वेदान्तेषु यमाहुरेकपुरुष व्याप्य स्थित रोदसी।
अंतर्वच मुमुक्षुमितमितप्राणादिभिर्मृग्यते। (प्रासाद मण्डन)
The Bhagawatas are credited to have imagined not only the physical form of the abode of god or temples but to have laid the significant text dealing with the worship of divine entity installed in them in the same way as one experiences the omnipresent god within by disciplining the two great powers of soul and sense organs.
The presence of divine elements in the temple is the culmination of faith, spiritualism, and positivism integrated within human civilization. The existence of the human body, the universe, and the temple is constantly balancing each other, besides representing symbolism.
The temple functions as a pivot to the entire human psychology. They are active centers engaged in constant dialogue between the god and his devotees. The significance of these spiritual centers is time immemorial. The factors of time and space may dare to affect only the exteriors of these edifices.
The construction of temples underwent a long process of evolution from the form of objects of worship in the Harappan civilization to the vedie yajna vedir. Later colossal images of local deities like Yaksha and Nagas were erected as centers of faith. The platforms and open shrines gave way to the erection of temples on Jagati with sanctum or cella. The format of plan and elevation changed with time developing into particular styles with characteristics like Nagara, Dravida, and Taura. The attachments to the sanctum multiplied with ambulatory path, vestibule, mukhmandap, rang mandap, etc.
The subject matter of the study of temples is almost like a divine experience that is overwhelmingly delightful. This research work attempts to take its readers on a spiritual ride with scholarly flavor.
In light of the limitations faced in fieldwork, it may not be possible to shape this project as an epitome of perfection. In the study of such a vital theme as the art and architecture of temples in Hadoti, where we visualize great work done by previous authors, it seems improbable to sculpt a masterpiece. Nevertheless, a sincere effort has been made to systematize and analyze the sequence of developments in this region of Rajasthan from the viewpoint of Brahmanical temple art and architecture.
This research work has been classified into four major divisions comprising of six chapters, four appendices, a select bibliography inclusive of primary and secondary sources, and seventy-six illustrations in the form of plates.
Chapter one, 'Introduction of Hadoti Region', is a curtain raiser and attempts to familiarize us with the Hadoti region. This chapter presents a panoramic view of Hadoti and discusses the features that make it a composite whole it mentions the physical features like geography, geology minerals, and river system nurses embodied by the Hadoti region. The object behind such an effort is us help visualize the favorable sites where the evolution of culture and development of art centers o place.
Chapter Two Growth and Development of Art and Architecture concerning Eatery Rajasthan aspires to help in understanding the concept of the evaluation of sample architects Besides the role being played by various allied streams like literature, epigraphy, numismatic, archaeology, etc. in the growth and development of temple architecture and analyze them. An attempt has been made to gather the maximum information available from the surrounding areas in the vicinity of the Hadoti region in this regard. It has enabled us to establish a gradual process of growth followed by development in temple building.
The third chapter, "Gupta Art Centres, deals with the major Gupta art centers in the Hadoti region This chapter is further subdivided into three parts dealing with Darra (Kota distt), Char Choma (Kob dist) and Rangpur (Koa distt), and Keshoraipatan (Dundi distt.) respectively for the sake of convenience This chapter embodies the major crux of this work and the exploration and survey conducted in this regional zone has brought forth significant and promising result. We have been able to brush up with some new finds, which is likely to generate some fresh debate. A systematic analysis of the existing religious structures (Gupta and Later Gupta period) in the light of new finds and their examination in the context of the theories established so far, has been attempted in this section of research work.
Chapter Four, Sitaleswar Mahadeva Temple ut Chandrabhaga- Thalrapatan (district Jhalawary deals with the continuity of art traits in the Post Gupta period. It helps us in understanding the developmental process of temple architecture from Gupta and Later Gupta to Post Gupta period. Besides, we visualize the continuity of art motifs and examine them with similar development in other parts, contemporary to it.
Chapter Five, Comparative Study of Brahmanical Temples with other Temples of Rajasthan, attempts to bring together all the developmental activities vis-a-vis temple building in various parts of Rajasthan on a common platter, ab our period of study and analyze them simultaneously. In this chapter, all kinds of information related to the Brahmanical Brahmanical temples in Rajasthan have been put together for comparison.
The last chapter, 'Contribution of Art and Architecture of Hadoti to Indian Art and Architecture with special reference to Rajasthan', deals with the significance of this region of Rajasthan and evaluates it in the light of the contribution made by it in the arena of temple art and architecture to Indian art and Rajasthan in particular.
In this work, the use of diacritics for non-English words has been avoided by me. In the last section, four appendices have been given which contain the original contents of the inscriptions which relate to the project work. I have given chapter-wise references. Besides, an up-to-date bibliography has been provided at the end, relating to the books and source material, both primary and secondary, consulted by me for the research work. I hope it is going to be of some help to those who would like to enlighten themselves with more information about this project work. The last section illustrates plates (seventy-six in number) with sites and monuments, enabling us to have a better understanding of the work and retain its liveliness.
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