Description

This sculpture comes from the 8th-9th century Gurjara-Pratihara Vishnu temple at the site, near the present town of Pehowa. Evidence for the same yields from records of local taxes collected for the maintenance of this temple. It is likely that the specific site of Vishwamitra mound was where this temple was situated. Being a Vishnu temple, reliefs from linked epics like the Mahabharata and the Ramayana were likely used to adorn the temple exterior. It is very likely that this sculpture also formed part of a larger relief or frieze narrating either epic. Thus, by itself, it might not yield much information, though providing a greater context gives one a better idea.