Kahaum pillar, 5th century Jain pillar in Khukhundoo, India
The Kahaum pillar is a sandstone column in Uttar Pradesh that rises 8 meters high with a grey stone body carved with intricate details. Its surface displays Sanskrit inscriptions written in the eastern Gupta script alongside finely carved religious figures.
The pillar was commissioned during Skandagupta's reign around 460-461 CE, as confirmed by inscriptions referencing the 141st year of the Gupta era. It represents a period when the Gupta empire invested in religious monuments across its territories.
The pillar displays carved figures of five Jain Tirthankaras, spiritual leaders whose presence through stone confirms their importance to the community that built this structure. These religious depictions show how deeply Jainism was embedded in local beliefs.
The monument is located in rural surroundings roughly 15 kilometers east of Deoria city, near the Bihar state border. The site is accessible but requires some local guidance or advance research to find easily.
An artist named Madra, described in the inscriptions as a devotee and ascetic, crafted the detailed carvings that cover the pillar. This specific credit to a single artisan in an official monument reveals how valued such skilled work was during this period.
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