This book deals with the early development of Śaivism in ancient Dakṣiṇa Kosala, the region that roughly corresponds to the modern state of Chhattisgarh, plus the districts of Sambalpur, Balangir and Kalahandi of Odhisha (formerly Orissa). At the end of the sixth and the beginning of the seventh century, this region was under the control of the Pāṇḍava king Śivagupta alias ‘Bālārjuna’ hailing from Śrīpura (the modern village of Sirpur), who was a great patron of religion. Epigraphical evidence, supported by archaeological remains, has shown that by the time of Śivagupta’s reign, which lasted for at least fifty-seven years, Dakṣiṇa Kosala was already a rich centre of early Śaivism.
In the context of this setting the following research questions were formulated: what circumstances fostered the rise and development of Śaivism in this area, and did the Skandapurāṇa, an important and contemporaneous religious scripture, play any role in that development? An answer to these questions would not only shed light on the religious processes at work in Dakṣiṇa Kosala, but would also touch upon the interplay of political, social, economic and geographical factors.
Reviews
Charlotte Schmid in Arts Asiatiques 75 (2020), pp. 177-179, https://publications.efeo.fr/en/livres/950_arts-asiatiques-75-2020 (last visited 9 October 2023)
Introduction: The Case of Dakṣiṇa Kosala 1
Chapter 1: Political Profile of Dakṣiṇa Kosala 7
Chapter 2: Religious Profile of Dakṣiṇa Kosala 50
Chapter 3: The Archaeological Remains of Śaivism 102
Chapter 4: Iconography of the Doorway to Śiva’s Abodes 173
Conclusion: The Case of Dakṣiṇa Kosala 224
Appendix 1: Copper-plate Charters and Stone Inscriptions 230
Appendix 2: Stray Būrhhīkhār Copper Plate of Śūrabala 273
List of Plates 278
List of Figures 290
Bibliography 291
Index 321
