LUCKNOW:
Believed to be among the oldest brick shrines in India
Shiva
temple unearthed by a team from Lucknow University's ancient Indian
history and archaeology department (TOI)
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Lucknow
University's department of ancient Indian history and archaeology
has unearthed a 2,000-year-old Shiva temple as part of its excavation
project recently in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district.
''It's
actually a complex comprising five temples,'' Prof D P Tewari
of the Lucknow University said. ''While four temples belong to
the Kushana period (1st-3rd century AD or 2,000 years ago), it
appears that the primary temple was constructed during the Sunga
period (2nd century BC to 1st century AD or 2,200 years ago).''
The
temple site is a mound in Sanchankot in Unnao. The excavations
have been going on since 2004, when UGC cleared the project for
funding. ''A lot of things have come to fore since we began, but
the temple complex has suddenly given impetus to our research,''
said Prof Tewari.
Spread
across an area of 600 acres, the temple is made of baked bricks.
In India, most of the brick temples were built in the Gupta period
which existed in the fourth century AD. The temple's architecture
is 'apsidal' (semi-circular or u-shaped) in nature.
The
LU has many artifacts to conclude that Lord Shiva was worshipped
in this temple. Prof Tewari said, ''A terracotta seal bearing
the legend of 'Kaalanjar peeth' in Brahmi script was found from
the site in Dec 2008.''
A
shivling, trishul, nandi bull, and a river are inscribed over
the seal. The legend of 'Kaalanjar peeth' is inscribed just below
the river.