a Vishnu temple |
| Dynastic link | The Rajim stone inscription of the Nala king Vilasatunga records the building of a Vishnu temple, identified with the Rajiv Lochan temple. A later inscription of the Kalachuri period is also found here |
| Also from Rajim | The Rajim copper plates of Tivaradeva (Panduvanshi), a different record, often confused with the stone inscription |
| Living tradition | The annual Rajim fair makes it a major pilgrimage centre, sometimes called the “Prayag of Chhattisgarh” |
Site 4: Malhar and Other Sites
- Malhar (मल्हार), Bilaspur district: a major early-historic site with remains spanning several dynasties. It has been proposed (not proved) as the site of Sharabhapura.
- Arang: find spot of the Arang plate of Bhimasena II (Rajarshitulya) and the Arang plates of Jayaraja (Sharabhpuriya). Its best-known standing temple, the Jain Bhand Deval, belongs to a later age, not to this period.
- Podagadh (now in Odisha): Skandavarman’s Nala inscription and Vishnu temple.
Art of the Period at a Glance
graph LR
A["Nalas: Vishnu temples at Podagadh and Rajim"] --> D["Brahmanical temple culture spreads"]
B["Sharabhpuriyas: Gaja-Lakshmi seals, Garuda coins, Tala in stone"] --> D
C["Panduvanshis: Sirpur in brick, Buddhist viharas, Shaiva shrines"] --> D
D --> E["Foundation for Kalachuri art (Ratanpur, Malhar) and later Bhoramdeo"]| Feature | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Vaishnava ideology | Gaja-Lakshmi seals, Garuda coins, Vishnu temples (Rajim, Podagadh, Lakshman temple) |
| Shaiva tradition | Tala and the Rudra Shiva image; Balarjuna’s Nandi seal; Gandheshwar temple |
| Buddhism | Sirpur’s viharas and bronzes; Xuanzang’s account of Kosala |
| Building material | Stone at Tala; brick at Sirpur (Lakshman temple) |
| Script | Box-headed Central Indian script in the copper plates |
Analysis: Using These Monuments in Mains
- Religious pluralism: Vishnu, Shiva and Buddha shrines within one capital (Sirpur) under one ruling family.
- Women as patrons: Queen Vasata’s Lakshman temple.
- Regional style: brick mastery at Sirpur and the unique Tala Rudra Shiva show local creativity within the pan-Indian Gupta-age idiom.
- Heritage today: these sites drive heritage tourism and festivals (Rajim fair, Sirpur), and raise conservation issues (river floods, brick erosion, encroachment).
- Sources for history: where texts are silent, temples, seals and coins tell us about faith, economy and royal ideology.
Memory Tricks
Three sites, three materials and faiths
“Tala Stone Shiva; Sirpur Brick Buddha-and-Vishnu; Rajim Rivers Rajiv Lochan.”
Rajim's three rivers
“My Pilgrim Song”: Mahanadi, Pairi, Sondur.
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| Lakshman temple, Sirpur: brick, Vishnu, Panduvanshi | Lakshmaneshwar temple, Kharod: Shiva temple, Janjgir-Champa district | |
| Devrani-Jethani, Tala: stone, about 5th–6th century | Bhoramdeo, Kabirdham: Shiva temple of the much later Phani-Nagavanshi period, the “Khajuraho of Chhattisgarh” | |
| Rajim stone inscription: Nala king Vilasatunga | Rajim copper plates: Panduvanshi king Tivaradeva | |
| Sirpur: brick capital on the Mahanadi | Malhar: early-historic site near Bilaspur, a proposed Sharabhapura | |
| Bhand Deval, Arang: later Jain temple | Arang plates: records of the Rajarshitulya and Sharabhpuriya dynasties |
Common Mistakes
Trap 1: the name fools you
The Lakshman temple is dedicated to Vishnu, not to Lakshmana as the main deity. Name-based guessing loses marks here.
Trap 2: material swap
An option saying “the Lakshman temple of Sirpur is built of stone” is wrong: it is a brick temple (only the doorway and some parts are stone). Tala’s temples are stone.
Trap 3: Bhoramdeo in the wrong age
Bhoramdeo belongs to the Phani-Nagavanshi period, centuries after the Panduvanshis. Do not list it as a monument of this chapter.
Practice
These are original practice questions written in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.
Level 1: Foundation
- The Devrani and Jethani temples stand at ________ on the ________ river.
- The three rivers meeting at Rajim are the Mahanadi, ________ and ________.
- The Lakshman temple of Sirpur is built mainly of ________.
Answers
- Tala; Maniyari
- Pairi; Sondur
- Brick
Level 2: Prelims MCQs
Q1. Consider the following statements:
- The Lakshman temple of Sirpur is a brick temple dedicated to Vishnu.
- The Rudra Shiva image was found at Tala.
