The Archaeology of Hindu Ritual
Temples and the Establishment of the Gods

Willis examines how gods of early Hinduism came to be established in temples, combining Sanskrit textual evidence with archaeological data.

Michael Willis (Author)

9781107460164, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 6 November 2014

390 pages, 43 b/w illus. 4 maps
25.5 x 17.8 x 2 cm, 0.74 kg

"...this will be an essential study for all scholars interested in the historical development of medieval Indic temple religion." -John E. Cort, Religious Studies Review

In this groundbreaking study, Michael Willis examines how the gods of early Hinduism came to be established in temples, how their cults were organized, and how the ruling elite supported their worship. Examining the emergence of these key historical developments in the fourth and fifth centuries, Willis combines Sanskrit textual evidence with archaeological data from inscriptions, sculptures, temples, and sacred sites. The centrepiece of this study is Udayagiri in central India, the only surviving imperial site of the Gupta dynasty. Through a judicious use of landscape archaeology and archaeo-astronomy, Willis reconstructs how Udayagiri was connected to the Festival of the Rainy Season and the Royal Consecration. Through his meticulous study of the site, its sculptures and its inscriptions, Willis shows how the Guptas presented themselves as universal sovereigns and how they advanced new systems of religious patronage that shaped the world of medieval India.

1. The archaeology and politics of time at Udayagiri
2. The establishment of the gods
3. Ritual action and ritual actors.

Subject Areas: Hindu worship, rites & ceremonies [HRGC], Archaeology [HD]