Which of the following pairs of early temples and their primary idols are correctly matched?
Temple Primary Deity/Icon
1. Dashavatara Temple Vishnu reclining on Sheshnaga
2. Bhitargaon Temple Brick temple with terracotta reliefs of Vishnu/Shiva
3. Eran Temple Colossal Varaha (Boar) incarnation
4. Tigawa Temple Krishna's Black Stone Statue
Select the correct option from the codes given below:

Question

The correct answer is [B] Only 1, 2 & 3.

Dashavatara Temple, Deogarh (Statement 1 – Correct): A classic Gupta period temple (6th century CE), it is famous for its intricate relief carvings. The most iconic panel depicts Vishnu reclining on the serpent Sheshnaga (Anantasayi Vishnu).
Bhitargaon Temple (Statement 2 – Correct): Located in Kanpur, this is the oldest surviving brick temple from the Gupta era. It features unique terracotta panels and reliefs representing both Vishnu and Shiva, along with other secular and religious motifs.
Eran Temple (Statement 3 – Correct): Eran is renowned for its Gupta-period ruins. The site contains a massive, monolithic Varaha (the Boar incarnation of Vishnu) dating back to the late 5th or early 6th century, which carries an inscription of King Toramana.
Tigawa Temple (Statement 4 – Incorrect): The Kankali Devi Temple at Tigawa is a Vishnu temple. However, its most famous feature is the porch pillars depicting Ganga and Yamuna. It does not house a "Krishna's Black Stone Statue" as its primary identifying icon in the context of early Gupta temple architecture.

GKToday Admin · Accepted Answer

Only 1, 2 & 3 The correct answer is [B] Only 1, 2 & 3.

Dashavatara Temple, Deogarh (Statement 1 – Correct): A classic Gupta period temple (6th century CE), it is famous for its intricate relief carvings. The most iconic panel depicts Vishnu reclining on the serpent Sheshnaga (Anantasayi Vishnu).
Bhitargaon Temple (Statement 2 – Correct): Located in Kanpur, this is the oldest surviving brick temple from the Gupta era. It features unique terracotta panels and reliefs representing both Vishnu and Shiva, along with other secular and religious motifs.
Eran Temple (Statement 3 – Correct): Eran is renowned for its Gupta-period ruins. The site contains a massive, monolithic Varaha (the Boar incarnation of Vishnu) dating back to the late 5th or early 6th century, which carries an inscription of King Toramana.
Tigawa Temple (Statement 4 – Incorrect): The Kankali Devi Temple at Tigawa is a Vishnu temple. However, its most famous feature is the porch pillars depicting Ganga and Yamuna. It does not house a "Krishna's Black Stone Statue" as its primary identifying icon in the context of early Gupta temple architecture.

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Temple	Primary Deity/Icon
1. Dashavatara Temple	Vishnu reclining on Sheshnaga
2. Bhitargaon Temple	Brick temple with terracotta reliefs of Vishnu/Shiva
3. Eran Temple	Colossal Varaha (Boar) incarnation
4. Tigawa Temple	Krishna's Black Stone Statue