• The script in the temple was deciphered as saying, ‘Sri Mahendraditya’, the title of Kumaragupta I of the Gupta dynasty.

• Shankhalipi or shell-script is a term used to describe ornate spiral characters assumed to be Brahmi derivatives that look like conch shells or shankhas.
• They are found in inscriptions across north-central India and date to between the 4th and 8th centuries.
• Shankhalipi is found to be engraved on temple pillars, columns and rock surfaces.
• Both Shankhalipi and Brahmi are stylised scripts used primarily for names and signatures.
• The inscriptions consist of a small number of characters, suggesting that the shell inscriptions are names or auspicious symbols or a combination of the two.

Chronology

• The script was discovered in 1836 on a brass trident in Uttarakhand’s Barahat by English scholar James Prinsep.
  • He was the founding editor of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.
• Later, two more similar scripts were found at Nagarjuna group of caves in the Barabar Hills near Gaya, Bihar.
• Prominent sites with shell inscriptions include:
  • Mundeshwari Temple in Bihar
  • Udayagiri Caves in Madhya Pradesh
  • Mansar in Maharashtra
  • Some cave sites of Gujarat and Maharashtra
  • Also reported in Indonesia’s Java and Borneo.
• The attempts to decipher shell script have not been successful.
• No such inscriptions with dates or numbers have been reported so far even as their chronology can be determined by the objects on which they are written.

• The stairway includes Shankhalipi inscriptions which state ‘Sri Mahendraditya,' the title of the Gupta emperor Kumaragupta I.
  • Shankhalipi is an elaborate, stylized ancient script that was employed for names and signatures between 4th and 8th century CE.
• There were two ornamental pillars that were near to one other and had human sculptures on them.

• The writing discovered on the Etah skeletons has previously been discovered on a horse statue in Lakhimpur Kheri.

• The bones were dated to Kumaragupta 1's reign.
• The Etah ruins are the third Gupta era structure temple discovered so far.
  • Earlier, only two structural temples were found — Dashavatara Temple in Deogarh and Bhitargaon Temple in Kanpur Dehat.

• Kumaragupta 1 was the son and successor of Chandragupta II.
• Reign: 414 - 455 AD
• Adopted the titles of ‘Shakraditya’ and ‘Mahendraditya’.
• Performed ‘Ashvamedha’ sacrifices.
• He laid the foundation of Nalanda University which emerged as an institution of international reputation.

• These are – Karandanda, Mandsor, Bilsad inscription (oldest record of his reign) and Damodar Copper Plate inscription.

• Gupta period marks the beginning of Indian temple architecture.
• Manuals were written regarding how to form temples.

• Square building with flat roof
• Shallow pillared porch
• Sanctum (garbhagriha) at the center of the temple
• A single entrance & porch (Mandapa)
• Mandapa appears to originate 1st from here
• Example- Vishnu Varaha temples in (MP)

• Square temple with a squat tower (shikhara) above
• Pillared approach, a high platform at the base
• Examole- Ladkhan Temple at Aihole (Karnataka)

• An elaboration of the first type
• Addition of an ambulatory (paradakshina) around the sanctum
• Most unique achievement of this stage was “Curvilinear tower” i.e., “Shikhara”.
• “Nagara Style” of temple making.
• Example- Dasavatara temple (Deogarh, Jhansi)

• Rectangular temple with an apsidal back
• Barrel-vaulted roof above
• Example- Kapoteswara temple at Cezarla (Andhra Pradesh)

• Circular temples with shallow rectangular projection
• Example- Maniyar Math shrine at Rajgir, Bihar