- Bhoramdeo temple was built by the Panduvanshis of Sirpur.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
(b) 1 and 2 only. The Lakshman temple is a brick Vishnu temple built by Queen Vasata, and the Rudra Shiva image comes from Tala. Statement 3 is wrong: Bhoramdeo belongs to the much later Phani-Nagavanshi period.
Q2. Match List-I (site) with List-II (association):
| List-I | List-II |
|---|---|
| A. Sirpur | 1. Devrani and Jethani temples |
| B. Tala | 2. Rajiv Lochan temple |
| C. Rajim | 3. Anand Prabhu Kuti Vihar |
| D. Arang | 4. Copper plate of Bhimasena II |
(a) A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4 (b) A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4 (c) A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2 (d) A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4
Answer and explanation
(d) A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4. Sirpur: Anand Prabhu Kuti Vihar; Tala: Devrani and Jethani; Rajim: Rajiv Lochan; Arang: the Rajarshitulya copper plate of Bhimasena II.
Q3. The Rajiv Lochan temple at Rajim is linked by an inscription to which dynasty’s king?
(a) Kalachuri king Jajalladeva (b) Nala king Vilasatunga (c) Panduvanshi king Balarjuna (d) Sharabhpuriya king Sharabha
Answer and explanation
(b) Nala king Vilasatunga. His Rajim stone inscription records the building of a Vishnu temple, identified with the Rajiv Lochan temple. A Kalachuri-period inscription also exists at Rajim, but it is later and does not record the founding.
Q4. The Anand Prabhu Kuti Vihar at Sirpur is a:
(a) Jain temple (b) Buddhist monastery (c) Shaiva matha (d) Royal palace
Answer and explanation
(b) Buddhist monastery. It is named after the monk Anandaprabha, who built it in the reign of the Shaiva king Balarjuna, a classic example of Sirpur’s pluralism.
Level 3: Mains Answer Writing
Q1. Describe the main features of temple architecture and art in Dakshin Kosala between the 5th and 8th centuries CE. (200 words)
Model answer outline
Intro: Under the Nalas, Sharabhpuriyas and Panduvanshis, Dakshin Kosala developed a distinct art tradition within the Gupta-age idiom.
Body:
- Stone phase at Tala: Devrani and Jethani temples; the unique Rudra Shiva image built of animal forms.
- Brick mastery at Sirpur: the Lakshman temple built by Queen Vasata, with carved brick decoration, a curved tower and a stone doorway.
- Buddhist architecture: viharas such as Anand Prabhu Kuti Vihar and Swastik Vihar; bronzes; Xuanzang’s account.
- Vaishnava temples: Rajiv Lochan at Rajim (Vilasatunga’s inscription), Podagadh (Skandavarman).
- Minor arts as sources: Gaja-Lakshmi seals, Garuda coins, bull-and-crescent coins.
- Chhattisgarh today: Sirpur and Rajim as heritage and pilgrimage hubs, and the conservation challenges they face.
Conclusion: These monuments show a confident regional culture that combined pan-Indian forms with local invention, and religious pluralism under royal patronage.
Quick Revision Table
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Lakshman temple, Sirpur | Brick, Vishnu, built by Vasata for Harshagupta, in Balarjuna’s reign |
| Sirpur viharas | Anand Prabhu Kuti Vihar (monk Anandaprabha), Swastik Vihar |
| Gandheshwar | Shiva temple at Sirpur |
| Tala | Devrani-Jethani temples, Maniyari river, Bilaspur district; stone; Rudra Shiva image |
| Rajim | Rajiv Lochan (Vishnu); Vilasatunga’s inscription; confluence of Mahanadi, Pairi, Sondur |
| Malhar | Early-historic site near Bilaspur; proposed Sharabhapura |
| Arang | Copper plates of Bhimasena II and Jayaraja; Bhand Deval is later (Jain) |
| Not this period | Bhoramdeo (Phani-Nagavanshi), Bhand Deval (later) |
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
- Sirpur is the jewel: the brick Lakshman temple (Vishnu, built by Vasata) and Buddhist viharas under a Shaiva king.
- Tala (Devrani-Jethani, Maniyari river) represents an earlier stone phase and the unique Rudra Shiva.
- Rajim’s Rajiv Lochan temple is linked to the Nala king Vilasatunga and sits at the Mahanadi-Pairi-Sondur confluence.
- Seals and coins (Gaja-Lakshmi, Garuda, bull-and-crescent) are art objects and historical sources at once.
- The age shows Vaishnava, Shaiva and Buddhist traditions side by side.
What’s Next
- Quick Revision: Regional Dynasties: the whole chapter on one page
- Kalachuris of Ratanpur and Raipur: art and inscriptions of the next era
- Tourism, Archaeological Sites and Heritage: these sites as tourist circuits today
- Festivals, Fairs and Special Traditions: the Rajim fair and other melas
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